Ding dong

Doorbells are evil and must be destroyed. I've decided that I prefer the low-tech alternative of knocking, especially after recent experiences.

One day this summer, my doorbell started going off randomly. I stuck my head out to see what was going on and noticed my handyman next door, looking confused. Turns out he was installing a new doorbell at number 8 (I'm number 7) and was trying to figure out why he couldn't hear it when he was testing it. Apparently, my doorbell and my neighbor's doorbell were operating on the same frequency and were setting each other off. The handy-guy figured out how to change the settings on our respective ding-dong machines and all was hunky-dory. Or so I thought.

Last week, while I was napping on the couch, the cats and I were rudely awakened by the doorbell. I jumped up and ran to the door (I was expecting a package). But no one was there. I looked around and saw a pizza-delivery guy at my neighbor's door (number 8). Ringing their doorbell. Aha! They must've messed with their doorbell's frequency, causing the problem to start all over again.

I called my landlord and reported that I was yet again having ding-dong troubles. Again, they sent out a handyman, but not the usual, nice one that helped me install my programmable thermostat. After convincing him that no, the doorbell did not plug in anywhere and that it was indeed a wireless, battery-operated one (we argued for a few minutes before he finally took the housing apart and saw that I was right) and that this had happened before and I wasn't making things up, he called in to get permission to buy a new and different model than my neighbors were using.

Okay, stay with me here.

After the first handyman fixed the doorbell frequency and the second handyman completely replaced the doorbell mechanism with a different model, I thought everything was fine. Until yesterday afternoon, when the doorbell went off.

Misha scrambled for the bedroom (the cats hate the doorbell) and I went to answer the door. Surprise, surprise, no one was there. I looked to my right, at the usual culprit, number 8. Nope, no pizza guy this time. Oooookaaay. I looked around the circle. And saw that across from me, at number 2, a water utility worker was ringing their doorbell. Aaarrgghhh!!!!

Yes, I called in yet another request to my landlord. By now they are probably convinced that I sneak into my neighbors' places and fiddle maliciously with their doorbells, just for the attention.

Crazy renter

I just got done writing a crazy-tenant letter to my landlord. I hate being a bother, but since I am paying to live here...

1. Futon frame, car tires, other bits and bobs sitting behind the dumpster for months now. Not their responsibility to haul away, but something needs to be done. I'm tired of the view (my place faces the back of the dumpster) and the potential mosquito breeding ground and the garbage people aren't going to haul it away.

2. Linoleum in my utility room still coming up in pieces. The door catches on it constantly and I can't keep the floor clean because the kitty litter gets trapped underneath it because the linoleum is *taped* together. With clear packing tape. Just laid down over the original tile floor. Very professional. I'd rip it up myself, but I don't want to be responsible for any "damages" that might occur. Or having to haul it away. I guess I could just throw it on top of the other crap behind the dumpster.

3. Smoke issues. As in, cigarette smoke coming into my apartment when the windows and doors are closed. It's bad enough that my neighbors smoke on their front steps (yes, I know they have to smoke somewhere) and the smoke comes right into my living room, which is only 5 feet from their front door. I'm going to be here another year (dammit) and smelling smoke all Winter sucks. But since we all got a letter about keeping dogs on-leash they haven't been sitting out there nearly as much (they are the main offenders, surprise, surprise). We'll see how that goes.

4. Annoying small neighbor child still coming up and smooshing his face against my front door and staring in at me. Gives me a heart attack every single time. I didn't actually put that one in the letter (craaazy), just needed to get it out of my system.

5. Too many cars parked here. I'm pretty sure that we all get two parking spaces, but I know that at least two neighbors have extra cars that get wedged in to our collective parking lot/front yard. Didn't put this one in the letter either, will save it for some other time. I need something to stew on, after all.

Other annoyances include garbage from the garage/warehouse next door blowing into my yard, the lack of trees to block the nasty view of the street (they got cut down last fall), and the ugly Christmas lights that are still up on the outside of the unit across from me. Add their kid's toys (I count 5 bikes today) and the assorted trash in their yard...

Sigh. I'm getting old. Keep off my lawn, you damn kids!

Washing the floor, the hard way

I am back safe and sound from our second and final trip to East St. Louis. More on that later. For now, I am stuck at home cleaning up my utility room because my washer has decided that it is more fun to spill water all over the floor instead of into the sink, where it should go. The cats were not amused, especially since that's where their litter boxes are kept.

Can we say "ick?"

My jeans and shirts are clean, but I have no clean underwear, and I'm not washing another load until my landlord comes over to unclog the sink. Guess I'm going commando tomorrow.