Rainy days and rants

It's a good day for rain.  Walt Kowalski and I have to be at work.  The garden needed a good watering.  The forest needed a good watering because tomorrow is a burn day.  Walt Kowalski and I have to be at work.

More sweeping and sweeping and sweeping last night at House #1.  It is making a difference. The old house smell is getting less and less everyday and the amount of dust gets less and less everyday. 

I hate people. 

Ok hate is too much.  I dislike people. Not all people.

Every week for the last two months, we paid for a dumpster from the city.  1 dumpster for 1 week.  No permit needed.  There wasn't a week that went by that our dumpster wasn't overflowing on pick-up day.  We made certain that we paid for the next dumpster before the current dumpster was due so the city wouldn't take the dumpster, but just empty and leave it.

Every week for the last two months someone (not us) put their trash in the dumpster.  Sometimes it was a simple as a bag of food wrappers from a restaurant. Sometimes it was several bags of kitchen garbage.  I let it go figuring at least whomever did it wasn't littering.  Walt Kowalski paid for these dumpsters, but I would much rather have your trash in our dumpster than have you throw the trash along the road. 

As a person that cleans up the trash on the road in front of our house weekly, I would rather you used our dumpster.

This last dumpster we filled to the top of plaster.  We finished the night before the city was to come and remove the dumpster.  It was a very satisfying feeling.  We were done with one stage of the process and moving on to the next. 

But when we got to House #1 a couple of days later, the dumpster was still sitting in front of the house.  Thank you for the extra days, city! I'll put the bits and pieces I've been cleaning up in the dumpster and a few things from the shed.

But then a few days later, the dumpster was still sitting in front of the house.  Thank you for the extra days, city!  I cleaned out the garage some more at the Cat Ranch and put even more in the dumpster. 

But then, almost two weeks later, the dumpster was still sitting in front of the house.  Walt Kowalski said 'You are going to have to call the city tomorrow and tell them we are done and they need to take it away.'  Will do.

Except I got busy at work the next day and forgot. 

When we got to House #1 the next day, the dumpster was still sitting in front of the house.  Except now there was a TV in the dumpster and at least 6 bags of household garbage.  You know the kind of household garbage, we all have it.  The stinky kitchen garbage, the containers the raw meat comes in, the stinky diapers, the cigarette butts.  The smelly stuff.  All of it festering on the top of our construction dumpster.  Festering in the warm sun.

It smelled and it was covered with flies and other nasties. 

If you didn't know, electronics can no longer be put out for the trash.  They must be recycled.  I didn't want the city to see the TV in the dumpster and hold us responsible for not recycling.  I took that TV out of the dumpster and set it right at the curb.  It can sit there until the person that put it in our dumpster takes it away. 

I don't know if it was the house above us or below us that put the TV in the dumpster.  But I do know that it was the house below us that put their stinky kitchen garbage in our dumpster. 

How do I know this?  Along with their wrappers and butts, they also put in some personal paperwork in the garbage. 

When you're just mad enough, you'll start digging through ripped open bags of garbage to find more information. I didn't even have to dig very far.  (Thank goodness cause I was holding my breath from the stink)  Right there in bold letters was a name, home address, telephone number, date of birth, and medical conditions and history.

Hello!?! This is 2013, don't you know about a shredder?  Besides, if you're going to try to get away with something concerning your next door neighbor, you might want to be a little discreet and make sure nothing points back to you. 

It took all of my strength not to take those bags of garbage out of our dumpster and set them back on their front porch.  Doing that would mean I stooped to their level.  I don't need to get even.  I need to let it go. 

Walt Kowalski was just as frustrated as I.  He had another point...their bags took up space.  What if I needed that space?  I would have had to pay for another dumpster to finish the project.

Then again, these are the same people that let their dog out to do business in our yard.  I know that this house was vacant for more than a year and both neighbors used the yard to let their dogs run, but this house is owned now.  We're here everyday other day.  We keep the grass moved and trimmed and don't appreciate stepping in poo, cleaning up your garbage, and cleaning up poo.  Could we please have a few manners? 

I think everybody in the neighborhood is in for a surprise when the fence goes up.  Then we'll be the ones that everybody dislikes.  Sorry. 

Oh and I called the city the next day and told them they needed to come and take the dumpster away.  I told them the truth, too.  The dumpster was gone that afternoon.  Either the sound of frustration in my voice or the thought of the city losing more money must have been enough motivation.



Yes, the TV is still sitting on the curb.  Yes, I'm sure I will be the one that takes it to be recycled.  *sigh*