Side notes

My last post kinda backfired on me. I guess, to put it in some kind of metaphor, I was tired of being treated like a piece of beachfront property. "Sure, it's in rough shape, but no one's there now, so let's get it on the market NOW!" And to make matters worse, my clarification on my position gave a few key people enough fodder to believe I was completely full of shit. I'm tired of explaining it, so I'm turning a deaf ear when the subject is brought up.

However, it is weird how things like this seem to coincide with other strange relationship troubles in other people. A good friend of mine finally admitted to me that her current relationship is slowly coming to an end. I've been sensing it for a while, and she's been very good at putting up a strong front when I've asked her how she's doing. She's never been one to want to bother anyone with her troubles. But there was something in the way that she spoke about it, it felt like she's been mulling it over long enough that the good points of this situation are seriously outweighing the bad. It still sucks to see anyone going through all of that, but it's something we all have to go through sometimes.

Another strange thing that happened is a long talk with an ex-girlfriend I had last night. Given the setting, and the way the conversation came to pass, I got a real John Cusack/High Fidelity vibe at first. the circumstances surrounding our breakup about three years ago were bizarre to say the least. She and I never really got back on an even keel of friendship. We were civil to one another, but never really had a one-on-one conversation that went past the "How are you?" stage.

She opened up to me about the problems she's been having lately and the therapy she's taking to remedy those problems. She never really seemed that troubled to me, considering some of the issues the people I know have to contend with. To me, the idea of her in therapy seemed like preventative maintenance. However, there was something different about the way she carried herself, like there was an air of clarity around her...not like her troubles were gone, just like she had a clear plan of attack. I told her I was proud of her, and heretofore she was reluctant to tell me any specifics of her problems, but she told me that she'd tell her therapist that she accepted a compliment from me. I had to raise a glass to that.

I got home from the bar last night and stayed up for a little while. I was tired, but not willing to go to bed just yet. I watched a little TV, did a little writing, and played around with my cat for a little while. Besides, my downstairs neighbor was hammering away at something until at least midnight. When it seemed like they were done with the late-night home improvement, I went to bed. I really didn't mind too much that the guy downstairs started bouncing what sounded like a tennis ball against the wall until about 1:00. At least he was keeping enough of a rhythm that lulled me to sleep.

All that noise I was willing to let slide...until I heard yelling and screaming at 6:00 in the morning. Now, I've known people in abusive and troubled relationships, and even at their worst, they've waitied until after their significant others had had their morning coffee. Twice in my life, I've woken up to the sound of a bum having broken into my apartment and found him sleeping on my floor. Even then, I wasn't nearly as pissed off as my downstairs neighbor was this morning. Who the fuck wakes up that angry, that early, without the walls being padded and having an electro-shock treatment that morning?!?

Ordinarily, if I've got a problem with a neighbor, calling the landlord is the absolute last resort. I've always handled things on my own first. However, when that guy was that pissed off at 6:00 a.m., I sure as hell wasn't gonna pour gasoline on that fire in his belly. So, I filed a complaint with the landlord, and from her reaction, I have a feeling this wasn't his first complaint for this exact same thing.

Speaking of landlords, I took off early today to butt heads with my butthead of an ex-landlord over the security deposit. I went into his waiting room, where there were at least three people wanting to sign leases for rental properties, completely sight unseen. If the one they wanted was rented already, they asked about the next one on the list. It kinda creeped me out to see so many people so desperate to find housing that they'll take whatever they can get. One of them looked like he had just gotten thrown out of the YMCA. I am soooo glad to have to deal with those slumlords ever again...that is, after I get my security deposit back, which should be Monday.

As if any further proof was needed that my old landlords were total shitheads with no business ethics whatsoever, I noticed a new property on their list while I was waiting. A 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath for $199 a month! I picture it as just the termite-infested frame of a crack house, in a sinkhole, in the middle of a protected bat habitat located between a maximum security prison, a munitions testing ground, a chemical plant and an air-raid siren factory...in the flightpath of Tulsa International Airport.