I have a major complaint regarding consideration, or lack thereof, that people show for others. As most might know by now, I’m a single mother by choice. My choice to have the kids on my own, with the accompanying 3 years of infertility treatments to conceive, has necessitated certain tradeoffs. The first amongst them is my living situation. I rent an apartment in a two family house. Between the daycare expenses and various other costs of living in this area, I’m limited in my options. Buying something right now is just out of the question. Not to mention that my rent is awfully low and my apartment comes with a washer/dryer, central air and off street parking. However, there is a major downside. The other unit is owner occupied. It is also not a side-by-side housing layout, but that the bulk of their unit is entirely over mine. Wouldn’t be so bad, but there are 6 adults and 2 children (boys 6 and 13) living there, along with a rather loud cocker spaniel. One of the women is now expecting too and there is a business being run out of the house. Quite a number of their rooms do not have carpeting, but hardwood or tile floors so there is a considerable amount of foot traffic noise, creaky-arsed floorboards. I’ve been running a fan in the twins room since they came home for the white noise cover of the banging, stomping and general racket above us. I’ve complained on occasion, but to no avail. The last time was a while ago when at 11:30 pm on a week night, they were having a party, singing loudy and stomping around on what I can only assume were wooden clogs. I called to ask if they could possibly keep it down a bit as it was a work night and it was late. I was pretty much told to lump it.
That’s the background. It isn’t a new situation and I’ve learned to live with it to some extent. I really don’t have an option until the twins are out of their darn expensive daycare situation. What’s brought this to the point where I’m kvetching to all about it? Two things. Wednesday I woke up to a rather cold apartment. I contacted the landlords about it immediately when I discovered that my heat wasn’t working. A short while later a knock on the door brought news that the plumber was on the way to repair. This was 9:00 am. By 2 pm the man hadn’t appeared yet. It was getting quite cold down here. Thank goodness that the twins had "school" and were nice and toasty. I fiddled with my thermostat, and noticed that while in years past (yup no heat every damn year as they don’t do maintenance on the units) the furnace would kick on even as no hot water circulated through the baseboards. This time, no furnace noise was discernable. I asked to see if there was possibly a blown fuse preventing my furnance from kicking on. There wasn’t. While there though, I asked if I could check my furnance, just for giggles. I did. The power switch to the #$%@$@# thing had been turned off. WTF? I sat in the cold for hours, stuck to the house because some asshole turned off my furnace. What did they care, their unit was powered up and they had heat. That’s one.
That was also a couple of days ago. I’m angry, but sort of over it as again, I’m resigned to the situation and beyond getting irritated, there isn’t much I can do about it. That brings us to #2. The $@$#@%^$$#%#@ trampoline that they bought for a Christmas present for their couch potato kids that don’t go outside. Ever. It sounds like a cheap motel room with squeaky bed springs over my head for hours on end. WTF? They obviously don’t fucking care that there are people living down here beyond my financial contribution towards their goddamned mortgage payment. I’m frustrated beyond tears, beyond screaming, at the blatant inconsideration towards me. I’m stuck. I can’t leave. I don’t want to stay. I feel like crying.
Oh fuck, they just woke the twins up from their nap. A nap that they requested because they were tired, mind you! What the hell can I do? I think horrible thoughts like maybe someone will break a leg on the trampoline. I wish evil thoughts on their PITA dog, who barks the moment a car drives by the house and when they all do leave (oh so rarely) #$%#@$ cries and whines the whole time they are gone.
This just sucks.
