There I was a week and a half ago finally starting to feel settled in our new place with everything unpacked and put away nicely. Naturally, after just being here for a couple of weeks, we were and are still setting things up but all that was coming along fine. Meanwhile, I'd come across a sweet and simple little story I'd never heard that I thought would be worth illustrating. It only requires a few pictures and, as you can see, I'd begun some preliminary sketches of cute puppies who appear in the tale.
Then we were invaded by minions of the property management company. The first sign was an out of the blue announcement slipped under the door that our apartment (along with all those above and below us) was scheduled to have new piping installed in the bathroom. In order to do this the plumbers would need full daytime access to our bedroom closet for several days and, in order for the plumbers to work, carpenters would be arriving the day before to remove the wall inside said closet. We were required to remove everything from the closet and be prepared every morning to be without full use of the bathroom (fill tub with water for toilet flushing) until further notice. Since then we've listened to hammering, sawing, clanging, banging, shouting, and all manner of distracting noises from 8:30 to after 6:00. Guys have been tramping in and out while we try to stay out of their way, each other's way, and get on with our projects while also maneuvering around the closet contents in the living room. Sometimes we go out more often than usual just to get some peace. In the meantime there have been two major leaks including one that required an emergency crew after 9:00 at night. 'What's that ticking in the closet? Uh oh'.
The plumbing project was finally finished by last evening allowing the carpenters to return today. They'll be followed by the plasterers tomorrow and the painters by Friday. 'Thank goodness', we told each other, 'it will finally be over and we can have our apartment back'. Today another notice was slipped under the door telling us that someone somewhere in the building thinks they saw a cockroach. The exterminators will be coming tomorrow to put roach traps in everybody's kitchens and will return weekly until they're sure there's no problem. If this goes on much longer I'm going to have to start charging a toll at the door.
I'm hoping to get back to my own project soon - or another now that my concentration is gone.
How is your autumn coming along? Uneventful, I hope.
♡
Sorry to hear you're going through this. I always think the Landlords should reduce or eliminate rent while we don't have total use of our rented space, but that'll never happen.
ReplyDeleteAt least time heals all wounds and the job is getting finished and you'll go back to the task at hand of setting up your apartment. Best of luck and congrats on your new plumbing in your new place.
Peace
It's even more tiresome as we'd only been here for two weeks. You're right the landlords would never provide compensation - or even mention the work was planned before you sign the lease. Ah well.
DeleteThanks for your visit and I hope to be more entertaining in future.
That sounds like a real pain Susan. It will pass though
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jams.
DeleteWhat a lot of bother! Can't they do renovations between tenants? Well they do that here too but so far it has only happened twice and lasted for no more than a day.
ReplyDeleteI have new neighbors and I think their big black truck hit my bumper in the parking lot but they wouldn't fess up to it so now I have to pay the deductible of $500 if I want the bumper repaired. Plus they do an awful lot of banging and clanging over at their place too.
Oh well, overall, I like it here. Here's hoping the rest of your autumn is uneventful! :)
This was the last part of a major re-do of the outside water lines. You really don't want to awake to plumbers and other workers in your bedroom closet every day for two weeks. Sheesh!
DeleteI'm sorry to hear about the unneighborly conduct of your new neighbors. While living in our last place our car was broken into (it's a soft-top) half a dozen times and then one morning we found the passenger window smashed. At least we hope that won't happen here.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you too :-)
What an unpleasant distraction, and just when you're getting settled. Hope that is it for a long time and you can enjoy your new home in peace, and we can enjoy more lovely drawings and stories from your pen.
ReplyDeleteThanks, ML. It's the old sanctity of the home issue and we were already a bit traumatized after the last place. Hopefully, things will be quieter in future and I will be able to return to those activities.
DeleteYikes. Here comes the Rosanne Rosanna Danna quote. It's always something.
ReplyDeleteIt smells like autumn outside tonight. The cats are unusually active. And I'm expecting next week at the office to be, um, eventful. I'm trying to figure out how to write about it.
Ah well, then there's her other one: nevermind. Thank goodness they all cleared out yesterday and the closet has been returned to normal.
DeleteAutumn is well into its mature stage around here but every so often, like now, it warms up nicely. I just read a book about apparitions and wonder if your cats are seeing things you don't. Hmm?
I'm looking forward to your description of an eventful week. More pilots?
Ahem, weren't you recently saying that moving multiple times builds character or something? Care to recant? Bonne chance with the hammers and roaches (and that any extra costs don't magically trickle down to tenants such as yourself).
ReplyDeleteI have such a well developed character now my friends have started calling me Job. The thing about rent is it goes up whether they do anything or not.
DeleteOh, dear! What a terrible time you've had. As apartment dwellers, we've gone through a fair chunk of that. Always frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you get a chance to enjoy your new place, Susan. Otherwise Crow may beckon you somewhere else.
We've been lucky to have been left alone for years in most apartments we've rented and hope that after this the same will be true again. If not, Crow has suggested a nice spot in the local park where we can pitch a yurt.
Deletebloody hell!!
ReplyDeleteHang in there; it can't last forever. i think a toll is an excellent idea. if anyone gripes, offer the landlord a percentage.
You said it. Geez, I don't mind getting up early on my own terms but this was a bad two weeks. There's an old Philip K. Dick book where the main character has to put nickels into slots in his apartment every time he wants to do something, including opening his closet, bathroom, and refrigerator doors. We're closing in on that.
Deletebetween the men with butt cracks showing[no, you didn't mention that but...] and now cockroaches and traps and further disruption, the fact you are still sane [?] just means you are sane and yes, you might consider charging them for the convenience of sleeping at night knowing there aren't bugs running around. :) on the other hand, in a building full of people, isn't that a little bit expected? i mean, ONE??
ReplyDeletein fact, i would just up and move again rather than go around and around and seems that the tenants have a burr up their own respective butts and now are going to be complaining until they're not.
i guess there's something to be said for not renting despite it's own set of inconveniences, like taxes and having to fix one's own plumbing.
stay as level-headed as you absolutely, with no doubt, just MUST!
xoxoxo
Yeah, man cleavage :-) Just as I was thinking it would never happen the crew said they were all done when they left yesterday afternoon. Then we went down to get our car and saw some worried plumbers looking at a pipe where more water was pouring into the basement garage. We left. The exterminators had been by earlier (I love the design of the begging cockroach with a boot descending on their trucks) and pronounced our place clean and magnificently bug free. Hell, we've only been here less than a month and haven't had time to invite pets.
DeleteRenting can be as much of a problem as owning in its own way but can we really ever feel secure anywhere? I'm glad to see you've been by to visit and hope you're feeling a little better now.
xoxox
Hey, plumbers need a place to keep their flashlights and wrenches, ya know.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you're dealing with this, and good luck with the pest situation.
but do they have to keep them in plain sight?
DeleteI think it's over now - hopefully, even the exterminators who found nothing here.
no wonder you lost concentration, hope you get tidied up and back to relaxing and settling in soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Claire. I did some more work today so things are looking up. I hope everything is settling for you too and that you'll keep us posted.
DeleteOh, my. I'm virtually without words to imagine the vivid picture you paint of what your worst rental nightmare. So sorry, dear Susan. I wish you could move in with us for a while. :-(
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't fun, Gina, and went on far longer than we'd been lead to expect. Thankfully, it's over now. Meanwhile, I'm very grateful for your kind suggestion. It's nice to know I'm liked :-)
Delete