Bamboozled

It looks like fishing poles sprouted up in the yard next door. The bamboo plants are now over 7 foot tall.

We are waiting to see how long it takes the city to do something about it. They cut the grass, bill the owner, but have yet to come by this year.

I was told by a neighbor that I would have first dibs to buy that house from the city for back taxes being that I live right next door, but I don’t have the cash to make an offer.

I was like ahhh… so I looked it up on the auditor’s website and, sure enough, the owner is listed as “address unknown” and the city tacks 600 a year onto his unpaid tax bill to maintain the yard.

So, to sound a bit like Mr. Rogers… who wants to be my neighbor?

There is a very good possibility that the city would consider an offer as low as 5,000 considering the back taxes are racking up to about five grand with the yard maintenance fees and all. I told the kids about it, but they don’t want to live that close to mama.

It could be a nice little house… 3 bedroom ranch, full basement, nice size yard, decent garage. Roof looks fine, newer style windows, siding needs washed and painted. And, it is located in a racially diverse South side neighborhood, near St. Matthias on a quiet little street of mostly owner occupied homes, within a half block walk to the nearest WRTA bus route.

I’m not a Realtor, have nothing to gain if someone buys it…. except a new neighbor who will hopefully keep that bamboo under control. I’ve read that it will eventually die off if you keep it cut down due to lack of photosynthesis (sunshine on leaves) but who knows? I just don’t want it spreading to my yard.

Thanks for reading!

 

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ERR 100

100 things I’d rather do than clean out closets… okay, only 27…

I had a “life’s bleach-able moment” that resulted in DAYS of disinfecting everything, including myself, after the peeps on the next floor up clogged their toilet. I don’t know how many times they tried to flush whatever wouldn’t go down, but OMGosh… they flooded their bathroom. Then their sewer water leaked through the floor, traveled the concrete joint seam, and rained into my closet. The water must have hit wires along the way, as it shorted out my electric. I got dripped on while placing catch bins and pulling stuff out of that closet.

YUCK! And double triple YUCK!

Of course, THEY got their mess cleaned up a lot faster than I could get mine… by the time my power was back on, they were cranking tunes and throwing a party. At least that is what it sounded like… ERR!

It is NOT the first time they flooded their bathroom. Last time, they were drawing a bath and forgot to turn off the faucets. One time is a fluke… twice tells me to be prepared. They will do it again. Since I have absolutely no control over other people, the only thing I can do is turn that closet into bin central… only store items sealed inside plastic tubs in there so it will be easier on me when I have to disinfect AGAIN.

So, that’s what I’ve been doing… cleaning like crazy, throwing stuff out, and flipping closets. Which means cleaning out ALL closets, which I really did not want to do… but, may as well get it done.

So, where’s my list of 100 27 things I’d rather be doing?

Writing the list is ON the list… so right now, it is in my head as loose ideas just floating around. Can you deal with that? Yeah, just roll with it baby.

I’m laughing… writing this blog post has given me a much needed break. It will be alright.

Thanks for reading!

The Last Mother

On this, the official Mother’s Day in the year of our Lord 2015, I hereby resign from mothering grown ass people who are incapable of tending to their own basic needs.

In other words: “Buy your own rolls and roll your own.”

That’s rolls, as in toilet paper and cigarettes. How hard is it to comprehend? If you use a toilet, you will need some toilet paper. Ditto for smokers and tobacco products.

All I am saying is, jack it up the list of your personal priorities!

Now there is a difference between someone rolling off the last square a couple days before payday (maybe they had company or an unexpected virus) and someone who refuses to buy their own. It galls me because I have given this man MORE double rolls of good toilet paper out of my last pack than I have used myself. It REALLY galls me because that man just got his Social Security check on the first, blew all his money on God only knows what, and didn’t buy any toilet paper.

So, I did the “Elaine” thing… nope, sorry, can’t spare a square.

Okay. I wanted to say that… but, it came out backwards. I told him that I can spare some squares, but not a whole roll. He declined; said he would ask someone else.

See? That’s the thing. I can QUIT doing this mothering crap and they will find someone else, just as how they hit someone else up before me. It is a never ending saga. People who live by the Bum’s Rule (never buy for yourself what you can get off someone else) are NOT going to change. The only person affected by my resignation is me. They will survive, sink or swim, without me.

By the way, it is NOT just toilet paper, shampoo, razors, laundry soap, coffee, cigs, sandwiches, and other mothering stuff. I am tired of being hit up for petty cash – small loan here, small loan there, hey lady got a dollar? And it is NOT just one or two people hitting me up. I can’t do it anymore, so I am done. This branch of the First National Bank of Mothers is now officially and permanently CLOSED.

So, Happy Mother’s Day!

As for me, I have passed my torch on to my daughter. She’s the mom now… I’m just grandma.