Friday - Hoarding

Hoarding.  I watch the show - sometimes.  It's purely gross.  The show is called: Hoarding: Buried Alive.

The reason I am so fascinated with this show is because I have been in numerous homes that look JUST like any and all of those homes.

I have walked into more than one home whose floors are littered with cat feces.  I don't mean 1 or 2 piles, I mean it's EVERYWHERE.  That and the smell of cat piss.  I had gone into these homes as a leader of a church on a mission that was, actually, requested by the person: please help me clean up my house.

To walk into a house that is filled with animal droppings and urine - well, it's indescribable.  I simply can't describe the repulsiveness of it.  You want to turn around and run out of that house.  To walk into a house with all of that plus MOUNDS of trash and junk laying around everywhere to the point there are "paths" going through it?  No way to describe the horror.  You can see it on those shows, but those shows do NOT give the  
incredible sick feeling that comes to mind, soul and body.  The nostrils are reeling, even breathing can become labored.

I did not, however, have the sympathies that those experts/psychologists on that show have.  I mean, I didn't diss the person, but I didn't play games.  Like, gee, let's wait around for days and weeks for this person to go through every single thing.  No.  We went in and took out the garbage.  Get the cat crap out.  Throw the piles of  junk - out.  Carry out the furniture.

We didn't have a company showing up with giant trash containers.  We took the stuff away if we had to.  It's just nasty.  We would bring in donated furniture, even replace carpeting and that would be it.  I knew that these people had a problem that THEY would have to deal with and I figured if I came back at a later date, I would find the place in the same condition as when we first showed up.  I did that, too.  One place?  Piles of trash were "freshly placed".

I will not go into a place a second time to help someone out.  I consider it the same as addictive behavior: you are either really ready to get out of it or you are not.  If you are not, then putting a band aid on it doesn't work.

Really, not pleasant thoughts.  The effort it takes to keep a clean home is WELL worth it.  Well beyond hoarding, just doing daily cleaning makes it FEEL better in the house.

Ahh, whatever.  Just commenting about my experiences with such people.  I don't consider them BAD people per se, just people that need help - but usually - the help needed is in the mind. "Fix" that and you can go in, clean house and probably?  You will come back a month later and it will still be - relatively - clean.

Onto other things.  One tenant told me last month that on the 2cd of this month, I would receive an entire month's rent from that individual.  The 2cd, 3rd, 4th and almost 5th passed.  5th would be today.  I was just now handed that full month's rent, cash.

I figured I would be going out on a limb to build this new computer and I didn't let myself down.  However, the light at the end of the tunnel is almost here already.  It was do it or never do it, that was my feeling about it and I do NOT regret doing it. It's just that that old Buick kept having problems - that were costing money to fix.  More to go? Yes, but nothing I have to have done TODAY.  The point?  I spent all the money.  The money from insurance, the bonus money, tenant money, paycheck money.  I spent it down to as low as I have seen it in a while.  A bit scary, really.  You don't think about it until you lose that cushion.

I have lived without the cushion most of my adult life.  The loss of that cushion got me to thinking about my benefits at work - it's open enrollment right now until Monday.  I'm increasing a few things and starting a few others. If something happens?  I have as much as I can get through it.  60% of my salary short and long term.  It WAS at 50%, I'm guessing it might go up as you gain tenure.

Well, anyway, a paycheck today, a full month's rent and a week's worth of rent times 2 in the next coming days from the other tenants means bills paid and the stops are in place.  I have a week off during Thanksgiving week, I want to have a little money to spend for Black Friday - IF I feel like getting up that early and waiting in the cold - I haven't done it in years now.  That, also, being if there is anything that I need that is worth that kind of time and duress.

Umm, btw, cold hasn't arrived here yet.  In fact, it's still low-level summer heat.  High was 92 today.  It was hot in my car going home.  That old Buick? Just needs some freon pumped into it.  The AC will work.  I'm looking at the forecast and telling myself it isn't worth it.  The high next week, starting Tuesday, will be 79 degrees. That's what I'm looking for, any day that the high is lower than 80 degrees.

I digress.  The eternal summer is, hopefully, almost over.  My plans for the weekend are not clear yet.  I haven't made up my mind.  Projects, yes.  Around the house.  I need to get out.   I want to get out.  Out of here, work and do something different.  Dunno what.  Lack of a significant other makes it kinda - lame - but, I still want to go somewhere new, different and just do something - different.  I have revisited the thought of joining one of the clubs around here that put together activities for singles - you show up - you do whatever it is - maybe you connect with someone.  Hiking, camping, movies, all kinds of stuff they offer.  Free?  Absolutely not.  But, I think I'm the kind of person that needs to have in-person stuff versus totally internet interaction.  It works for some, I don't think it's going to work for me.

Regardless, I am typed out and soon, I am going to bed for early rise.

G'day/nite.

ben