It’s been a long, long time.   I paid dearly financially and otherwise…but, maybe it’s time.  If 8th graders can trade successfully FOLLOWING THE TRADING RULES, surely Susan Nola can go there again…

Cautiously.

Came down with the first one just after Thanksgiving, after an emotional roller-coaster ride.   Most times I’ve been sick, it’s been as a result of something emotionally overwhelming.

The set-up:  I am willing to help just about anyone, whether they’ve been a good friend or not.   The day before the ride on the coaster, I received a call from an old HP friend in need of help with a computer of his lady friend.  She was given her daughter’s old computer and they couldn’t get the connection to the internet after many attempts.   Funny thing is, after an hour or so of this and that, I FINALLY PUT ON MY OLD HP SUPPORT HAT and thought, what’s the first thing to check?  Resetting the silly ISP box was the answer.   However, during the attempt to help (disguised as wasting time because I didn’t think to reset the box first), I received a phone call from a friend who knows all of us. She proceeded to BLAST me for helping this lady friend…because the lady friend has been known to curse me and my name all in the fear that I’m “after her man”.  I have no interest, designs, or anything close to wanting her man, but haven’t been able to convince the worried lady.   My friend said to me “you help all these people, people who say mean things about you behind your back, do you think ANYONE is going to help YOU when you need it??”  I assured her that I knew that, when I needed help, my friends would be there.

I’ve probably written about this already, but it was the next day that the battery of the golf cart decided to lose it’s charge as I was on my way back to the moldy mobile in the Pre-Historic section of The Villages…I stopped by the closest friend…only to find that she (surprise, surprise - a 91 year old) couldn’t remember any time that I’d “ever” helped her out - nothing to warrant allowing me to let the cart charge in her garage overnight.

I felt betrayed, etc., etc., etc…and looking back now, AS IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE CASE, I see an opportunity for me to LAUGH about the situation, instead of getting so emotionally blasted that I became ill, and the stayed sick for nearly a month, more than a month.  A 91 year old, lonely woman, who lives by herself but with a caregiver who stops in every day, couldn’t remember that I’ve befriended her on multiple occasions.  Did I understand or accept?  Nope.  I took it personally.

So, I can sit here now and look back and contemplate going to see her, even though I guess that she’s probably never given it a second thought…

Laugh.  Find the humor.  Find the forgiveness.  Find the bright shiny place.

When will I ever learn??

Well…I’m in the “new” place. Complete with more filth than one could imagine.

Well, I guess one could imagine and it would probably be much worse than the filth I’ve experienced that last 14, going on 15, days…I didn’t walk barefoot inside until about day 5. My poor Rainbow vacuum has seen more dirt and debris than I’ve seen in the years that I’ve owned it…and this after vacuuming the SAME ROOMS more than 3 times.

I’m in an OLD mobile, one that’s been “updated” by a bachelor, who, he told me today, when we talked briefly on the phone, “LIVED HERE HAPPILY”.

I can see the GROUND in between one of the “walls” of the bathroom and the “newly” installed vanity. I’ve taped the area, he’s going to eventually put up a strip of wood…the opening which lets in dampness, bugs and some of the wonderfully, abundant, smells I’ve had the pleasure of inhaling, that opening will REMAIN OPEN, behind the strip of wood. The owner doesn’t mind, because HE DOESN’T HAVE TO LIVE HERE.

Have to…I guess I don’t HAVE TO…but, for now, the rent is paid for 2 months. AND I HOPE (PLEASE GOD) to sort through my STUFF that cost me the nice place to live, donate what I TRULY DO NOT NEED to a shelter, and FIND A CLEAN, DRY and safe place to live.

SOON.

I chose this place with blinders on, I was hurt and dismayed, disillusioned, and surprised to find that I wasn’t wanted in a place which had welcomed me so warmly. It appears that the decision for me to “move my stuff” wasn’t a mutual one with the couple who owned the last place…but, it doesn’t matter now…I’m out.

I’ve spent $200 to have the HVAC professionally cleaned…whatever was growing in the intake portion is STILL THERE…but the stuff that could be vacuumed out (I have a photo, gross, very gross) has left the building, but the stuff that NEEDS TO BE SCRUBBED out is still there…and I will NOT be using the furnace, no matter HOW COLD it gets. There is no way for me to scrub it…not sure it would even hold up, it’s probably as old as the mobile.

But, I did scrub as far as I could reach in each of the 6 registers…whatever was caked at the bottom of 3 of them was more than disgusting. My Rainbow choked, as well, during the excavation of the everything of a dry nature (dead roaches, particle board, dirt, pennies, heaven help me) which could be vacuumed from the caverns beneath the floor where I still am not totally comfortable walking barefoot. Sometimes I forget…and very quickly find something to wear on my feet.

With each thing that I cleaned, some of the smell was eliminated…but the dampness remains, most days anyway. I’m in Florida, and since I’m not going to run the AC or the heat, that means the windows are open…it’s 76% humidity right now, inside and out. The gauge that I have which tells me the humidity, also indicates that any level above 60 is TOO HIGH for long term exposure. Can’t be too worried, the Hawaiians, and other island folk live in extremely humid conditions all of their lives.

But even with the absence of many of the odors, there are still the occasionally wafting of something(S) that causes me to wonder, WHAT? WHERE? and also, HOW DO I GET RID OF IT. I’m afraid to look too closely at those places I can access…I’ve used contact paper to cover the open holes around the plumbing, and I looked up natural remedies for the ROACHES that are starting to appear, even though I’ve cleaned all of the surfaces I can reach…right now I’ve decorated the kitchen and the bathroom with BAY LEAVES, which I read are a healthy deterrent…not to the roaches, but for me. I have some Comet that I’ll be sprinkling around as well…and I’ll probably pick up a box of Tide - roaches hate soap. They must have loved living here.

My friend brought her shampoo’er (?) over on Saturday and I couldn’t believe the ADDITIONAL filth that came from the 2 carpeted bedrooms (the carpets I’d already cleaned more than once with the Rainbow - can’t blame the Rainbow…poor thing). The Rainbow, like the shampooer, collects the dirt/filth in a water basin. Our science experiments involved turning crystal clear water in to dark brown slimy liquid, and lots of dirt. Oh, did I mention?? THIS PLACE WAS PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED BEFORE I MOVED IN.

Or so he told me. I didn’t see much more than a place that didn’t cost TOO much more than the place I had to leave. Going from paying no rent, to paying $650, and then, to $650 + electric + water - without internet or cable…just shoot me. But, I saw 2 bedrooms where I could sort through my “stuff”, bring more of my stuff from storage to also sort through…but, also, I saw a place where - HOPEFULLY - the landlord wouldn’t be coming into my space every day to turn off the fan, and go through my things.

Yeah, I ran the fan in the bedroom in the last place, instead of running the A/C, while I was at work…so that it wasn’t stuffy when I returned. The electric was included in the $650/mth rent…so, on the days when I did leave it running, I’d come home to find it turned off - I thought I was going crazy. She told me the day she came to tell me about using her place as storage…and how it was costing too much to cool my things. When I told her I used the fan instead of the A/C as I thought it would be less expensive, she said she’d rather I DID use the A/C…

I do not believe my stuff was the issue…I have an idea of what the real reason was, but it doesn’t matter now anyway.

So, 13 days of cleaning, paying to have the HVAC professionally (right) cleaned - they are returning to re-sanitize the system, since there is still a smell coming from the vents when I run the fan. I was told that running the fan with the windows open would “help”. It hasn’t - anyway, the place still smells sometimes, it’s still damp, and now I have company too. Roaches.

I could go on and on, but I keep reminding myself of the displaced families of Haiti, Japan and Turkey - the ones who would LOVE to have a door to close, a roof to sleep (cringe) under, running water and a refrigerator. I’ve cleaned the best, yes, one could ALWAYS do more, but I’m just tired…working 3 part-time jobs to pay rent and support myself…with limited swing dancing opportunities, it’s almost been too much…”why bother” has been a reoccurring theme, but that’s lessening now as the smells abate and the “crunchy” carpet in the front bedroom looks and smells cleaner than it probably has in ages. I couldn’t believe that the nasty stains in that room actually came up with just one pass over of the shampooer. I slept better on Saturday night knowing that the place was even more clean than the night before.

I’ll be talking with the owner in the next day or two…I’ve already told him that this place is presentable now. Once he covers up the view of the ground beneath the floor, even more so.

Wish me luck. I’m hoping NOT to have to pay electric while I’m here. I’ve put in enough sweat equity, not to mention the $200 for the HVAC cleaning.

God definitely has a sense of humor.

The wonderful place to live hit a bump on Saturday. After sleeping from 8PM till 10:30AM on Saturday morning, I came out of the bedroom to find the landlord at my front door ringing a doorbell that we found wasn’t working. She wanted “to talk”.

Long story short, my personal belongings which were “no problem” when they CHOSE ME to move in, suddenly are the cause of a HIGHER electric bill, for the 22 days I was actually HERE in October.

I was told that “had I known you had THIS MUCH STUFF, I would have never let you move in”.

I also heard that “my husband and I feel that you are using us as storage”.

I offered to take her to the actual storage unit where MOST of my stuff is, but she declined as it’s “not her problem”.

So, tomorrow I rent a U-Haul and move to my OWN place, with covered parking for my ’stang, an extra bedroom for my STUFF, closets for my clothes and LOTS OF ROOM FOR MY STUFF!

And, no landlord coming into my rented living space WHILE I’M AT WORK!!!

This was a really nice place to visit, and I enjoyed the time spent here.

And now, it’s time to fly!

On my way to work this morning (one of the 3 part-time jobs so that I can keep living in The Villages!), I walked because it’s that close to the office, I found a heads up penny lying in the road. I had to laugh. This “lucky” penny had been worn away over time, having been run over and stressed and pounded into a flattened version of itself. I could still see Lincoln’s head, so I knew it was heads up, but I had to laugh…

How perfect for ME to find a battered and beaten “lucky” penny? I’m lucky to be here, lucky to have friends who provide me with the use of golf carts to ride around as I live my Cinderella life here in The Villages, lucky to have 3 part-time jobs so that I can pay rent, lucky to have family in the area, lucky to…

Anyway, wanted to share that God must have a fine sense of humor.