Motto: Home Sweet Home...
My Motto: I Take A Lot Of Trash At Work, But I Don't Take It At Home...
Intro: Hello, Good People. I hope everyone is doing well. I've been checking out your blogs in the middle of my crazy days between meetings, but didn't get a chance to reply. (Side Note: Shellyp: Congrats, Miss Lady, for your and your husband's blessing, *RPM*: Congrats on a new chapter of your life; I have so much respect for you in the way that you determined that it was time for you to move onto another job, SP: Don't let those crazy folks at your job get you down, Dee: Smile, things are going to get bettter and better for you and your family, PrincessDominique: Keep churning out those interesting blog entries; are you in the process of writing a new book?, Everybody else: I haven't forgotten about you. I feel like I'm at the Grammys trying to remember to mention everyone in my shoutouts. *hee hee*) All I can say is thank you for helping me make it through the day at work. I know it's been a while since I've blogged, but it's just not going to be done on a regular basis for a while, because of my job situation. I'm still in the process of trying to get a promotion so I barely have any free time. At lunch, I'm still working many times. And when I get home, I'm too tired to string two lucid sentences together. However, I decided to blog a little bit before I go to work.
Now check this out. A few weeks ago, I noticed that the neighbor who lives across from me was getting a new refrigerator on a Sunday. But I didn't pay much attention to the situation. I went about my way. But the next day on Monday, why was an old refrigerator pushed up beside my front door? Mondays are a little tough on me, because every single week I have to come to terms with the fact that I have to go to work. Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful to have a job. I just get tired of the mindless bullcrap and crazy people I have to deal with.
Before proceeding on, I must provide you with a little background information. About a year and a half to two years ago, I purchased my first place. I got tired of paying rent that was equal to or more than what folks were paying for mortgages in the area. Homes in the Baltimore-Washington Metro area can be very expensive. So, I was very thoughtful in making my home purchase decision. I took my accountant's advice and decided to purchase a small place in a planned community, because the neighborhood strives to keep up its home values. But with that comes the home owners' association. And part of this kind of set up doesn't allow appliances to be discarded improperly.
Being Plain Proactive: When I first noticed the refrigerator, I was thinking what nerve my neighbor had to push her old, leaking fridge beside my door. Why didn't she push it beside hers? The condo association president lives very near me. And I could totally understand the neighbors or the condo association president seeing the fridge and thinking it was mine. So, at the risk of hurting my easy to hurt back (via my do-myself-mentality: towing huge suitcases at the airport; assembling bookcases and an exercise bike; moving boxes, etc.), I pushed the refrigerator back over beside my neighbor's door. And to make sure no one reported me, I called the management office for the condo to inform them that it wasn't mine. Afterall, residents can be fined for such violations. I stated to the management company that I wasn't trying to get anyone in trouble; I just wanted it to be documented that the fridge wasn't mine. Could you imagine me getting fined for something that I didn't do? Chile please!!!.... (Side Note: If anyone hears or sees, Tiff (Proactiff), tell her I side hi and we miss her blog.)
Neighbor Trying To Pull Someone Up...Namely Me: As I said before, this incident happened some weeks ago. When I made the phone call to the management company, the representative told me to call her if the fridge had not been hauled away in the next day. The next day or two it was gone. So, I didn't think anymore of the situation. But no...I get a little knock at the door. This was the first time I've seen/talked/met my neighbor since I moved there. Of course, I didn't open the door and opted to talk through the door and look out the peep hole. What? Come on now. I don't allow people to case out my place. Shuxxx....Where were we? Oh, yeah. Yesterday, my neighbor came over to discuss the incident with me. Evidently, the management company charged her $200 to haul away her old fridge and she wasn't happy about her little bill. And I guess she wanted someone to take responsibility for this bill. Good folks, when it comes to money, I don't play. What can I say? I come from a long line of folks you can't mess with when it comes to money. It's been said that my Great Granddaddy handled a difficult situation dealing with his land purchases decades ago during the jim crow days. Years ago, I witnessed my Grandmother getting someone told about not paying a bill on time when she used to sell products similar to Amway products to supplement her maid's job. So, let's just say this thing is genetic. I ain't getting off no cash when it ain't my fault.
I hate starting a sentence with the word, "being." But being the person that I am, I put a whole lot of thought into my decisions no matter how big or small. I just didn't call the management company for kicks or to embarrass my neighbor. I'm just tired of being done wrong and done in. I've seen the consequences of me staying silent in many situations over the years. So my conclusion was that if I had not called, then most likely I would have been the one to have to bear the burden of proving that the fridge wasn't mine. I've had appliances replaced in my place since I've been living here. However, I always made sure the delivery person hauled away the old appliance at $10 a piece (and not $200). I just factored the removal fee into the total purchase price of getting the new appliance.
The Half-Apology: As my neighbor told me about the $200 charge, she told me that she was trying to apologize. I accepted. Then she followed up with, "We should be more neighborly in the future." Next time, leave a letter or a note on my door instead of calling the managment company." "Say What?", was my response that I was thinking. But I told her being neighborly means not rolling old refrigerators beside a neighbor's door. Had she left the fridge beside her door, I most likely would have let the situation go on for a while. But no, I felt that she intentionally and deliberately had the delivery folks to push the old leaky one near me to keep herself out of trouble. People need to learn how to apologize or just don't do it all, because conditional statements placed with an apology nullifies it. What's the point? Either you're sorry or you're not. Move on. I sincerely apologized to a motorist some years ago, because it was my fault that I wasn't driving carefully one winter morning. I thought the street was wet, but it was actually black ice. I slid down a hill and hit a truck. His bumper fell off. I apologized sincerely, provided my insurance information, and followed-up with a call to see if he was feeling okay later that day. I paid much more than $200 to fix his car and mine, but I was simply grateful that he wasn't hurt. Thank God. Afterall, I was wrong and caused him to have to take off work to get his truck fixed. Getting back to my neighbor, I bet she wanted me to apologize to her and help pay that $200. Didn't happen. So, in the words of James Brown, "Static: Don't Start None. Won't Be None. Hay!!!..."
Alrighty, I have to get rolling. Take care. And have a good day. *Smile*
5 comments:
Hey Girl. Good to see you are alive and kicking, even if it's just kicking to work and back. I know how that feels. I hope you get that promotion soon.
I think your neighbor did it on purpose too. And if she was having someone else come get the fridge, she should have left it inside somewhere.
I feel you on not being able to post. I want to but I'm often too tired by the end of the day.
It's a good thing you called the management company. You had every right to do that to keep your name clear and your pockets from leaking.
You're right. Not your fault. People are a trip. A leaky fridge. I kept reading because I thought you were going to say that she "figured" you needed a fridge. People can be so assuming sometimes!
You were better with management. Even if you had approached her, something crazy might've come flying out of her mouth... thus a tumble.
Okay, maybe that's just be.
Egg-friggin-zactly. The fridge was her mess, and she should've handled it.
aside: this is one of my fears of new homeownership...violating the neighborly relationship (her, not you). She clearly crossed the line. I don't know why she expected you to correct her for crossing it?!
Post a Comment