After a few years I went back to read this short story and it was crap. Something about a girl and a boy who find love among the fields of horses. I really wonder about my own imagination sometimes. The point of this whole paragraph is that I am going to write. Write every day in order to get my mind and fingers to cooperate with each other. It’s like they are siblings that argue all the time and I am forcing them into a corner to stare at each other until they play nice. I used to believe that writing was easy, or at least should be for everyone. How hard is it to take the thoughts that are in your mind and then just put them down on paper. Ha. Yea, right. Nothing is ever easy, just as nothing is ever free.
This is why I despise/love editors. They have the easiest job! They can take the slaved-over, incoherent story, move a few words around and AH-HA: a story. The writers original story can be completely re-written in 10 minutes, when it takes them over 8 hours to build that measly 1500 word assignment. A click here and a click there and you would have never known who the original author was. A badass game of scrabble, only your words never win.
This is the first time that I am living in an apartment that is fully mine. No subleasing, no under-the-table rent payment. I don’t know how I feel about it. The first day I was downright giddy and now that the newness is wearing off, I am starting to see things clearly now. Is it fair for me to compare this to new boyfriends (let me clarify in saying new/bad boyfriends)?
The first day I walked into my apartment, the leasing agent warned I that they were still doing some “light dusting” and that I should not be alarmed by the fact that there were complete strangers in my new habitat. I shrugged at this, willing to adapt to any situation. (Insert laugh here). I opened up the door cautiously, welcomed by the loud mariachi band that was blaring over the radio. I couldn’t see anyone from my view, but heard the distinct slurred Spanish. The living room floor was covered with paper towels, nails, screws, cleaning supplies and FILTH. Ha, light dusting. I should have known.
I did a few open-close door and try to decide what I was going to do from here. I had my small Ford Focus filled to the brim with my belongings and I was itching to let it free of its load. As my boyfriend and I moved my things up the stairs I found my courage. I was not about to leave my belongings on the porch. No way. I opened the door again and this time took a few steps in. Ignoring the two Mexican workers in my kitchen, I made my way back to my room to check it out. Same scene. Dirty floor. I spied the vacuum cleaner in the middle of the room (covered in a thick coat of dust) and a light bulb moment happened. I would help them speed this process along. I asked the woman (using large hand motions, like I was speaking to a deaf person) if I could use the vacuum. I don’t think she fully understood me, but she nodded her head in consent. So, away I went to vacuum my room and hand pick the screws out of the carpet.
After I completed my task (I LOVE to vacuum and probably would of continued if my roommate didn’t have to use it too), I started moving my belongings in. The wide-eyed Spanish woman come into my room asking in broken English if I was moving in…today? This is where I saw the communication gap open up a little wider. All I said was YES, in order to further avoid confusion. I planned on leaving for a few hours in order for them to finish “dusting” my apartment and come back to my new bleached refrigerator (which not only cleans it, but leaves a lingering smell that could burn your eyelashes off).
To continue on my apartment rant, the place smells. The initial smell was that of cleaning products and some strong bleach. After that wore off the stale, musty smell attacked my senses. I use the word attack because I scrunch up my nose every time I re-enter my apartment. I have tried everything to purge this smell. Carpet cleaner, the weird stuff that you sprinkle directly on the carpet and vacuum up an hour later. This only makes your vacuum smell good, not the actual carpet. Then I went to odor eaters that I placed all over the apartment, including one in my closet because my clothes were also becoming infested with the stench. I then forked over the change to buy some scented plug-ins. This has helped IMMENSELY. Considering they are only about seven feet apart, they have worked together to make it bearable to walk through the front door. The next step is to help my clothes out of their funk…
Today the water pipes have frozen. I am sitting in my pajamas wondering if I should just put myself back to bed and call it a day. Oh, wait, I can’t. The furnace shakes my ceilings when it comes on and makes the air grates shake. These are also located on my ceiling. I have to wear earplugs to bed, or forego the warm temperatures.
The maintenance man told me that it might be awhile until he can figure out what is going on with the water. I was also told this while wearing pajamas. I have to stay here until he comes back from Home Depot with all his tools so he can fully figure out the issue. I am still in my pajamas.
If anyone has been without water, you know how I feel right now. I might as well be on a deserted island. I found myself staring at my toilet water with envy. How gross is that? In order to brush my teeth, I hunted down some of my water bottles with their 2-day-old water. Worked like a charm. It is a tricky thing, rationing out water in order to brush one’s teeth. Next feat was to wash my face. Hello ice cubes. Melted those suckers in the microwave and made a make shift water basin for myself. I knew I should have lived in the 1800’s. It actually worked out quite nicely.
Maintenance man came back over, when I had real pants on this time, and claimed that the plumber said that we should turn my thermostat up to 90 degrees and wait it out. I think my eyes almost bulged out of my head, mostly, due to the fact that I correspond high temps with high-energy bill. I am still sitting on my couch (with out a blanket this time) waiting for the water to magically come back on.
Texas froze over.
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