Dept. of Monday

[kaffy_r]

November Start

I haven't been very active online since my last Phil-oriented post. That's a combination of inertia and real life combining to make posting incredibly difficult to assay. I'll try to be more present this month, if not altogether voluble. 

Just a few things to say (although I'm going to try to start collecting thoughts as they occur, for later posting.) And I'm going to try to comment on other peoples' posts as well. I can't continue to say that much of my social life is online, if I don't actually participate in that social life. 

I honestly can't remember if I mentioned that I went to see "Bladerunner 2049" or not, but I did, and I urge anyone who can, to head out and view it now, before it disappears from theaters. Its ticket sales sputtered at the beginning of its run, so the powers that be may well take it out of the theaters early. I think it's pretty close to a masterpiece from all angles - acting, directing, pacing, plotting, thematic strength, everything. The one thing I can find to nitpick is the sound track, and then only the volume. 

I've been slowly watching "Stranger Things 2" and I'm just as engrossed with it as I was with its first season. 

My condo association's new president got a trial by fire last week, when we had yet another sewer backup, and he had to learn the ropes of figuring out how to handle things. He chose the wrong plumber to bring in, and our treasurer had schedule another company to come in today or tomorrow. And the new president, while earning an "A" from me in terms of communicating with condo owners about the situation (which also included - you guessed it - a temporary loss of hot water), earned an "F" in communicating information to renters in the building. They live here, and they need to get the information. I sent him over the renters' names and email contacts, and he said he'd contact them, but when I ran into one of them this weekend, he said he'd never gotten any emails, and had wondered about the hot water situation. From now on, I'll make sure that renters get the information.

One satisfying, but extremely frustrating, thing that appears to be happening, is that the new president is seeing some of the problems I saw with our overall sewer system, and is saying "We need to do such and such." He's saying exactly the same things that I did, but he's getting more traction with our treasurer. I hate to say it, but I think that has to do with two things: me not being forceful enough in presenting my arguments over the years and b) the new president being a guy who's a friend of the treasurer's. I don't know which is more central to the situation, but I think you can understand why it's both satisfying and frustrating. 

And now I need to get to work, much as that is something I'd gladly avoid if I had the money to do so. 

Comments

[liadt]

It's been a quite journaling month from most people because we're heading to that time of year again I suspect.

I can see how the sewer situation is frustrating when you've been ignored as you're not great mates with the treasurer.

[kaffy_r]

I'm trying to maintain perspective on the sewer situation; if things get done because he's a guy and a friend of the treasurer, that's fine, just as long as things that didn't get done during my tenure get done during his stay in office. But it's occasionally hard to hold on to perspective.

There are so many people who've posted things, either about their lives, or who've posted lots of interesting links, and I've wanted to communicate with them, but lacked the spoons.

We are coming up to my favorite fannish time of year. No, not Yuletide, because I don't take part, but fandom_stocking. I hope I can generate more stocking stuffers this year than I did last year.

[liadt]

I hope I can do more substantial stuffing this year too. I seem to have lost the ability to come up with fic quickly!

[thisbluespirit]

Aww, I do hope that rl starts to be a bit more obliging for you soon. (If only, selfishly, because it's always good to have you around here as well! <3)

And, ahaha, at the condo association. Yes. As you say, very frustrating but also vindicating. Life, eh?

Good luck with the work! *sends hugs*

[kaffy_r]

I like being around as well!

Yes, the condo association situation does merit some laughs. I should remember that. Heh.

[thisbluespirit]

Ironic/bitter laughter, though! While possibly simultaneously head!desking at the world and everything in it, including sewage. (Have I ever told you that the number of my direct ancestors killed by sewage is now TWO? 0_o Somebody better sort that sewage out...)

<3

[kaffy_r]

Have I ever told you that the number of my direct ancestors killed by sewage is now TWO? 0_o Good Lord! No, I wasn't aware there were two of them. I do recall you talking about one of them.

Sewage is truly awful. My poor son, who insisted on keeping a bag of his old stuffed toys, but who didn't get it out of our furnace room in time to avoid about three dunkings in the awful stuff lost all but one of the toys this afternoon. When I finally put on rubber gloves and opened the bag - truly a remarkable olfactory adventure - most of the beloved stuffed bears and other things, including an amazing stuffed alien - had disintegrated or, worse, had developed some ... purple ... stuff all over them. We sadly said goodbye to them. The remaining toy is going through its third wash. Wish us luck!

[thisbluespirit]

Eww, good luck!

[kaffy_r]

The poor little puppet (A plush Sylvester the Cat, from the Warner Brother cartoons) made it through four washings, although I'll have to glue his eyes back on, after I douse the back of the plastic eyes with some bleach. We think he's OK now, although there's one tiny stain on one of his little hands that we couldn't get out. When I texted FB, he said he was just grateful that we had one potential save.

[lilacsigil]

Our local plumbers, for some reason, never show up when a woman calls them. We thought it might be homophobia for a while, but now we think it's just plain old misogyny. We have to get st_aurafina's dad to call them instead. So maybe anything to do with plumbing is for MENZ!

[kaffy_r]

*snort*

You may be right, which is frustrating as all get out, but at least a tiny bit amusing, if I try for the necessary perspective.

(It certainly can't be homophobia in the case of our association, since both the president and the treasurer are gay guys. Our 18 unit building has at least four gay couples living here, three as owners and one as a renter. Actually, the neighborhood has a very high number of gay and lesbian homeowners, now that I think of it ... but I digress.)