It was a bit of a “playing hooky” day for me since all I had to do with real estate was to prepare for my workweek ahead and return a few emails. I stopped back at the office before heading home and found two messages on my answering machine. Both callers somehow expected me to be there. Wow! Even Realtors have a life once in a while.
The rest of my day was spent working at getting an apartment back up to speed so I can get it re-rented. Every time an exiting tenant tells me their home or apartment is fully clean, I become all the more worrisome about it in need of another deep cleaning.
Today’s project was just that type. If a person just rushed thru it, they’d believe it to be borderline “OK”, but when you really look, that’s when all the grime, dirt, and dust enters into focus. Since the apartment has wood floors thru-out, it was easier to see what scrubbing needed to be done. I tell every tenant at the time they sign their lease, that when they vacate, they’d better be sure it’s as clean as it was when they moved in–without exception.
I’ve recently discovered that nearly no one does hands and knees floor scrubbing. Whether you want to believe it or not, we’ve been duped into thinking that damp mopping is just as good or better. I had to use my soft-bristled hand broom to sweep all the hair from the baseboards and floors that tenant left behind, simply because I despise getting hair stuck in wet rags. You do know the feeling don’t you?
It was the second time in many years I was reminded what happens to bathroom walls when a tenant is possessed by taking long hot showers, and even worse during our winter months. I have my own thoughts regarding the mindsets of those who’re into long steamy-hot showers. I had a tenant many years ago who was into that, and later discovered him having a few issues I’ll refuse to talk about. Oh well, the apartment is over halfway there in being ready for occupancy, and then life will on.
Late last night I decided to read the cover story of Time magazine which arrived the day before. Time magazine’s editors as well as the author, absolutely must be applauded for sending it to press, and hopefully all the many of our millions of citizens will get a copy of it to read, and then pass it on.
What surprised me the most, is that the writer set fort many facts as well as reasons why America is in its present state of dysfunction. There are those in my close circle who’ve been of similar beliefs regarding the rampant greed that’s causing our society to polarize. The middle class is on its way out, and the scariest of recent statistics are telling us that real wealth is being consolidated all the more by the few, while all the rest of us ar left to struggle all the harder to make ends me. It’s been said many times, and I’ll say it again, “Consumerism is not self-sustaining.” Seeing the average citizenry being duped on a daily basis by our government and corporations makes me exceptionally sad and internally angry.
If you all would please do one thing for me, and most of all for yourselves, go and buy and/or find a copy of Time magazine with the cover I’ve taken a photo of, and posted above. I can assure that for nearly every one of you, it’ll be a shocker.
Tonight’s one-liner is: Torture is barbaric.
