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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The President and the Governor Came to Visit

Scoff if you want, but there is no denying a bit of hometown pride when two political power hitters come to town.

During Superstorm Sandy, 360,000 homes were damaged or destroyed: there are still roadblocks up on parts of Ocean Avenue (this road runs through much of Monmouth and Ocean Counties). There are still homes pushed up and off their foundations, some still bear the scars of the storm ripping off whole sections of house.

Governor Christie

Governor Christie was supposed to come this weekend, literally down my block, but the weather was abysmal. He was making stops north from Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant, Belmar—where he cut the 5-mile long ribbon officially opening the Jersey Shore—but skipped us because of the wind and rain. Politics aside, he did take charge during the storm, and his frequent press conferences were encouraging.

Just days after the storm, helicopters from the nearby military bases were a common sight, what was startling was seeing a Chinook(?) transport ‘copter do a ‘touch-n-go at the bottom of my block! That was jaw-dropping. Sadly, none of us was quick enough to snap a pix, drat.

BTW Gov Christie and Snookie met up on the boardwalk and he was polite. Someone said that since she is a "Jersey Girl" he should be nicer to her. Let me make this clear, she is from Staten Island . . . THAT is in New York! She does not represent our youth, and "cleaning out her closet ..." for donations didn't impress many.

President Obama

Today we did take a ride into Asbury Park to see the President but we were turned away; advance tickets were required and we didn’t have them, but we did watch his press conference.

Hey, even President Obama’s raincoat has the Presidential seal! I want one: after all, I was there, in the rain, during his first inauguration, as a chaperone for my Upward Bound students. Exhausting, exciting, and the same lousy weather, so I have earned that rain slicker. Ha.

It was encouraging for our area to make the news, in a good way.

Come to the Jersey Shore

So today's lousy weather aside, the Jersey Shore has great food, incredible restaurants, great rock ‘n roll, the most fun boardwalks anywhere, and I mean anywhere! Our Boardwalks are like a carnival mid-way: the smell of food, the best sausage and pepper sandwiches, cold beer, flashing arcades, miles of beaches, the smell of salt air (and suntan lotion) and endless ice cream stands.

My dog may not go on the beach anymore, but that water is clear, warm, and so inviting! Buses and trains come right to our door, come see us, and as that Motel 6 guy used to say, “We’ll leave the lights on.”




Monday, May 27, 2013

The Garden Grinch

Yes, there are days when I feel more like a playground monitor than a professional building manager. The tenants are theoretically adults: They are old enough to hold a job and sign a lease, but some, and it is really just a few, have the emotional IQ of a petty high school sophomore. Aaaargh!

This is a small complex, and I have been replacing plants that were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy: remember, we are 100 yards from that ocean which raged up our street and into our parking lot and onto our lawns, however, the ocean did not go INTO the apartments. Whew!

Although it is still very cold and rainy, we finally we caught a break in the weather and we went off and bought new plants. We had purchased new plumes of decorative grasses for the large pots that line the parking lot, which I planted, then I worked on the vegetable garden in the back.

Sea Grass Sea Grass

The Grinch actually dug out the Sea Grass! The root is the size of a small college textbook; the grass plumes are 2–3 feet high; it took some effort to rip it out of the pot. I found what was left of the plant in my vegetable garden, completely ripped and shredded with my plastic seedling trays crumbled over it.

To the Grinch: That petty vandalism says more about you than it does about me.

That wasn’t sad enough. We have a tenant with special needs, and I look out for him. He had admired the flowers in the rock garden and “wished that he had some.”
Awwhh, how sweet. I had enough Marigold seedlings leftover to fill three flower pots and I put them on the wall by his apartment; and he was genuinely appreciative for those small gifts.

The next morning, the Grinch stole one of the plants.

What a sad life the Grinch has: I can always buy new plants, however, they cannot buy themselves a decent heart and enjoy the gifts that life brings us everyday day!


Monday, May 20, 2013

Plant Homicide: Alert OSHA and the EPA!

Break out the HazMat suits!

There are reasons why certain tenants will NEVER be allowed to EVER plant ANYTHING EVER AGAIN! During Hurricane Sandy, someone, against my orders, crammed ALL the plants under the front stairwell. Bad spot as it endured the full frontal assault of all the wind, rain and debris that blew off the ocean and up the street.

Nothing like a good dose of salt water and gale-force winds to nurture flowers and tomato plants.

I waited six (6) months for him to clean out HIS plants; remember Hurricane Sandy was last November 2012.

So, these are pix of his plants.

Dead Tomato Plant Primordial Swamt

Yep, that was green, primordial slime. The tomato plant in the back was blown completely backwards and the leaves were mostly stripped off the stalk!

Yep, it stank as bad as that refrigerator I posted about earlier. THAT clean-out was easier. THIS clean-out meant that I shoveled that slime, I dumped the sewage-like water down the sewer drain next door then bagged the rest into a bag and heaved it into the dumpster.

Is cleaning these buckets of slime really part of my job description?!

I should’ve called OSHA.

I should’ve dumped both outside his door, but he throws a mean tantrum, then would've called the office to report me.

So, what do you guys think I should’ve done? (Remember: this is a job—customer service and all that stuff.)


Friday, May 17, 2013

The Best of the Jersey Shore…
My Labrador in the Surf

Well dogs have officially been kicked off the beach for the rest of the summer, but we did get one more swim in the surf. Finally, we had the perfect day: sun, sand ‘n surf!

So here is my big, fat, Labrador/Rottweiler mix splashing in the surf, looking for his stick, which had floated out in the waves, I had to find another stick real quick because he was swimming out for it! Although the water was wonderful, I was not up to wading through the surf to drag the dog back, and there was no way I was coming home without him! So here is my baby, doing what Labs were bred to do best, swim!

BoBo at the Jersey Shore BoBo at the Jersey Shore BoBo at the Jersey Shore BoBo at the Jersey Shore

Small fact, Labradors were bred down from Newfoundland dogs. They have webfeet, are amazing when they swim as their tail actually acts as a rudder, and are one of the top 10 smartest dogs. But I admit, I am a doggie mom and am a bit prejudiced. Yeah, big smile!


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

There I Fixed It!

Wow, if you need a good laugh, just Google those words and sit back for an hour of wondering, just what that heck were they thinking—or drinking?

It proves what can be accomplished with a roll of duct tape, plastic zip locks, channel locks, or in my example below: bungee cords.

We had purchased a container of bungee cords, all sizes and lengths. These cords are just so handy to keep in the trunk of your car, in the garage or closet. They will quickly clip and hold down a tarp, secure ladders to a wall for storage (and I mean for storage only), and are indispensible for securing loads after a run to Home Depot.

So, the point of this story, I was not happy when Mr.I’m-In-Charge kept demanding that he needed more cords and actually became angry with me because I had the nerve to store some in my car. I just could not understand his insatiable need for all the Bungee Cords. I know first-hand about many home repairs and I know our equipment and workrooms; then I took a walk around the back and discovered the shed.

Whoa! It is true, storms have done some damage to the doors and hinges, but this fix, you gotta agree is a major overkill!

Please note, there is a 6’ piece of 2x4 screwed into the roof of the shed.

The 2x4 has an eyehook screwed into the underside.

Behind the shed is an old cyclone fence, which would seem rather perfect to anchor a few bungee cords, wrap to the front and secure the doors. I can’t figure the logic, but I am so gonna fix this and let the chips fall where they may!

I’m getting my cords back!


Monday, May 13, 2013

Oven Roasted Peppers, Onions, Garlic, Carrots
—the Whole Shebang!

Since we are at 100% occupancy, and the tenants have been quiet, I have some serious free time on my hands. Mind you, I still have to take care of general duties, and I am getting the garden ready, but I do have way more time in the kitchen . . . and more than a few tenants have sampled many a meal from my stove. They know that if they just poke their heads in the door and comment on the aroma, they may get a good-sized sample.

This recipe is a staple, only takes one afternoon to chop up a good batch (3 cookie sheets full) and will last 1-2 weeks in the fridge. It is a good way to use up any firm veggies that are no longer fresh in the refrigerator.

These are great with sandwiches, over rice or pasta, or served with crackers or crusty bread.

These has been my contribution to many a potluck dinner or barbecue, and there are never any leftovers for me to take home!


Oven Roasted Peppers

It is best to use a large metal, glass or non-plastic bowl when mixing the vegetables as clean up is faster.

  • Slice all vegetables into long slivers, or bite-sized pieces
  • Veggies that may be used, and are quite delicious:
    Peppers (all colors);
    Onions (red, white and/or Vidalia in season);
    Garlic gloves, peeled and sliced;
    Carrots;
    Brussel Sprouts (cut off the bottom then slice in half);
    Broccoli;
    Cauliflower;
    Eggplant;
    basically any firm veggie, even potatoes cut into chunks.
  • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes
  • 1 tbs Italian Season
  • 1 tbs Basil (for sweetness)
  • 1 tbs Sea Salt
  • 1 tbs Black Pepper
  • Olive Oil

  • Mix all veggies into a large container as you slice them
  • Add all dry seasonings and stir well
  • Add enough Olive Oil to coat all the veggies
  • Let this marinate while the oven heats up, 15-20 minutes
  • Line several cookie sheets or shallow roasting pans with aluminum foil and spray with a cooking spray such as Pam, or Olive oil. This will prevent sticking.
  • Spread all the veggies on the cookie sheets
  • Bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes
  • Carefully remove the trays and stir all veggies, flipping as many veggies as you can
  • Bake at 425ºF for 20 minutes

Keep checking during the last 10 minutes, as some ovens, or shelves in the oven, will cook faster.

And remember, even if they are burnt and extra crispy, they are still delicious!

And please feel free to experiment with the seasonings, adjust for flavor, or even throw in some hot peppers, it's your dish now!


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Cleaning with Vinegar

There are dozens of great websites, and a few books, devoted to plain old, distilled white vinegar. A quart bottle runs about $1.00 and can be purchased in grocery stores, pharmacies and an even few hardware stores. Mixed with plain tap water, baking soda and even olive oil and it will take care of fine glassware and even concrete floors. Scary huh?

I keep a spray bottle mixed 50/50 under my kitchen sink to take care of splatters while I am cooking. If any product splashes on the food or utensils, I don’t have to worry about poisoning or contamination, as vinegar is used in many recipes.

It disinfects and cleans without leaving a sticky residue. I use it to wipe down the laundry machines and folding tables several times a week. Tenants have complimented me how great the laundry room looks.

It removes odors. My grandmother would soak a rag in white vinegar, wring it out, and then spin the towel furiously while walking about the room: this freshened the air and killed any cooking or smoke odors.

Vinegar sometimes will need an emulsifier such as detergent to clean stains, follow the websites listed below for good ideas.

Smoke Residue: A Tale of Two Units

A while back, two heavy smokers moved out. The first unit, I used just about every product on the market, including ammonia to remove the greasy film and odor. It was very hard work to clean and I choked on fumes/perfumes in some cleansers.

The second unit was practically an OSHA-level clean out! Before anyone could work in this unit, I opened both front and back windows, then left a fan running for three days. Still, whenever I walked into the bedroom, I felt as if my chest was crushed and I could not draw a breath.

To wash smoke off walls: Make a solution of 50/50 warm water, vinegar and a bit of dishwashing detergent, low suds is important. (I prefer Dawn, it is the most effective on grease, and nicotine IS grease.)

Use a new sponge mop, or a Swifter wrapped in a terry cloth, or any applicator with a flat cleaning surface will suffice. After dipping the mop in the cleaning solution, wring thoroughly, then start scrubbing the walls from the bottom up. This is important: water may drip down the sheetrock and will bleed through any new paint later applied.

This helped tremendously, however the painters still needed to apply a primer over the sheetrock before painting.

Slow Running Drains
  • Put a small kettle of water on to boil;
  • Shake plain old baking soda into drain, or mound over the drain cover;
  • Pour straight vinegar, slowly over the baking soda to rinse it down the drain. It will bubble up, this will loosen any crud in the drains;
  • Wait a few minutes, then slowly pour the boiling water down the drain.
  • Voilé! The drain will run free, it may be a bit shinier and it certainly will be smelling clean!
Vinegar Web Links:

This is not a complete list, I merely did a quick search, some sites are better than others. I do refer to these sites for cleaning ideas.
1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar
The New Homemaker
Cleaning with Vinegar, The All Natural Cleaning Solution

A small bonus: People may ask to borrow a bottle of your favorite window or household cleaner, then forget to return it, or simply return it completely drained, however, my spray bottle of vinegar hasn't vanished yet. Smile.


Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Drama Tenants, a Bit Hypocritical

This is my turn on the proverbial soap box.

We have a couple whose love/hate relationship has frequently spilled into the parking lot, followed by a few visits from the men in blue, then changing the door locks and swearing, “It’s over!” And of course, later that night they would make up.

Years of accumulated bad choices have taken a toll on the both of them.

There is another tenant, who is handicapped; he is 50 going on 12. However, he manages to take care of himself, pay bills, and I look out for him. My feeling is, “There for the grace of God go you, me or anyone of our children.” He was born that way, his only bad choices are that on the first of the month, he tends to self-medicate with alcohol for a few days, then he settles down again.

I am always amazed, every now and then, that a window will open up and he will say a most astounding thing to me and smile. Then just as suddenly, the light in his eyes will dim, that window closes and he retreats inwards once again. He comes to my door nearly every morning to get a cup of coffee and when I tell him that I have Dunkin Donuts coffee, he will rush home to get his cup.

A few nights ago, I managed to actually go to bed early, before 11 PM. It was great to finally stretch out in bed and not have to fight the cat for space. (Go ahead laugh, pet owners know what I am talking about: 6 lbs. of feline can take up a lot of room.) That joy didn’t last, as I was awakened at 12:30 AM by the sound of people arguing.

Crap! I got up, grabbed a robe and went out to check. It was that couple, now outside on the stairs below my apartment having drama, but they did calm down and eventually went back inside. Thought that was the end of it.

Later that same night, the handicapped tenant, drunkenly mistook their door for his. The husband came out and threatened him.

Hypocrites

Not for nothing, how many nights have you, your wife and entourage had drama that woke up the neighbors? How many times have the police been here because of you?

That man needs to repay the tolerance and grace that we have extended to him, many times.

Life is not always easy, not always fair. Be grateful that you woke up above ground today and that you still have choices, not everyone gets the chances that many people have so carelessly thrown away.

Be grateful. Be kind. Never know what changes tomorrow will bring.


Monday, May 6, 2013

A Really Bad Job Site

I do freelance, and many agencies will request that you list your skills, graded according to experience, years used and level of expertise. Valid requests, but some sites can be difficult to navigate or list skills that are puzzling, such as the site which presented a list of skills that were simply ridiculous.

Scan the list and have a really good laugh!

Requirements

Skill Level choices were only: 1) Beginner; 2) Intermediate; 3) Expert.

Now does one truly go from an Intermediate User to an Expert User? For example, I have been driving a car for many years, accomplished on highway, rural roads and cross-country road trips. Obviously, I am more than an Intermediate driver, but not an Expert. An Expert driver would qualify for NASCAR; clearly, I would not pretend to be an Expert.


Odd Requirements that were Actually Listed
  • Year End Closings (Must we assume accounting?)
  • NET (The .net environment encompasses an entire universe of languages, procedures, functions, etc., rather vague description to declare oneself an Expert.)
  • 10 Hour Shift (Yes, I am an Expert at a 10 hour shift. Almost everyone can be an Expert, doesn’t mean that they are actually working.)
  • 1099 Reporting (It’s about reporting freelance income. I am an Expert.)
  • 12 Hour Shift (See above: 10 Hour Shift)
  • 2.5G (Had to look this one up, it means bridging 2G to 3G wireless technology.)
  • 8 Hour Shift (See above: 10 Hour Shift)
  • AC Power Equipment (does that include hair blowers or do you mean a reciprocating saw? I can use both.)
  • Actor (Yes, this skill was listed, this is not a talent agency)
  • Actuate (Merriam-Webster definition: to put into mechanical action or motion. Well, we are all experts there!)
  • Acuity (definition: clarity or clearness, especially of vision or do they mean Education Assessment Program?)
  • Ada (Americans with Disabilities Act or American Dental Association?)

Software. They do list extensive software and programming skills, it’s about the redundancy
  • Adobe-Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe-Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe-Adobe Photoshop–Alpha Channels
  • Adobe-Adobe Photoshop-Clipping Paths
  • Adobe-Adobe Photoshop-Cloning
  • Adobe-Adobe-CMYK color correction
  • Adobe-Adobe Photoshop-RGB to CMYK
    The Adobe-Adobe Photoshop list was redundant, either you know it or don’t, you can’t fake skills, use the Help Menu and wing it!)

Back to Nonsense Requirements
  • Aerospace/Aircraft (That’s a rather broad spectrum of technologies to be an ‘expert’ in, or do they mean Pilots?)
  • Afterhours/24x7 Weekend Coverage (See above: 10 Hour Shift)
  • Alexandria (Wow! I sometimes telecommute to Alexandria, VA, however, I didn’t know that the city was a skill! Wow, I am an Expert!)
  • Aperture (Do they mean digging holes or adjusting a camera lens?)
  • Apparel Draping (please, I thought this was a Tech Services based site.)
  • Approach (groan)
  • Ariba Buyer (Is that Ariba Oil Company or Commerce Network?)
  • ATM (YES! I am an Expert! I have nailed that user experience!)
  • Attention to Detail (I am reading every line, retyping the ridiculous ones into the blog. That demonstrates Attention to Detail!)
  • Backlog (This is not a skill that anyone wants to admit to causing!)
  • Business objects (some clarity needed here. According to eHow: are computer programs or applications that companies use to manage the information their company produces.)
  • Cache (the perfume or the buffer?)
  • Chemical (define?)
  • Clarify (Huh?)
  • Climb (I use stairs, I am an Expert)
  • Coaxial Cable (I have cable TV, a computer and peripheral devices that have been moved repeatedly. I have connected, disconnected, reconnected. I am an Expert.)
  • Coding (Again, there are a plethora of languages, please specify, I am a novice in many.)
  • Computer literate (as compared to my tenants, I am Bill Gates. Compared to Bill Gates??)
  • Continuous (Yet, I continue with this list)
  • Copying (I have copied more alleged Skills onto this list than I want to admit!)
  • Counting (Do fingers and toes count?)
  • Dell (Really?)
  • Edify (Huh?)
  • Employ (again, really?)
  • Entertainment (Yep, Expert. That is what this blog is all about!)
  • ER (does being a patient count?)
  • Estimating (I estimate my freelance. Expert)
  • Filing
  • Forte (Huh?)
  • Gateways (see Dell above, or do they mean telecommunications?)
  • GI (My dad served, my son serves. Still not an Expert)
  • Government (Huh? Is ANYONE an Expert?)
  • Hibernate (I did not make this skill requirement up. It really was listed!)
  • Lift Parcels (They also listed various weights up to 50 lbs.)
  • Magic (What the heck! REALLY, they listed that!)
  • Motion (An object in motion, tends to stay in motion That’s not from the commercial, it predates modern advertising.)
  • Obstetrics (ROFL!)
  • Oil and Gas (again, specifics are needed here.)
  • Pages (What do they mean?)
  • Persistence (I am so a freaking EXPERT!)
  • Photoshop (They exhaustingly listed Adobe-Adobe Photoshop above. Is there another brand of Photoshop out there?)
  • Pilot Lightship (I have known professional boat Pilots; I doubt this is a website that they would be using for their next job.)
  • Poet (Again, are you kidding?)
  • Power
  • Power PC
  • Prognosis
  • Progress (I am making progress here) .)
Project Management

For all you PMs out there, this site should apologize!

Can you: Multi-Task; Technical; Gantt Charts; Implementation Plans; Long Projects; Medium Projects; Short Projects; Deadlines; Organization Skills; Control; Estimating; Engaging Stakeholders; Sizing; and so much more.

More Nonsense
  • Push/Pull (Again, are you kidding?)
  • Razor/Knife
  • Sendmail (Yes, one-word. Duh.)
  • Tivoli (name of the Student Union Building at Metropolitan State College in Denver, CO)
  • Use Feet
  • Use Hands for grasping
  • Wrap Skids (Sadly, I actually do know how to do that.)

If anyone else has stumbled upon such a site, please share the pain!