There are 2 days remaining today and tommorrow. I am coming along nicely and after I finish this, will take down the computer until Monday night, I have already marked the wires and positions . Moving from 900 sq ft to 300 sq ft means cut,cut and cut again . Maxie is sitting in the patio doorway and why I could be moving the chair outside, I want her to enjoy her last hours here as well. She is already stressed with the move which got worse after I took out the couch. She does have windows in the new place . It won't be the same.
There is a line that Arina sayd to Henri ( married vampires in my work in progress) that sums up how I felt when I woke up this morning. " I don't want to get up, the minute my feet touch the floor , we belong to the world and all of this is real." So for some hard core evaluation :
I knew that the client was leaving even before they announced it- my employers did not want to hear it. Whatever caused the initial problem , had snowballed before I even felt it. That client is now totally reorganizing- managers with whom we had dealt for years are being moved away from liablity . In a normal economy , I might have looked for a new job. This is not a normal economy , at least not until now. We were told that our department was not to blame. It was our department that suffered. One woman was released from her job, I thankfully was moved to another dept., only one of the owner's moms is still working our old biz. Starting Tuesday, I have to up my game for being out, even though I took it as vacation time.
My employer although I was unhappy with them for refusing to look at the obvious- has been supportive . One can forgive alot when they put their money where their mouth is . I have 2 great clients and am determined to make them shine. I have a loan which has no particular paydate - asap- small but stopped the inevitable for awhile. It wasn't to be. Everytime we solved a problem - the players escalated the stakes. The stakes eventually got too high.
Two factors were major:
- Nashville Electric service added fees to offset any energy savings I effected. I cut my bill by over $30 , only to have them tack on an adminstrative fee of roughly the amount of the savings.
- I was never far behind on the rent- but it takes time when you work partly on commission. We had a change of management , and I thought that the guy who had been assistant twice seemed ok. I know him now for a liar. The last time that we spoke , we discussed what I could pay- I knew that I had a commission (small) and said I could come up with $1000 to be followed with $400 per month repay and the monthly rent. We would have been paid in 90 days. He said he could work with that- he took the money - and sent me to the attorney anyway. When I complained about the lie- he said not to worry that the attorney would take the plan. I spoke with the attorney- there had been no such accomodation . They wanted it all in 14 days which was not possible, So I took an agreed judgement and made arrangements to move. The landlord has stayed away from me- and I do not seek him out. I did get a smaller payment per month . Tempting as it sounds, I am not going to drag it out .
-Why this is a good thing:
They donot use bonded repair people but whoever- usually when you are not home.
Screening leaves a lot to be desired - as in they don't do stringently enough. We had an upstairs neighbor who brough critters (insects) and even though they were evicted, we battled them for months. There are many who have been to jail.
Along the same line, TN law requires 24 hours notice before they can enter an apartment. Management here did that about 65% of the time. My vet and I suspect its part of what killed my 13 year old cat, Daisybunny - they came in to spray unannounced, she was loose, was scared of strangers , hid and got sprayed. How do I know? They never locked my door properly invalidating my insurance and putting my goods at risk. I keep the dates on a calendar.
No consideration for the schedules of the tenants- one of my neighbors who works nights , found workmen wandering around her apartment while she was sleeping. She moved yesterday. There is more consideration for the service companies that the management co pays than the tenants who pay them . This seems skewed to me.
So see you on the other side later this week. Time to finish the packing.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Postscript
I had to go out this afternoon for cat food, another container for books , and trashbags. I decided in the middle of all of this to stop for a cup of coffee, I ran into a woman who used to take the bus with me from Metrocenter here in Nashville (Its the center of nowhere-its so distanced from downtown that its Roswell Southeast.)
She had been out of work since'09 and is about my age. She is living at the Salvation Army shelter. Cigna lost the contract for the area in which she worked-and she has been unable to find another job. My question is how can any religion or philosophical enity claim to honor their mothers and fathers - i.e. their elders and not only warehouse them in nursing homes but put them on the street? Does this strike anyone else as a paradox , maybe hypercritical? I am going to the Imperial Palace compared to that . This is a woman who worked hard all of her life- as have I and most of my friends- but there are days, like today , where it feels scarey and unappreciated . No American should be allowed to drop so far. Not when they are willing to work.
" I complained about having no shoes , then I met a man who had no feet..."
She had been out of work since'09 and is about my age. She is living at the Salvation Army shelter. Cigna lost the contract for the area in which she worked-and she has been unable to find another job. My question is how can any religion or philosophical enity claim to honor their mothers and fathers - i.e. their elders and not only warehouse them in nursing homes but put them on the street? Does this strike anyone else as a paradox , maybe hypercritical? I am going to the Imperial Palace compared to that . This is a woman who worked hard all of her life- as have I and most of my friends- but there are days, like today , where it feels scarey and unappreciated . No American should be allowed to drop so far. Not when they are willing to work.
" I complained about having no shoes , then I met a man who had no feet..."
3 Days Remain
When I took my baby dragon lamp from my home office to work, I felt that the apartment was no longer mine. It feels happy at my job, so there it will stay . The art work , the bulletin boards, all gone. I am not doing storage this time- economic times being what they are - I am not comfortable committing beyond my hourly income.
Lori from work is getting the 3 bookcases. I also have 2 childrens books (she has grandkids) , a game and a rotissaire she can have - she doesn't know about that. When Amazon pays me for sold used books this week , I am also going to give her $20.00 for helping me move tomorrow. Goodwill comes on Monday for the rest of the usable furniture. I had been thinking about replacing the living room suite before this and am now glad that I did not. I still am taking alot of stuff with me for my smaller space. Much of it is books that I am selling on Amazon.
I went to the dollar store yesterday for frozen pizza- I had gone to get another plastic container for books to be sold. They were over priced at Home Depot - I think I paid 4 dollars for them last time now they wanted 12 . No Sale. As I sat outside HD , a truck pulled up and the driver came over and spoke with me. He knew me from my job- but he knew me from when it paid more than it does now. He is a contractor and is very disgruntled with the Presidential policies regarding jobs. It should never had to wait. It should have been first. I think that Bill Maher ( to whom I have become addicted) said it best " It isn't that Obama did not recognize the problem but that he failed to treat it with the Urgency of Emergency that FDR had done ." I agree. His reelection looks like New Montgomery Street in SF after it crosses Broadway in North Beach. ( If you have never seen it, it is a large hill almost straight up and down-bring oxygen and climbing gear. ) Many have tried , few have succeeded .
I was putting things out yesterday , as were some of my neighbors as there are 80 of us moving from here over the next 30 days - and the ragpicking vultures actually parked their cars and pawed through the trash . We are not allowed to have yard sales in the complex. I just wanted to scream- People , have a little dignity and get out of the dumpster. I believe in working hard and being frugal but that is too much and is low. Its one thing to see me carrying something to the dumpster. and ask if you can have it, but quite another to jump in the dumpster and pull it out. I believe that the energy changes once in the dumpster and becomes that of decomposition not composition. Like dragging a dead body home.
Lori from work is getting the 3 bookcases. I also have 2 childrens books (she has grandkids) , a game and a rotissaire she can have - she doesn't know about that. When Amazon pays me for sold used books this week , I am also going to give her $20.00 for helping me move tomorrow. Goodwill comes on Monday for the rest of the usable furniture. I had been thinking about replacing the living room suite before this and am now glad that I did not. I still am taking alot of stuff with me for my smaller space. Much of it is books that I am selling on Amazon.
I went to the dollar store yesterday for frozen pizza- I had gone to get another plastic container for books to be sold. They were over priced at Home Depot - I think I paid 4 dollars for them last time now they wanted 12 . No Sale. As I sat outside HD , a truck pulled up and the driver came over and spoke with me. He knew me from my job- but he knew me from when it paid more than it does now. He is a contractor and is very disgruntled with the Presidential policies regarding jobs. It should never had to wait. It should have been first. I think that Bill Maher ( to whom I have become addicted) said it best " It isn't that Obama did not recognize the problem but that he failed to treat it with the Urgency of Emergency that FDR had done ." I agree. His reelection looks like New Montgomery Street in SF after it crosses Broadway in North Beach. ( If you have never seen it, it is a large hill almost straight up and down-bring oxygen and climbing gear. ) Many have tried , few have succeeded .
I was putting things out yesterday , as were some of my neighbors as there are 80 of us moving from here over the next 30 days - and the ragpicking vultures actually parked their cars and pawed through the trash . We are not allowed to have yard sales in the complex. I just wanted to scream- People , have a little dignity and get out of the dumpster. I believe in working hard and being frugal but that is too much and is low. Its one thing to see me carrying something to the dumpster. and ask if you can have it, but quite another to jump in the dumpster and pull it out. I believe that the energy changes once in the dumpster and becomes that of decomposition not composition. Like dragging a dead body home.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Eight days remain
Maxie feels the impending move- and is stressing on it. I did the only logical thing yesterday and got my hair cut after work- it needed it, I usually am off work after they close, and was the first step towards order once again. I got 9 books sold last week through Amazon and there are 2 more that have been sold since I shipped the orders. Monday is Columbus Day so there is no mail. I will ship those on Tuesday.
Saturday on the bus, a woman gave me a tip that HG Hills has included a flat of eggs in their pick 5 for 19.99 The rent is a little higher than I'de like at the new place but the security is better. I lived there 7 months last time. I told my friend Sheila where I was moving , and she was delighted. She lives in an apartment complex that also includes the electric service. So with the information from the bus, I am sure I can make it work. At least I won't be facing $300 electric bills in the winter- this is a good thing.
I picked up my mail from the laundry room this morning- lots of junk mail- but noticed that the new landlord is very group oriented. He is organizing things like field trips to credit seminars etc- maybe this is good- even hiring a bus. But I am not a group participant type of person even if I were still here.
He is also family oriented-I have noticed . He has a vision of what he wants this place to be and even without our disagreements, without his lies, my disatisfaction with the maintenance and security of the place which has deteriorated , I don't fit. Many of those moving are older, some with disablities. If this were CA , there would probably be a class action suit. I don't feel up to leading the charge- you have to care for that and all I care is that I get better from the arthritis . So , there probably won't be one - though I will sign on if there is- not to get rich because only the lawyers get rich from those but to make a point. I don't regret the move , but I have lived here, good or bad over 6 years and am leaving that part of my life behind. As much as I know that this is a good thing, it was the last place the Daisybunny lived with me. Maxie , who is sitting on my CPU , is supervising this blog today and is ready for the challenge. I view this as a return to the crossroads-we go forward from here.
Saturday on the bus, a woman gave me a tip that HG Hills has included a flat of eggs in their pick 5 for 19.99 The rent is a little higher than I'de like at the new place but the security is better. I lived there 7 months last time. I told my friend Sheila where I was moving , and she was delighted. She lives in an apartment complex that also includes the electric service. So with the information from the bus, I am sure I can make it work. At least I won't be facing $300 electric bills in the winter- this is a good thing.
I picked up my mail from the laundry room this morning- lots of junk mail- but noticed that the new landlord is very group oriented. He is organizing things like field trips to credit seminars etc- maybe this is good- even hiring a bus. But I am not a group participant type of person even if I were still here.
He is also family oriented-I have noticed . He has a vision of what he wants this place to be and even without our disagreements, without his lies, my disatisfaction with the maintenance and security of the place which has deteriorated , I don't fit. Many of those moving are older, some with disablities. If this were CA , there would probably be a class action suit. I don't feel up to leading the charge- you have to care for that and all I care is that I get better from the arthritis . So , there probably won't be one - though I will sign on if there is- not to get rich because only the lawyers get rich from those but to make a point. I don't regret the move , but I have lived here, good or bad over 6 years and am leaving that part of my life behind. As much as I know that this is a good thing, it was the last place the Daisybunny lived with me. Maxie , who is sitting on my CPU , is supervising this blog today and is ready for the challenge. I view this as a return to the crossroads-we go forward from here.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Moving Day-15 days remain
I am thinking about positive things that deal with the move. Things that I will change after I move . Maxie and I will both have some changes in the smaller space but at least , it will give me a chance to gather my wits in peace without constant invasion by management. Three things I liked about where I live- large enough to be like a small house, close enough to the Dollar store that I don't have to always run to Madison Station by bus to pick up things, a few of my neighbors. Three things that I hate about where I live now:Lack of respect by management/management company - they are always in your face, have no respect for your schedule and frequently lie when caught. The below par care of the buildings. The poorly lit hill on which I was mugged a few years ago. I swear it gets higher and darker every year- there is a street light at the bottom and one at the top and nothing between. The rest of the neighbors. This is not a cohesive neighborhood. I had the neighbors from AR whose young men, 12 and 14 had concrete blocks surgerically grafted onto their feet- they knocked things off my walls as they moved, followed by Psychobitch and her crew. I got a brief respite when I got the sweetest little unwed mother upstairs- the only sound from there was the giggling race of the patter of her baby daughter. When she moved on, I got Dave and Mike , 2 prison guards from Riverbend. They were the greatest comedy team since Abbott and Costello. They were very light on their feet for men of their sizes ( about 300 lb each) . It was all about the women with them and I heard about every line in the book and a few that weren't from the porch over my bedroom. They made me laugh as I heard the women give in on the dumbest lines. Strictly , and you believed that? Then they left and I got rotating Mexican construction worker crews, not all of which may have been legal- I don't know but the initials INS made it get really quiet.
Now there is a nice Phillipino family and they are respectful. Sure , now they move in , just as I am leaving.
Older people are not encouraged to stay. There has been a real trend towards young families. Its an owners' market due to the deflated housing bubble. I have topped out on the rent here for three years and that might be part of the issue as well. But I have noticed the departure of anyone near 60 here.
I sold some books over to Amazon- and am thinking of opening a shop there as a sideline to my regular income. I will make that decision after the move. a little extra money is always welcome.
Urban Market had Bob Evans sausage for 1.09 each this week- so I got some.
Saw a wonderful film this am on Netflix- Love's Kitchen.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week.
Now there is a nice Phillipino family and they are respectful. Sure , now they move in , just as I am leaving.
Older people are not encouraged to stay. There has been a real trend towards young families. Its an owners' market due to the deflated housing bubble. I have topped out on the rent here for three years and that might be part of the issue as well. But I have noticed the departure of anyone near 60 here.
I sold some books over to Amazon- and am thinking of opening a shop there as a sideline to my regular income. I will make that decision after the move. a little extra money is always welcome.
Urban Market had Bob Evans sausage for 1.09 each this week- so I got some.
Saw a wonderful film this am on Netflix- Love's Kitchen.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Moving Day-20 Days and Counting
In the Bushama Depression , we have all had to make sacrifices. My employers lost a multimillion dollar client for damage claims and I lived without commission (2/3 of my income in better days) for about a year- not pretty. My landlord bore most of my attempts at repayment- but I just could not get over the hump . So we talked yesterday and I am moving in 20 days. I am going back to a extended stay hotel where I lived before moving here. They will allow Maxie (cat.) I am not taking storage this time- but my friend Lori says I can store some things with her. I am giving away furniture to friends and Salvation Army. I am leaving nothing for the skanks who reside in the complex who dumpster dive- they are part of the reason that I am moving, why I did not fight harder. Some of them broke into the machines in our laundry room and stole the coin boxes and the Coke machine. Two weeks later , the laundry room is not restored. I have worn damp clothes to work 2x not knowing that it was not fixed. I told Lori, I would take an axe to the furniture before letting anyone here have it. Now what to decide to take. My computer, of course, they provide cable , electricity, free phone service- local and ld . I have lived here 6 1/2 years and the neighborhood has declined. Sadly this happens just as I got 2 new clients and the income is picking back up. I will get through this. I have sold a number of books through Amazon . I am taking the rest with me as they may pay additional expenses. It will be crowded - but I will manage - I did before. If the cost of heat goes up as it did last year- I actually break even or do a little better. There is a kitchenette and as I know I will be with them until Spring, I will buy a convection oven and a bread machine to handle the holidays. I am taking 3 small lamps , my desk lamp will go to my office (baby dragon) , clothes, of course. I will continue to write and work on my novels. I will get my credit from anything donated to Salvation Army and get a POB downtown near my office. Its incredible how the mind works. - I awoke this am planning what to take and what to toss. There is no time for tears but I am planning on buying an incredibly large bottle of Jack Daniels for after the move. I will cry when its over. This part of my life has ended but a small part of me says that it is time and that I wouldn't have done it without this boot in the pants. Perhaps. Bottom line, I will be fine. I wouldnot have it any other way. I donot excuse or forgive Obama- he waited too long, I am a union brat and the first 500 items on my agenda are US jobs at a living wage. Minimum wage jobs do not count.
In this apartment, I have survived 4 changes of management, some good, some obnoxious. My first cat in TN moved in with me and died 14 months ago at about 13 years old. I made a new friend in my new cat , Maxie a year ago and she will continue the adventure with me. I have had a lovely young woman with a wonderful baby overhead and had her move, 2 great guards , Dave and Mike from Riverbend prison give me unending source of amusement in their pursuit of females. I have had the bad, the corporate construction folks who rotated and didn't care and then there was Psychobitch- a generational family of white trash hookers who hung out with drug dealing gangbangers. They threatened my life before they left. I know that they did not know the meaning of quiet and sincerely doubt their ability to spell it. I lived my life. I have been surrounded by interesting characters.
Its not all bad , and this I have shred a few tears about. Much as there is a sound business decision to go by both my landlord and I - and I would rent from them again if they would have me but not here.
I cannot do the stairs ( all 6 of them ) as I did when I moved in . I was in a terrible car wreck 30 plus years ago as a passenger, and arthritis has caught up with me- the hotel has elevators. This is the reminder of my mortality . But I am reminded that Robert Lewis Stevenson was a cripple, that George Gordon aka Lord Byron had a hunchback , and in such good company, how could I fail? I have maximized what I can do for decades and now the decades are declaring victory - small for now but encrouching. I will continue to fight for my independence and will not go gentle into that good night. This is me raging against the Darkness. As Author/ Producer Kurt Sutter has said- everything has a price. It will be interesting to see what I have purchased with my coin.
In this apartment, I have survived 4 changes of management, some good, some obnoxious. My first cat in TN moved in with me and died 14 months ago at about 13 years old. I made a new friend in my new cat , Maxie a year ago and she will continue the adventure with me. I have had a lovely young woman with a wonderful baby overhead and had her move, 2 great guards , Dave and Mike from Riverbend prison give me unending source of amusement in their pursuit of females. I have had the bad, the corporate construction folks who rotated and didn't care and then there was Psychobitch- a generational family of white trash hookers who hung out with drug dealing gangbangers. They threatened my life before they left. I know that they did not know the meaning of quiet and sincerely doubt their ability to spell it. I lived my life. I have been surrounded by interesting characters.
Its not all bad , and this I have shred a few tears about. Much as there is a sound business decision to go by both my landlord and I - and I would rent from them again if they would have me but not here.
I cannot do the stairs ( all 6 of them ) as I did when I moved in . I was in a terrible car wreck 30 plus years ago as a passenger, and arthritis has caught up with me- the hotel has elevators. This is the reminder of my mortality . But I am reminded that Robert Lewis Stevenson was a cripple, that George Gordon aka Lord Byron had a hunchback , and in such good company, how could I fail? I have maximized what I can do for decades and now the decades are declaring victory - small for now but encrouching. I will continue to fight for my independence and will not go gentle into that good night. This is me raging against the Darkness. As Author/ Producer Kurt Sutter has said- everything has a price. It will be interesting to see what I have purchased with my coin.
Monday, September 5, 2011
I suppose if you have been following this
you are wondering why I am not posting on The Examiner. The best reason is the truth- I don't work for free and they changed the rules 2 days before I would have gotten paid.
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