September 2, 2024 Monday--5am

Good morning!

Well, it was definitely a recovery week.  Temp broke last we talked but I didn't start feeling more normal till about Saturday.  Managed to get caught up on all the regular stuff, though--cooking and laundry and such.  Since I wasn't up to anything extra (not even letter writing and journaling), I managed to wash the bathroom rugs to make myself feel better--lol!

We had some darker days, but usually hot and humid enough to be closed up.

The poor petunias have croaked.  It rained so much they were drowning in that self-watering pot.  Leah did tip it over and drain a lot of the water out for me a week or so ago.  After drowning it was hot and dry, but they never recovered.  I actually am hoping to get out there and pull up all the plants out there--even the alien stuff growing wild in the planters here and there.  (I'm not going to say this week and jinx myself--lol!)  

My favorite skies--blue with white fluffy clouds.

Allie was pretty happy when I was able to get back up to the table for journaling again.  Just makes me chuckle when I think back how upset she was when I started doing that beginning of the year.  She thought something was wrong with me back then.  But now she thinks something is wrong when I don't get up to the table to journal--ROFL!  She's adaptable to a degree, shall we say, but still a creature of habit.  Kind of like me--lol!

The boys are loving riding the bus to school, Leah says.  Liam forgot his lunch bag on the bus on Friday afternoon so they're hoping they found it and he can get it back on Tuesday when they go back to school.  

The flooring people came to do epoxy on the crack under the stairs on Friday.  Liam had his birthday party on Sunday.  Dagan and Leah are painting the other accent walls today.  (Off for Labor Day holiday.)  The Finishing guy is coming to install the doors and trims on Tuesday.  Things are moving along!

This last week I got a call from a lady from Goldmark about doing annual paperwork?  I told her I've been sick--so she made an appointment to come over to my apartment at 1pm Friday afternoon.  I expected this to be about the lease--which they never bothered me with this year in June (for my July lease).  Of course, I am not signing a new lease.

Anyways, they never do seem to know what they are doing.  She showed up at 10am.  I told her I had an appointment for 1pm.  She had to look me up on her clipboard full of papers--apologized and said she'd be back.  Obviously she was going to more than one apartment.

She came back a little after 1pm.  Was quite strange.  They have not done this before, either.  I usually get the stack of paperwork left outside my door to fill out and make the copies for them that they need...sign the new lease...and drop it all off at the office.  Then (last year?) they made me go get a couple of forms notarized.  (Leah had to take me if you recall)  Mainly just signing before a notary that yes, I was poor, I guess.  It was signing what my income was--and how would the notary guy from the bank know--lol!  He wasn't required to check any forms or anything as proof...just watch me sign.  Very odd.

Now this year...this lady from Goldmark shows up (doesn't work at the office here) and we fill out each of the many forms I usually have filled out annually (and a couple of them I needed a notary for last year).  But there was no lease. ??  She didn't seem the least interested about the lease, to be honest.  This paperwork was just to prove I was a low-income tenant. She did seem interested that I didn't get all this similar paperwork and my lease dropped off outside my door this year from the office.  (They have had such turnover ever since Goldmark took over management for the owners, though, I may have slipped through the cracks.)  But she really did perk up when I told her I wouldn't be signing a lease anyways because I would be giving my two-month notice in another month or two.  She started calculating in her head immediately...so you'll be moved out by December or January?  Yes.  

That was another brand-new, unique Goldmark experience.  

I have told you I think they want to get all of us low-income folks out of here now after the ten-year tax break has expired.  Could almost hear the dollar signs clicking in her head.  (The owners got a tax break by having a certain percentage of tenants being low-income.)

Anyways, I still had to make copies of my bank statement, SS amount, and my food assistance amount and turn them in to the office this week.  I've already made the copies.  I just need to drop them off along with my rent check after the holiday here.

I saw a group of people going all around the building checking all the shrubs and talking about needing to plant and trim here and there about a month ago.  Only one bush out of three survived to the left of my patio from ten years ago when I moved into this brand-new senior building...so they suddenly decide to do something about the dead bushes a decade later?  All these odd things they've been doing here the past year or so...well, I am glad I am moving, but I feel badly for the low-income folks who are still living here.  Talk about not feeling wanted.  I still think they are trying to sell the complex...either that or jack up the rent even higher.  Easier to do if there are no low-income people living here--which involves Federal housing knowing what you are doing and putting a limit on rent increases.  (They've raised the rent a lot since covid.)  They can't even keep the door opening function working for the past year...at least in my building.  I'm right down the hall to walk down to let people in but what about the people on third floor with walkers, canes, or wheelchairs?  They are going to have to invest some real money in the place eventually.

Anyways, I am so lucky to be moving...feel kind of guilty, you know?  But I can hardly wait to be settling into my new place.  And to feel useful!  Being able to be there for the boys after school...and next summer...or whenever Dagan or Leah needs to run errands and the like.  Being able to go sit out on the deck to write letters in nice weather.  Huge changes.  But I am looking forward to them.  I can hardly wait to see what it looks like once the finishing guy is done!  Doors, trim, windows framed...gets to looking more and more like a potential home, you know?  Hopefully I will have pictures to share next week!

I've mostly been watching No Offence on BritBox--three seasons and I'm on the last one.  Really do enjoy my British detective shows. ;)  Finally been getting back to writing letters this last weekend.  Getting sick still knocks me back for longer than it used to.  I am so lucky I haven't gotten covid so far.  I'm in better shape now than I was even six months ago so I have a better chance of being okay, I think--lol!  I hope!  You know eventually I will probably get it.  Unless I am one of the rare people who never gets it or never reacts to it?  I'm sure I'll find out eventually.  May be a silver lining to all the delays in the apartment build, eh?  I am healthier now than I was last year, you know?  With the kids in school and Dagan and Leah at work--lots of germs coming home all the time--lol!   I'm in much better shape now than I was last year.  Silver linings are often in those unanswered prayers, eh?

So, not a lot to report this past week.  Just a nice, quiet recovery time.  Am caught up with the usual duties one needs to do (that I didn't do the week before--lol!)  I got through another stack of paperwork with a nice enough lady from Goldmark...though quite a mysterious non-lease appointment--lol!  The boys are liking being in public school for the first time and riding the bus.  The trim/door guy is coming tomorrow.  Dagan and Leah are painting more accent walls today.  Keanna comes to clean tomorrow.  I'm almost back to my previous normal--lol!  Didn't get knocked backwards this time, anyways--whoohoo!  Life is good.  

Till next week, my friends!  Happy September!  :)