Poof....

They are gone! Just like that!

I dropped their 3-day notice to vacate on Monday 3/7 and by Thursday 3/10 at midnight...they were gone. Like a puff of smoke they disappeared.

The house is in good shape and needing a few repairs. I already had it cleaned, locks re-keyed and have 2 propsective tenants vying for it.

Learned a valuable lesson through this last set of tenants...trust my instincts ALWAYS!

How idiots handle (mishandle) their money...aka Our tenants are broke-ass mother fuckers!

Click away if you don't feel like being a fly on the wall to my rant. That is all this is. If that doesn't arch your back, move on. Maybe come back another time. Maybe not. Sometimes I simply like to bitch.

When we rented to these tenants, I foresaw issues. Regardless, I figured they would have the sense to realize one simple truth: no matter how fucked up your finances become, paying for a place to live should be at the TIP TOP of the bill hierarchy. I shouldn't be giving the benefit of the doubt when figuring people have any sense. Some people are broke because they don't have a nugget of even the most basic financial concepts. Our tenants are those people. They may also be broke because they don't make much money. Who the hell knows how many things are a factor in their disastrous money situation?! Still income aside...if you use your sense, you can stretch a little bit of money a   v-e-r-y   l-o-n-g   way.

Here we sit...on 2/23 and no rent has been paid to us this month. I emailed the tenants on 2/15 with a two sentence blip:      It is 2/15 and we have heard nothing from you regarding rent. What is your plan?

I received a reply:    Blah...blah...blah and blah...blah...blah.

 Honestly, the content is irrelevant because with broke-ass mother fuckers it is ALWAYS going to be 'something'. And they always think that 'something' is out of their control. Not so. I leased apartments years ago after college and the same people were late month after month after month. And they always had a story. Each month a different story. But always the same outcome. And they didn't seem to get it either.

I have no sympathy for people who aren't wise with their money. It is not my responsibility to provide them a home in a beautiful neighborhood at my expense. Plain and simple. When they didn't pay us the first time they said they would this month...the next day I got an email explaining they would have the money paid in full on 2/22. When I hadn't heard from them by 8pm last night, I called all of their phones 2 separate times until they answered. (I was at a girls night out and had to deal with this bullshit so I was bitchier than my usual.) I made a 15 minute getaway from girls night to hand deliver a 3-day notice to vacate letter to the tenants and then went back to enjoy the rest of girls night. Apologies to my girls but this is my job in our household so I deal with it.

The bottom line: I have 2 young boys who don't deserve to have a mom who is half-with-them and half-in-my-head planning how to handle this situation every fucking month. And yes, it is every fucking month. I am currently hoping for time to fly until the end of the lease or until we can evict them. That just sucks. I don't want to be anxious for time to hurry past. These are precious days with my boys. I want to see every second tick by so I can soak them up before they are big kids who don't need me. Instead, I am wasting my time worrying about people who don't deserve my time.

THE TENANTS SUCK!

They are fuckers. And I don't give a single shit what reasons they offer. And I let them know as much as I walked away while the wife was giving me her latest reason. FUCK YOU. And the horse you rode in on. Pack up your shit, get the fuck outta my house. I'd rather pay while it sits empty than pay while it sits with you and your husband twiddling your thumbs and coming up with lame excuses why you aren't responsible for your finances. Grow the fuck up!




Told you I'd pop in from time-to-time when I had something to blog. Maybe next time it will be more positive.

My Christmas gift

Giving myself a gift and calling this what it is...primarily done.

I will hop on every so often and drop a little nugget here for myself but I am clearly not in a blogging place. Not sure it ever became a great thing for me but I love reading blogs and appreciate the people I have come into contact with via blogging. I enjoy getting things out of my head but there is plenty that still rattles around in there and just doesn't need to be aired out.

I am choosing to love and live with the little ones I have and treasure our angel nugget, Erin, in heaven who obviously watches over all of us. I'm not upset about our loss but truly see that for the positives we have taken from the experience. So few people would share that perspective on their loss that I am not a voice for many pregnancy and baby loss moms. I am me. This is how I feel and it works well for me.

Rather than taunt myself b/c I haven't taken time to blog. I am just going to hang up my typing hands for a while and only pop on when I feel the need to get something out. This is my place to vent some stuff after all and I just don't feel it right now. Maybe later.

Merry Christmas, if that's your shade of celebration. If not, enjoy the rest of the holiday season and be well into the new year. May 2011 exceed your dreams in reality.

Freedom

Ah, December 1st...where did November go?

I hadn't intended to miss out thankful blogging for the final week of November but am thankful that I am the boss of me. So for each of the days that I failed to blog my thanks, I am thankful for my freedom to get out and do all that needed doing and I wanted to do as opposed to blogging it.

Thankful for the freedom to decide to change my goal and my mind.

It has been a busy bunch of days and the holiday season has descended and begun eating my calendar by the minute.

Today I am so pleased and thankful for the deal I just got with Sp.rint...new smartphone and car charger for $30 total. The phone was free and the charger was all I paid for in the deal. So, maybe I can find some more time as I begin to schedule myself on my new phone. Fewer things should be forgotten and maybe I will feel more efficient. Oh, I hope I feel more efficient.

Toodles, November! Maybe next year I will be a better thankful blogger but I won't decide that today.

The little things...the REALLY little things

Dear Hooker-in-Charlie-Sheen's-hotel-closet:
He's a complete drug-addicted nut bag and you were in his closet. It doesn't bode well for either of you. No one cares about you or your lawsuit. We're barely curious when his karma is going to catch up with him and he's the one with a show that a bunch of people must like based on the fact that his network hasn't fired his crazy ass yet. Find a new hobby. Buh-bye.

Today, I am thankful I am not Charlie Sheen or a hooker who takes shelter from him in his hotel closet. Add to that list a wife, ex-wife, girlfriend or ex-girlfriend of Charlie Sheen.

Happy Tuesday before Turkey Day!

Thankful that we are nearing the end of this Thankful month?

Wow...I didn't foresee how challenging it would be to remember that I need to blog thanks each day this  month. I suppose I am busy doing and not so busy writing about the goodness of it. And I am happy that this thankful month is coming to a close...only b/c I don't enjoy the inadequacy I feel when I realize I have forgotten to blog my thanks for another few days.

Friday:  Bug wasn't feeling himself and he was warning me all day that his stomach was sick. Finally, around 4pm, when Big had been home for a bit, it came on strong. Bug said my tummy feels funny. Big asked if he thought he needed to throw up and Bug's face said it all...out it came! All the chunky, vomit-glory in a lovely hue of lavender-ish mauve thanks to the blueberry applesauce he had eaten for dessert at lunch. Bless his tiny heart and sick belly, I hurt for him. Big got busy cleaning the floor. I stripped Bug and tossed gross clothes into the laundry and shuttled the little man into the shower. He felt much better after the puke...don't we all? After his shower, we all took it easy and lounged at home for the evening. As crazy as it sounds, I was so glad that we got that first BIG puke out of the way. He had thrown up a little bit once before but this was a DOOZY! Throwing up is pretty traumatic for little people since they have no idea what is going on...and he made it through and felt better afterward. What a relief that it wasn't a stomach bug that kept him feeling bad after he threw up. Now, he thinks throwing up is the light at the end of the sick-belly tunnel. So yes, I am thankful that Bug threw up a boatload and bounced back nicely. At least, vomit is the big problem and nothing more serious. We are a lucky crew!

Saturday: We got to see the local high school band parade through our neighborhood. They are practicing for their appearance at the Fiesta Bowl and we had the good fortune to enjoy their practice. Bug hadn't seen a band before and he loves to groove. He and his little friends were dancing up a streak. They had such a great time! And after a brief crying spell, Bub enjoyed it too. At first, it was a little loud but he got used to it and bounced along in his Ergo. I posted the video that my girlfriend took on my face.book...if you happen to be a fb friend, check it out. It was a unique treat and I am thankful to see my little guy rocking out to a high school marching band without wandering far from home.

Sunday: I am beyond appreciative of all that we are able to provide our kids and the challenges they have (so far) been able to avoid knowing. We 'adopted' a child to get a Christmas gift for at our church yesterday...and will probably 'adopt' a few more before the end of the season. The 15-year-old boy we picked asked for a basketball OR a football. That just crushes me. I always associate such magic with the Christmas season and this young man is asking for something as simple as a football or basketball. I wish so much more for his life and his future. It isn't about gifts...I get that. The difficult part for me is imagining what his life must be like on any given day. It makes me sad and I wish I could do more. I am thankful for the financial hardships we haven't experienced and the ability to provide the basics and much more to our children.

Monday: We will be loading up shortly to head over to a birthday party. Bug's best buddy at school, Dylan, is having his party today at a bouncy house. It will be a wonderful way to spend the end of the day and we all get cupcakes. Any day that includes a cupcake is a day worthy of thanks! Plus, Dylan's mom is a gifted baker and cake/cupcake decorator. I can't wait to see what she has come up with for us to enjoy. Should be a hoot!

Wishing you an abundance of things to be thankful for in your own life.

Hope you're thankful for another 3 thanks

In the few minutes I manage to get to myself in these past several evenings, is it any wonder blogging doesn't even make it on my radar? I have been slaving away trying to get a year's worth of kid pictures condensed, captioned, edited and sensibly placed in that Shutter.fly photo book I was raving about the other day. And yes, I still adore the photo books...they are undeniably a labor of love and time consuming if you happen to be an OCD perfectionist, as I am.

SO, here we go again with 3 days worth of thanks...

Tuesday: I was thankful for a resilient and happy Bub as he got his second dose of flu shot that morning. Had things gotten frustrating, it was going to be an unbearably LONG day and night as Big was traveling. But as it happened, no trouble at all...save for a quick sniffle at the time he felt the shot.

My boys don't get too bothered by shots thankfully. That still gives me no peace with Bug's 4 year well-check approaching and his resulting anxiety regarding the 4 shots. He will be largely unaffected at the appointment but in the months leading up, I hear it about almost daily.

Wednesday: I was thankful to be mom to two such patient and well-behaved little guys. Our morning took a turn. Our original plan of going to a local little kids amusement park was sidelined and we wound up at the outlet mall to get Bug some new shoes. It was a breeze! Bub didn't give any fuss about riding in the stroller but seemed to enjoy all the stuff he was getting to see. Bug tried on several pairs of shoes and was a great listener. This isn't a boast...b/c this is not his normal, everyday behavior...he decided to roll with it and not get all kinds of crazy and rambunctious. Ah, what a blessing...Thank you, boys!!!

Thursday: Today...I am thankful for the hilarious and sweet statements from Bug every single day. Just this morning there were a few things. About his new sneakers: "These shoes are so fast. I am going to race Dylan and win. These shoes are so fast even-I will probably run into the walls since they (the shoes) only run and don't stop." On his thankful turkey at school: (No, Big and I didn't even get a shared mention on one thankful feather) He is thankful for 'going peepee and washing hands alone, playing with Bub, playing in his playroom, using his stool to open the window shades in his playroom' and a couple other things. It touches me that he appreciates his independence b/c we do a lot to foster that around here. And most importantly, I don't mind if I never make it on his list of things to be thankful for as long as his brother always makes it. That was my dream in having a second child...that they be a buddy to each other. Yes, it is early and we will have many battles ahead. Still, it bodes well in my opinion that Bub got his first thankful feather.

Still ahead tonight, girls night with my mom friends from church. Hoping for fun since I will be exhausted by that time! Oh, and wine. Did I mention wine? There will be wine. I am thankful for wine. Very thankful for wine. Jesus clearly hit on something good with wine.