Friday/More

Just got back from a long hike in the mountains with the dogs. There's always people up in there - miles and miles of trails - run into hikers and mountain bikes. They all just stop what they're doing when those Danes come trotting by. Those dogs were huffing and puffing hard going up and down those steep hills - it was a good workout today as I ventured further in and forced them up and down more steep hills. My goal: get the energy totally out and have them knocked out for the evening.

The Mary Report:
Just a series of emails, a lot of trash talking from her. As she progresses with her make-believe, the story gets more and more rife. The whole thing at this point is a fabricated, out-right lie. Seriously. I wrote her back and asked her to calm down, get out of the emotional state of being, sit back and take a rational look at this situation.

She wrote back and said she couldn't deal with my email anymore and that she would delete every one I sent and not to write her anymore. THEN, she writes me AGAIN - does this sound like the doings of a rational person? - more jive. She tells me the room is empty, cleaned out and the door is unlocked.

I write back: Not good enough. I need for you to actually give me the key to the room. That signals that you are giving up ownership of it. I'm not going to get into court and have some technicality thrown at me that yes, she emptied the room, but no, she didn't give me the key, therefore, she didn't lawfully give up the room. It says it in state law - that's what she must do. If she doesn't, I ain't bitin'. I did write up another Craigslist ad, though, in case she does hand me the key, I could use some rent money, even though I totally do not want 3 tenants in here.

Plus the fact it might not be such a good idea to try to get anyone else in here before I get her out. Still.....

I've been informed by Michael that a certain relative of his that owes me $300.00 from 14 months ago is going to pay me back when they get their tax refund.

I had totally blown it off. In fact, I had totally blown off the entire family sans Michael and getting anything back. This is not, BTW, the monies owed me to replace the broken - still broken - windows. That is Anthony's deal - though parents are held responsible. I could go after the mother - she has been working for quite a while now, no small miracle in itself - but I am not at this point. That judgment apparently sticks with Anthony all the way up until he's 18, and then you apparently have to file something to keep that judgment on him afterwards.

Oh, and though I don't know this for a fact, it's QUITE obvious they are now living on free rent subsidies. There is NO WAY they could be paying for that townhouse AND buying all the junk they buy on her income alone. Which is one reason I have given thought to going after that $600 plus or minus to get those windows replaced. If you are new here, well it's too much of a story, but I have 3 broken windows thanks to Michael's older brother. The kid went to jail, went to court, agreement to pay was made. I have not had the windows fixed because they are double-paned windows and only the out panes are broken. If both panes were broken on any or all of them? I dunno - I would have figured out something. THAT might be a situation where I could sell the old car to get them fixed, or even try a trade.

Right now, I'm just trying to stay afloat, those windows are FAR down the list of priorities. Like, at or near last place. Ken just paid me today his bi-monthly rent. That's $200 and $150 in the bank. I get paid next week - all of it goes to the mortgage. I have $350 to last 3 weeks unless I either am able to rent out the now vacated room - providing Mary legally gives it up - or she actually pays me the rent. We'll be going to 2 months behind in rent shortly. It's the 23rd - the end of the month draweth nigh.

I'm saying that $350 is not a lot of money to last that much time. I have resisted applying for a second job after I finally just gave up on the idea. Fry's still looms in my mind as a very-real possibility. I just don't savor the idea of working 2 jobs again - I hated it last time I did it, I hated the time before, I doubt I'll like it this time around. IF I can even GET a second, part-time job. What chaos it is out there - 2 million people were dumped last year, more every month. Giant labor cuts are announced daily or at least a couple of times per week. The gurus of finances are finally admitting this year is probably going to be FAR worse in terms of the housing chaos than last year.

I'm cutting back on lots of things that can be cut back on. Unfortunately for the doggies, I have cut out the Iams. The store I was buying it at raised their price - out of my range. I am now buying 50 pound bags at $16.00 per bag and then supplementing it with scrap meat that I have after cooking. Just want to make sure they are getting sufficient protein in their diet. Scrap meat - equals the junk you don't want to eat that dogs eat with gusto. They don't CARE what part of the meat it is, they'll consume it hungrily. They don't get the bones, though. Well, if it's LARGE bones they get those, but chickens don't have large bones. Plus, those kind of bones splinter easily and can do damage to the innards of the dog - stomach lining and intestines.

God knows that dog eats. I just fed them - Duke is a giant PIG. He eats and eats and eats. It's amazing he isn't fat as a whale.

Ummmm, anyway. I'll just sit here and mull these series of problems that are facing me and go and enjoy everyone else's entries.
G'nite.
ben

Friday

I'm at work taking my break.
I just had to add to this Mary drama that she spent all last night (remember, she's an insomniac on top of everything else) moving all of her stuff out of one bedroom and into "her" family room bedroom. It does nothing for me until she hands me the key to that room. That's the law - I can't take possession of it until she either voluntarily hands over the key or she is forcibly removed by constables.

So, it's useless to me at this point. Now, if she leaves the door open and it's obviously vacated, I can post an abandonment note on that door and after however many days - I think 5 - I can retake possession legally. I know, it's all BS, but I am not going to do this stuff any way but the legal way.

What I would like to do is get the room rented out while I'm waiting to get her evicted. I need the money. I've got more bills on hold while this stuff is going on. Plus I'm going to need another $104 for the Writ of Restitution if I have to go that far with it. Ken - the other tenant - can't wait until she's GONE.

Anyway, I gotta get offa here.
C'yall later!
ben

Thursday

So, I got to work early this morning. I keep doing that - not on purpose, I just haven't changed the alarm back.
The situation was that Prince's tail needed tending to every single morning as it had open wounds in a couple of places. I had to get up early for weeks, take the old dressing off, clean the wounds, and then put fresh dressing back on it. It was time consuming so I started getting up earlier.

Well, I don't clock in right away. I sit down and persue the internet, mostly, besides making a fresh pot of coffee. This morning, it dawned on me that I have never done a Justice Court background check on Mary. I was curious to see if there was anything in there.

I was astounded to find numerous Forcible Detainers had been entered against her, and that there was at least half a dozen monetary judgements against her totalling over $10,000.00. Yes, that's ten thousand dollars - more than that. Quite a large number of tickets as well. Several Orders of Protection she had acquired against whoever those poor souls were. I never checked her when she came in here - I don't think I did anyway - because she had and has a great paying job and the rent really isn't that much.

I'll never take anything as appearances again. I didn't do that with the newer tenant - but he has no credit history and he doesn't want one. He has stated he doesn't even want to own his own home. Well, whatever, one would think he might want to at least have his own apartment eventually. But that's neither here nor there. I really was amazed at the amounts of some of the judgments, one of them almost 4k.

Okay, well, I'll be printing all of that out for the judge to see if it comes to that.

The other thing that happened today? Well, I noticed my kitchen camera was pointing way off. There is no way that anything like that can happen accidentally. So much so, I immediately accessed the files for my video surveillance.

What did I find? Mary - came out JUST after I left for work this morning, walked straight up to the camera, unplugged the power supply by pulling on the cord which caused the camera to aim upwards.

It was very dark in here - she had turned out the lights and apparently thought that since it is dark, the camera can't make anything out. Au Contrairie, monsieurre (speeeeeling). The cameras have these little red "lights" that shoot out all around the circumference of the camera. You can't see that there is light coming out from it, but it's MORE than ample enough light to clearly make out her face.

She then hooked the power supply back up much later on, leaving the camera angled up towards the ceiling so you can't see who reconnected it.

I have already left her a notice to NEVER touch my surveillance equipment again. And why would she do that? She's taking my coffee and helping herself. How do I know this? Because I have her on previous surveillance making coffee.

Uhhh, well, whatever. Her threats yesterday in email sealed her fate with me. I will not tolerate a person living in my house talking to me in that manner. Icing on the cake was finding the numerous Forcible Detainers (evictions) and her tampering with my surveillance equipment.

Whatever. Tuesday ain't far off.

Oh, here we go - she just sent me another email - I'm a liar, evil and all kinds of other crap.

STICKS

To get my mind off of that subject - which I have all but mastered the art of simply tuning things out and switching gears as effortlessly as I shift gears in the semi - I went out and inspected the plants. Last night, we got a good, soaking rain. The ground is nicely saturated.

The sticks I am referring to are what was left of the honeysuckles after the Danes trampled them to death. AMAZING how something that looked totally dead has put out all KINDS of leaves and branches on just stubs/stick sticking out of the ground.

I love it. I just love watching things grow. Even more watching something come back from the dead. 3 plants like that - coming back and geeze, at the rate they're growing, maybe it won't be that long before the start looking like full plants again! Yowsa!

And, yayyyy, tomorrow is Friday already! No football this weekend - which gives me a chance to get out there and do some weeding. I would do some other things as well, but money is very tight right now. I have money - but I have to make it stretch. Only bills, gasoline, electricity and food are on-tap. I think I'm going to blow off the roller blades - it's a great deal and I saw the pic of them - but I simply don't have the leeway right now, even at 30 bucks.

Oh, and my dad is writing back and forth to his brothers and such about a reunion at his place in March. I will be there. At least, I will be there for a day. I don't want to impose upon my dad to pay for a hotel room - unless I have some funds by then by some miracle, I just won't be able to do a hotel room. Well, maybe one night - hopefully.

That's it for now.

Have a great evening.
ben