I Smell A Rat!

After being harrassed yet again by the housing inspector, things actually went rather well considering.

I was a little worried though when the H.I. first decided to check out my boiler room and the first thing he did when he entered was step on a dead rat! I thought that was going to be the prelude to disaster, but things went somewhat smoothly after that.

There are some real pigs living in my buildings. I picked up countless beer cans and bottles. Cans of snuff, left over crab shells, fireworks (on a wood roof). WTF!

The H.I. was actually a tolerable guy and let me slide on a couple of items. I’m taking the day off tomorrow and not doing a damn thing.

I took this afternoon off and took the other half out to dinner and just toured the North Beach/Telegraph hill part of town with our cameras. What a great time we had.

Just thinking about how lucky I am to have my job though. Times are really tough and I can’t see how a lot of people are going to make it through these hard times. Everyday I hear another horror story. Seems like everyone is losing their jobs lately. I couldn’t imagine trying to pay rent and make ends meet in this economic situation. I should be thankful, It makes putting up with all the stupid stuff I have to deal with that much easier.

My company can’t even pay some of the vendors and contractors. I’m not even able to secure paint or supplies right now, so the squeeze is on. 

I’ve been trying to secure a part time job, but it’s been pretty bleak out there. I guess I just have to bite the bullet and watch every penny. If I lose this job, I’m out in the streets.

I had a scary incident the other night. Somehow street people have been getting in the building lately. I had just woken up about 3am the other morning and I heard someone playing with my Office/Apartment door handle trying to force it open. It just made me think of how desperate it is getting out there.

This Old House

These buidings are getting so old…This manager is getting so old…

I’m getting an awful feeling that the other shoe is about to drop. Things are really starting to hit the wall. I almost wish I could go back to working for my horrible boss at my last job. At least I knew what I was dealing with. I knew at least I had a job. Nobody could work with this person, believe me.

He was one of those people that had a knack for getting under your skin, but he lived very, very far away…Nevada! 

He owned an airplane and Cathy and I would just pray he’d crash that damn thing. One day he did and I thanked Jesus! The only problem is that he didn’t die. He forgot to put his landing gear down and crashed. He ended up getting Alzheimer’s disease like his hero “Ronald Reagan”. I hope He’s happy drooling on himself and walking into walls. I’m not like this usually, but he was an evil man and really deserves every bad thing that can possibly happen to him. Maybe I’ll go to Hell for it, but I don’t care I hated the scumbag!

That was a good job though. I loved the area we lived in. I’d give anything to go back there.

I was starting to get myself in a lot of trouble then. I was starting to exhibit a lot of my bi-polar symtons, the sweeping depression and the manic episodes. I got into the “Underworld”, the darkness that I found late at night when I drove my cab. I think the stress I was enduring from this horrible Satan of a boss was really pushing me off the deep end.

I miss some of the old tenants that lived in the building too. There were a lot less of them anyway which made it a lot easier to deal with at least in that department.

I learned a lot from that job though. Especially plumbing.

I’ll tell you some of those horror stories soon…

Day Off

I’m taking a couple of days off from blogging. Maybe it’s the rain making my mind soggy, but I’m just not feeling it right now.

Be back soon.

Don’t Jump!…

There’s been an awful lot going on in the “Managers” world lately. In fact I’ve been too busy to get my head wrapped around putting out another blog…I’m having to figure out a way of telling the tales here with out jeapodizing my job. It’s very hard to do. I’ve really got to be careful, but I do want to put out some interesting content for you to read.

I’ve had some interest in this site recently, so I’m trying to figure a way to possibly get a much wider readership and eventually write a complete short story compilation.

Things have been out of control lately in my buildings. I feel some kind of convergence happening. It’s gonna snap very soon, I feel it, so I’m preparing to duck and cover any second now.

Most things that go on now seem routine. I’m asked a lot if I could pick one thing that really stood out in the years that I’ve done this job. It’s something I have to really think about. It’s really hard to say just one thing, there are so many.

I had a young woman feigning suicide one time. She was sitting in the rain perched nine stories high on a wall preparing to jump. 

I had been called by a woman on the top floor that she heard someone crying up on the roof. As I opened the door into the rain I could hear the soft wimpers and there she was just sitting there. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I didn’t know whether to run and lunge for her or call the cops. I finally decided for some reason to whisle calmly and as she looked over I just pretended nothing was unusual, she must have thought I was as nuts as her.

I said “lovely weather huh?”

I think she was caught off guard.

I said ” You’re in the same spot I go everytime life sucks, but I have vertigo so It doesn’t last long, I climb back down pretty quick.”

‘Nothing’…she didn’t move.

“You know if you fell off right now you would land on my car!” (Which was parked directly below her).

“What’s your name?” I inquired.

Well it ended up that I broke the ice and she came down. She was really hot looking and had a very short dress on which I could see right through and she was very drunk. One thing led to another and soon she was making out with me, but I was believe it or not very hesitant. I was thinking that someone might catch us or she would sober up and life would be very uncomfortable for me down the line. I thought maybe her boyfriend might have hit her too. I wasn’t going to take advantage of that situation. I took her down to my shop and let her smoke a ciggarette. She came across and straddled me. It was completely maddenning, I really don’t know how I kept myself from going for it. I kissed her and she was really, really hot, but I got up and told her she had to go back to her apartment with her boyfriend. Eventually I got her back to her place without further incident.

Later in the week I ran into her boyfriend and he was acting really weird towards me and I knew…He knew. We finally confronted one day and she had told him a completely different story. I explained my way out of it and eventually He broke up with her. Apparently this wasn’t the first or last time for her to do this kind of a thing.

We now get along really well. Phewww…

I’ve had a couple of situations since then and I immediatly get myself away from it. I just don’t need the headache. It will usually always come back to bite you no matter how good it looks to you at first.

I learned my lesson “Dont shit where you eat!”

Crude but true…

Seven Year Itch…

It’s getting old…I’ve been thinking about just taking the plunge and getting a resume together for another managers job. I seriously have the itch to hop into something new…a fresh start. I guess I’m going through that “seven year itch” so to speak.

There are too many people that I’m just completely sick of and just don’t want to deal with anymore. I think I’ve learned them too well and they’ve learned me. They realize I just hate them and don’t give a crap about their gripes and I’m sure the feeling is mutual. It’s time to at least  start looking, I seriously don’t think I can do this anymore. I’m done…kaput!

I’m sure a new job would be traumatic in itself, but I can’t focus on this job at all anymore.

Now; the other option would be to just start over from scratch, which could be the more practical method. A clean fresh piece of paper and start from numero uno…hmmmm….could be a plan.

Methodically go through each apartment/resident and eliminating or dealing with each problem like it’s a completely new job. Shut my mind off to anything that’s happened in the past and start a brand new list with a whole new schedule for myself, including actual hourly breakdown of my salary and how much I should be working. Maybe even set office hours.

Probably a new working arrangement with my other half…like splitting up the duties and hours. Maybe even re-arrange the office and our apartment to give the illusion of a fresh start.

The way I look at it is something drastic has to be done, cause I’m heading for a real meltdown and I can’t deal with it right now. I have too much on the line.

Well then…I guess this is the plan.

The new manager has arrived…err…Monday…

I Like Drugs…

Well sort of…Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Not really drugs in the sense that you feel high, but more of a balancing out the bodies natural chemistry. I really notice the difference when I adhere to my regimen. I’m not sure how I got along with out them in the first place. I remember when I first started this job how stressed out and depressed I got. I don’t really have the perfect mentality for managing apartments. I’m pretty thin skinned. I’m not very good at dealing with border line psycho’s and abusive pesonalities. Not everyone is like that, but enough to keep it all pretty interesting.

I made the mistake again of going off them. Bad choice! I was a train wreck for a few days, but I’m feeling a lot better. I have a quite depressed nature with very manic periods also. “Bipolar” they call it. The only problem with the SSRI’s is that I have a tendency to put stuff out of my mind so I get a bit forgetful sometimes. I really have to keep a schedule, or calendar, otherwise I get myself in trouble a lot. This week started out pretty bad but ended up OK.

I wasn’t even blogging for a few days cause I was so distraught.

I had a real problem with stress back through the ninties. It manifests itself when I suddenly find my self getting into dangerous risk taking behavior.  Some people, drink, take drugs or eat, but I just start pushing the envelope with myself. Ipulsive, compulsive behavior. I’m paying the price dearly now for that kind of behavior.

I think the new class of theraputic drugs are actually quite miraculous. They’ve sure gotten me through this past year. At least through this Friday the 13th btw.

Well Monday I’m going to try some new angles on managing my life and my job. This weekend I’m going to analyze myself/my job and see what I can do to improve my situation. I’m starting to feel a bit more balanced and confident to make some changes.

Later…

Dog Bath

“We’ve got a disaster here!”, she say’s in a panic. “There’s water pouring down the stairs into the lobby!”

“Is it coming from apartment 101?” I ask her.

“Yep”, she answers.

I knew it. Stuff like this happens at the most inconvenient times, when I’m furthest away from the building. I had just been pulling up to S.F. General Hospital for an appointment when I got the call from the panicky wife. I new where the water was coming from due to my second sense I’ve developed over the years being “The Manager”.

It’s not magic, it’s all math. Calculations are made like those of a seasoned fighter pilot. The problems will usually lead to the most problematic tenant in a situation like this. Anomalies are somewhat a rarity in a job like this. This person is very new and already I’ve had one problem after another. I had sworn I’d never let another dog in the building. I’ve had endless problems in allowing people to have dogs in the last couple of years…a failed experiment.

This person was adamant in getting a dog and plead her case well. I finally relented and said:

“OK, as long as you promise me they’ll be no problems!”

“Oh, no problem I assure you.” she says to me.

Now the dog is barking incessantly disturbing neighbors, peeing every time you look at the miserable thing. Now she tells me that the dog got out of it’s kennel and turned the bath tub water on!

I suppose he was pouring a bubble bath for his girlfriend Fee Fee the French Poodle. I bet they’d be taking a bath together with candles and Yani playing quietly in the background when his master got home from work and walked through the door… She obviously turned the water on herself and forgot about it.

It’s really amazing what people will come up with to avoid accepting responsibility. BTW no offer from her to come down and help me clean up… Privileged youth I suppose. I was like that to some extent when I was younger, so I guess I need to temper my judgments with the thought of one day she maybe in the same position as I am now.

I’m not perfect either.

Full House!

Getting close to 100% occupation. A managers dream. I’ve never had so many vacancies for such an extended period of time. The rents are to high for time we’re in right now.

There’s no re-modeling going on right now, my company just doesn’t have the money…I guess their not getting a bail out. I heard through the grapevine that there’s been a lot of finacial woe.

This is a very hard blog to keep up with BTW. I have to be really careful of what I say. My job is at risk, so I have to really dance around a lot of issues and sometimes speak in a kind of code. I do hope the best for my company, I don’t want to have to get another job. There are also some people amoung the skunks that I do care about. I’ve lost a lot of money/earnings due to the “Skunkatude” of some people. A lot of the power I once had has been un-fairly squandered away by the greedy ones.

My buildings that I manage are still standing and haven’t been repo’d by the banks…Yet!…

I think I’m gonna be an asshole and ask for a raise this week! That would go over like a lead balloon. It would be funny though.

Still dealing with some pretty bad tenants, but I’m going to really get down and go after them. I’ve had it. The new manager is in town and he’s pissed. I think I’ll make a game of it and really start laying it on them and try to get them out of my buildings. I’m just grouchy enough and sick of their abusive ways towards me.

Can you tell I’m in a Pissy mood?

I have this one German guy who keeps calling the housing inspector on me. He’s first. I’m done with him. He’s not even on the lease! What an idiot.

Oh the reason he hates me is cause I told him for the upteenth time to not park in the fire lane between the buildings. 

So I’m turning over a new leaf… and hoping for the best.

Dog Crap

Just finished building up a bicycle today. As I walked it down the ally I was in a very good state of mind for the first time all week. I rolled the bike in to the livingroom very proud of my creation as I looked down at the bike…Arrrggh! Dog Shit!

People who let their dogs crap out on the sidwalk and don’t pick it up are the same as that piece of crap on my livingroom floor.

More and more I’m seeing this kind of attitude. I’m constantly picking up after people who are just too lazy to throw their trash away, break down box’s, stay up late to all hours partying without regard to anyone around them.

Ok enough of the rant.

Trash duty is the worst part of the job here. I remember when we first moved here and the previous manager had abandoned the buildings, I had no idea what was going on. I didn’t even know till the third day that there was a trash shoot in my main building. The trash was literally up to the 3rd floor in the trash shoot. When I opened the door it was packed solid in the boiler room trash door I reached in to pull out some trash and got immediatly slashed with a piece of glass and started bleeding profusely.

I’ve found some strange stuff there.

The trash guys told me that years ago there was a hot girl up on one of the floors that use too drop naked pictures of herself, not sure if it was on purpose…man I wish she still lived here. Tons of medications and once about a half a dozen dildos found their way to the top of the heap. I put those sticking out of the trash in various angles for the trash guys, so when they picked up they’d have to wonder.

The toughest is the cat litter, sometimes I can barely budge some of those barrels…

Well enough trash talk…

77 I’m cheating!

I’m cheating and duplicating my bike blog over to here…I thought it had some relevance and I’m to tired to come up with another thought for this blog…BTW Cathy served dinner to one of my building witch’s today…There are few people that I get close to in my job as manager, but she’s the exception…good people…

To busy to blog…I kind of thought life began to slow down when you hit 50…I guess I need to rethink that fable. I’ve been back into the music lately so I’m trying to ride the creative wave, like getting up at 4:30 and working in my studio till 10am, jamming my work into a couple of hours, trying to get some riding in and just generally running around like a chicken with my head cut of. Today I had a therapy session, had to leave there and pick up a bike from a friend in Anioch/Pittsburg then came home without eating and completely stripped the bike down, then ate. Watched American Idol (love the auditions). Now I should be re-editing my Bicycle mag blog, but I’m putting that off till I’m fresh in the morning…If I have time. I got a really nice email from my niece about my blog that made me feel glad that I do this…sometimes I just don’t know. I like that people read it and I’m trying to keep it fresh and something new everyday to think about. I bet that you all have interesting lives, even if you think it’s boring, it’s probably not . Everyone no matter who they are have some interesting qualities and something to throw into the pot. We all want to learn and hear what people do in their life. It’s in out nature to be that way…we’re curious. Some of us are really shy and would like to be able to express ourselves freely. Hopefully you can live somewhat vicariously through people like me who a have just enough screws loose to put these expulsions out there in the world for people to read and take heart or just plain guffaw! For myself I love reading blogs, some are very inspireing or just plain soap operas in general…I like my friend M.E. Rider’s blog…alway’s an entertaining saga. I get my coffee and can’t wait to sit down and munch on her tale of woe! I like my friend Ron’s blog, just cause he’s my friend and makes me laugh. There are many, too many to list here. My friends all have their favorites and I read those too…It’s all inspiring for me and keeps me going and getting through this journey. Lifes just not boring you gotta get out there and grab it, jump into it, throw it down and stomp on it…pick it up and do it again and life may bite back, but so another lesson learned and of course you know that which doesn’t kill us…. well you know! So heres my new bike…or old bike-1977 Centurion. Cathy and I were married in 77 in the 7th month…my favorite number is 7. 7 comes up in just about everything I do. It will be a good bike…we’ll spend a lot of time together and I call her… Siu

My new bike...old bike!