so, I was married to an abusive alcoholic...the "no heat in negative temperatures" story
After talking with a new friend, who has joined a few others in persuading me to write a book about my life, I had this thought...this gleaming fantasy...that I could start writing short stories about my life. Most, if not all, of my stories I can probably trace back to the phrase, "So, I was married to an abusive alcoholic." This sparkling vision that has entered my mind ends with an outstanding blog, award-winning podcast, TONS of extra money coming into my bank account that I am not receiving from the ex!!!!!...it is my gleaming and sparkling dream, right? (I sit and escape into that for a minute......)
Who knows where the tangent of streaming words that create stories which are comprised of real events will land itself. Maybe it will bring laughter to some, hope to another, unlimited knowledge to a few. Maybe it will give healing, heartache, or harmony. Does it really matter what it brings as long as it gives something to someone. In that something is a life change- maybe small and trivial, maybe huge and magnificent. Regardless, it is a life change and that is something.
Let us get to the story.
So, I was married to an abusive alcoholic. This situation found my two kids and myself in a two-bedroom apartment not far from the house I was paying for before leaving. We had to leave because he refused to leave. But, that is another story- that is the backstory and beginning of all these short stories. I had found this amazing apartment that had the walk-out porch, clawed-foot bathtub, bookcases, off-street parking... many amenities that I wanted and desired. It was an old Kansas City home turned into apartments. It had some great "old-house" details but with upgraded appliances and such. Great price too for a newly single mom with her two kids trying to create some space to heal and think rationally again.
The last few days of this snowstorm in Kansas City reminds me of this time last year in the above described apartment. Last December to January brought bitter cold temperatures. November's electricity bill was a little steep, but it would be cold then warm, cold then warm. Fall time in Kansas City lends to one week of super cold and the next week we are opening windows to let in the warm sunshine. My thinking and rationalizing was the furnace may have to work a little extra and the apartment was all electricity. At the time, I was not thinking clearly enough to know that over $200 for an electricity bill in a two-bedroom apartment would be a little too high. So, I again was not fully thinking much about the furnace running constantly on the super cold days.
December cold came swooshing in. The apartment is cold and I cannot get the furnace to heat above 64 degrees on warm days ("warm" meant 32 degrees at that time). I am calling and leaving messages with the leasing company. I am emailing to have a paper trail. They send maintenance out to look at it. Maintenance says the furnace is not blowing effectively or efficiently. No crap?! I get told by the leasing company they are contacting the owner to get approval of parts needed and the next steps. Two weeks pass and still nothing is fixed. I am calling, leaving messages, and emailing again. My little family wakes up Christmas morning and it is 55 degrees in the apartment. It. Is. Cold. I am sure Santa did a quick drop-and-go!
By this time, I had already purchased a space heater for the living room because it was the room with the walk-out porch and double glass doors. I thought it was a little normal for that room to be cold. But, when I went into the kids' room to wake them up there was a faint visibility of my breath coming out of my mouth. I will reassure you that I am a great mother and absolutely love quilts and heavy blankets. So my children were definitely all snuggled up, comfy and cozy in blankets and quilts. The space heater was on high in the living room, and I was on the phone again. Leaving a message again. Typing out an email. Again. I receive a very apologetic call back from the property manager. I am told the leasing company's "hands are tied" because the owner of the property will not give them permission to buy or fix anything until he gets other quotes. She suggests I buy more space heaters and the leasing company will reimburse me for them.
I believe I finally lost my s*#% after New Years. It was negative temperatures. Negative teens temperatures. I have received my electricity bill for December. Four hundred and fifty dollars. A two bedroom apartment. A two bedroom apartment with little heat in the coldest time of the year. I am fuming. Which is not keeping me warm either. I begin to research apartment housing regulations. I begin to research and threaten legal action.
My two children, two dogs, cat, and myself are in the farthest back bedroom (my bedroom) that has a bathroom. The door is closed, we are wrapped in multiple blankets with 3 space heaters, hoping the pipes will not freeze. (FYI: another space heater was in the other bathroom to keep those pipes from freezing.) We are playing board games, building with Legos, reading, writing, doing our best to keep warm. I am told by the property manager that the owner has been out to look at the furnace (which is interesting since I never saw him and the furnace is IN the apartment hallway). I am told that it will take another 7-10 days to get parts and "hang in there." ????!!!!@#@$#%^???!!!
I will say at this point that the property manager was very kind and compassionate through the whole situation. The owner of the leasing company wanted to meet with me to discuss further options with the lease. The furnace was fixed and working properly within 10 days. My electricity bill for January was still close to $400 and $110 was spent on space heaters. I was reimbursed for two space heater by the leasing company and received zero from the property owner regardless of letters sent stating the situation and apartment housing regulations. I moved out very shortly afterward and the leasing company ended all business with the property owner.
It was a beautiful space...walk-out porch, clawed-foot bathtub, bookcases, off-street parking... that was not worth the discomfort, hassle, or horribleness of the property owner in his Maserati.
Who knows where the tangent of streaming words that create stories which are comprised of real events will land itself. Maybe it will bring laughter to some, hope to another, unlimited knowledge to a few. Maybe it will give healing, heartache, or harmony. Does it really matter what it brings as long as it gives something to someone. In that something is a life change- maybe small and trivial, maybe huge and magnificent. Regardless, it is a life change and that is something.
Let us get to the story.
So, I was married to an abusive alcoholic. This situation found my two kids and myself in a two-bedroom apartment not far from the house I was paying for before leaving. We had to leave because he refused to leave. But, that is another story- that is the backstory and beginning of all these short stories. I had found this amazing apartment that had the walk-out porch, clawed-foot bathtub, bookcases, off-street parking... many amenities that I wanted and desired. It was an old Kansas City home turned into apartments. It had some great "old-house" details but with upgraded appliances and such. Great price too for a newly single mom with her two kids trying to create some space to heal and think rationally again.
The last few days of this snowstorm in Kansas City reminds me of this time last year in the above described apartment. Last December to January brought bitter cold temperatures. November's electricity bill was a little steep, but it would be cold then warm, cold then warm. Fall time in Kansas City lends to one week of super cold and the next week we are opening windows to let in the warm sunshine. My thinking and rationalizing was the furnace may have to work a little extra and the apartment was all electricity. At the time, I was not thinking clearly enough to know that over $200 for an electricity bill in a two-bedroom apartment would be a little too high. So, I again was not fully thinking much about the furnace running constantly on the super cold days.
December cold came swooshing in. The apartment is cold and I cannot get the furnace to heat above 64 degrees on warm days ("warm" meant 32 degrees at that time). I am calling and leaving messages with the leasing company. I am emailing to have a paper trail. They send maintenance out to look at it. Maintenance says the furnace is not blowing effectively or efficiently. No crap?! I get told by the leasing company they are contacting the owner to get approval of parts needed and the next steps. Two weeks pass and still nothing is fixed. I am calling, leaving messages, and emailing again. My little family wakes up Christmas morning and it is 55 degrees in the apartment. It. Is. Cold. I am sure Santa did a quick drop-and-go!
By this time, I had already purchased a space heater for the living room because it was the room with the walk-out porch and double glass doors. I thought it was a little normal for that room to be cold. But, when I went into the kids' room to wake them up there was a faint visibility of my breath coming out of my mouth. I will reassure you that I am a great mother and absolutely love quilts and heavy blankets. So my children were definitely all snuggled up, comfy and cozy in blankets and quilts. The space heater was on high in the living room, and I was on the phone again. Leaving a message again. Typing out an email. Again. I receive a very apologetic call back from the property manager. I am told the leasing company's "hands are tied" because the owner of the property will not give them permission to buy or fix anything until he gets other quotes. She suggests I buy more space heaters and the leasing company will reimburse me for them.
I believe I finally lost my s*#% after New Years. It was negative temperatures. Negative teens temperatures. I have received my electricity bill for December. Four hundred and fifty dollars. A two bedroom apartment. A two bedroom apartment with little heat in the coldest time of the year. I am fuming. Which is not keeping me warm either. I begin to research apartment housing regulations. I begin to research and threaten legal action.
My two children, two dogs, cat, and myself are in the farthest back bedroom (my bedroom) that has a bathroom. The door is closed, we are wrapped in multiple blankets with 3 space heaters, hoping the pipes will not freeze. (FYI: another space heater was in the other bathroom to keep those pipes from freezing.) We are playing board games, building with Legos, reading, writing, doing our best to keep warm. I am told by the property manager that the owner has been out to look at the furnace (which is interesting since I never saw him and the furnace is IN the apartment hallway). I am told that it will take another 7-10 days to get parts and "hang in there." ????!!!!@#@$#%^???!!!
I will say at this point that the property manager was very kind and compassionate through the whole situation. The owner of the leasing company wanted to meet with me to discuss further options with the lease. The furnace was fixed and working properly within 10 days. My electricity bill for January was still close to $400 and $110 was spent on space heaters. I was reimbursed for two space heater by the leasing company and received zero from the property owner regardless of letters sent stating the situation and apartment housing regulations. I moved out very shortly afterward and the leasing company ended all business with the property owner.
It was a beautiful space...walk-out porch, clawed-foot bathtub, bookcases, off-street parking... that was not worth the discomfort, hassle, or horribleness of the property owner in his Maserati.
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