This house had a dishwasher when we moved in. We owned one, had it for six years or so and it came everywhere with us but we gave it away when we moved in here, as we did with most of our furniture (better karma than selling it I reckon). The dishwasher here, although supposedly a better brand than our cheap Dishlex, has never really worked properly and finally one of the buttons disappeared into the control thingie rendering it unuseable. We reported the fault on Monday (after it broke on the weekend) and thereafter every day till yesterday when the real estate said the landlord wanted to come and have a look at it herself. ??? Fair enough, even though she was in breach of the lease (she needs to give two days' notice). I waited for them to ring, they had both home and my mobile number. Yesterday was a really busy day and at 4.45pm as we were rushing to get Josh to his doctor's appointment she turned up with some bloke with a toolbox. I took a deep breath and answered the door and told them I was on my way out and didn't know they were coming as there was no phone call. She asked if they could just have a look so I let them in while I finished getting ready to leave. She tried to say that the dishwasher could still be used. God I hate landlords. Nasty, moneygrubbing barstards. Yes I know they aren't all like that but we seem to have had a run on them in the last few years since we got back from WA. The tool box guy ascertained that he needed a special tool to open the control thingie (we knew that) and they left. I had a good look at her car and realised it was her who keeps driving up the street checking out the house (in case the windows disappear or something, not sure what she can find out from cruising past but still). She's only a young woman, late 20s or early 30s and her father used to work with Phill and now I find out that the whole family are arseholes.
She moved out of here to move in with her boyfriend way out of town but now it seems she is back living with her parents and will not sign us to a 12 month lease as she said she might but will consider a 3 or 6 month. Not going to happen. If she balks at fixing a dishwasher and wants to have the neighbours spy and report on us and drive by and stalk us it's just not worth staying. We were approached by her father in a shop who told us to tie up an olive tree which was falling down. I had already done it, but this sapling is way up the backyard and she could only have known about it if she had driven up the back lane or had the neighbours watching our yard. We were told our rent included a gardener. A fat man turns up occasionally and pulls out a few weeds while grunting loudly and then departs.
Our lease is up in the middle of December and if we don't get notice to quit in the next few days, they will have to give us three months once the fixed term is over. I am not going to rush into anything, we need to find a long term place, even if it is daggy. We've lived in old houses before and always made them nice. We'd love something out of town, preferably between here and Junee so Phill doesn't have so far to go to work and Josh can get the bus to school, and we can have chickens and other animals again and no near neighbours. Big ask? Maybe, but ask we will, I'm going to put an ad in the local paper.
So yesterday I had to drive Phill to Junee, but I love that. Then I had to rush home and do some badly needed cleaning, then drive Em to therapy at one, then to the school at two, to meet with the principal and the school counsellor. He implied that her school certificate was a done deal just because she sat the exams and were we coming to the presentation ceremony? I want to but Em's not keen. We'll see. Principal talked about Em coming back to school this year. I said that won't be happening. But they were really good and said they will help us with work experience and/or volunteer work, perhaps at one of the primary schools, and also with distance education. So that went really well. We went to group at 3 and it was only Em and me and the two young psycologists, but I am really getting into it now and finding it helpful and useful. Can't believe that I will miss it when it's over next month. Then we had to race home and get Josh ready for his appointment. We really thought the doctor would slice his toe but no, she prescribed antibiotics, oral and a cream, and told him how to cut his toenails and sent us on our way, and we were all VERY relieved. I'm keeping him home again today while the meds kick in. I'm going to have a lazy day and probably only get out of bed to go and get milk later. I am NOT going to let the tenancy thing get to me this time, we aren't doing anything wrong and we will be okay wherever we end up.
I saw that one of our old houses in Junee, one that we loved, was back on the rental market. It would be perfect for us if we could get a long term lease but I don't know if I could live in that town again, and Josh definitely doesn't want to go back there, and is relatively happy and settled at school here. The advantages would be that Phill could walk to work, we'd be closer to Wagga for the kids for a decent TAFE and also the university when the time comes. We would have a social life again, one of our old work friends actually lives next door to the house we used to rent. It has a pool fence so we could have our pool again and has a lovely big family room plus a fourth bedroom that Phill could use as an office. I might just ring them today anyway. :)
Today is Remembrance Day, 11th day of the 11th month and it's 2011. I have a deep respect for all the serviceman, in all conflicts, (my father, grandfathers and uncle were some of them) who have served our country and I will be thinking about all of that at 11am.
Perspective. Life is good.
1 comment:
Yes...IT IS! (((hugs)))
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