Yes, I still live!

Wow, I hadn't realized that it's been so long since I've updated the Blog (3-25-08). Ok let's see… We'll pick up from the apartment and the rat. I still have the rat BTW. I got a lot of good info from people reading the Blog. I put together a 57 page report with photos of my rat, the rat(s) in the apartment next to mine, a rat trying to get into my apartment and a rat flocking around in the yard outside my apartment. Signed notarized statements from the people next door and the other buildings. Also was 3 pages of who else (county offices, websites, etc) that the report would go to.

They did not evict me, but did turn it over to a collection agency. They first offer was for me to pay off the balance of my lease, a little over $8000.00, but they would settle for $2000.00. I sent them the report and explained why I was not paying. They wrote back to me telling me that they were just the agency, but they would not settle for $800.00. I didn't write them back. Let's see... what else, I've become very (very) active in my church (behind the scenes). I've taken over the website, created a Yahoo! Page, webshots, flicker. Worked on re-designing the bulletin and a complete redo of the website which hasn't really been touched in over 5 years. Gary has been doing a great job on the updates for the weekly stuff. But it really needs to be done. Then I asked to start singing with the Sunday night "Worship Singers" and that's been a lot of fun.

And as many of you know, I sing with the Southwest Florida Gay and Lesbian Choir, (I'm the token straight). So rehearsals for the Choir 2 nights' weeks, rehearsal for the Worship singers twice a week, church twice a week, work and of course. Toby. So I am sorry Jan. You're a wonderful gal and when season is over I hope to spend more time with you. So I moved into a wonderful guest house that was built in 1925. Hard wood floors, the original brass and cut glass doorknobs. Its two really large rooms on each end with the kitchen and bathroom in the middle. Big yard in front and back. The guest house is completely separate from the main house. When I rent the guesthouse the main house was empty. As I was moving in the main house was rented. It was rented to a women and her sister. The women seemed nice enough but a little flakey. At first. At first it was just her and her sister. Then her two kids moved in. Then the boyfriend. And then another boyfriend. I think that she was a dancer or something like that as she was home all day and gone most of the evening and night. With all of the tattoos and piercings that she had I don't think she worked at a bank. But she was driving a 2008 SUV, lots of nice furniture, a couple of game systems.

The other thing that made me mad was she had this dog, maybe 8 months old that she left outside all the time, Rain, shine. Didn't matter. Often without food or water. I started taking care of the dog. The only thing the dog had to lie under was a kid's trampoline and often times he would get his chain caught up in the legs so he couldn't even get under it. I watched chewing on a tree out of boredom.

The front lawn hadn't been touched in months. So I would get up at 7 in the morning out doing yard work. They'd come out on the porch and watch me. Never offered to help. The thing that really made me mad was that there's only one electric meter for both building and I was to pay a part of the bill. Now those of you who are long time readers of this blog know that I'm a minimalist. I wouldn't even be running the fridge right now if it wasn't for keeping that dang rat frozen. They would have the A/C running 24/7. Wither they were home or not. And when they were home they'd have the windows and doors open with the A/C running. I told that owner that I wasn't paying 25% of that bill. I give him a print out from the past year of what I was paying and it worked out to about $40 a month.

So I come home one day and find that the Mom moved out and left in the middle of the day. Than the sister moved out but left the boyfriend behind. So now this guy who's not even on the lease is living there, running the A/C throwing beer cans and cigarette butts into the yard. Finally the landlord came over, threw all of his stuff out into the yard and changed the locks.

Now someone else has moved into the house. He seems nice enough. Toby likes him. He's a good cook and has offered to let me share his T1 line. (oh boy oh boy). I'll keep you all updated, sooner. I promise.

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Give the hardest job to the laziest man and he'll find the easiest way to do it. www.aklesh.blogspot.com