Another chapter in the counter top saga

I am now quite sure this is phony granite.

Phony granite amazes me as it is more expensive than real granite here. The 2 foot hunk of whatever material it is came loose. It was not really heavy but quite awkward to deal with. I had no place to put it and I did not want it to fall and break, especially on my feet.

On closer inspection it also appears it has been repaired in the past. Hmm, how many Shemps have vaulted up on this sink I wonder.

So I sent Big Daddy up to the Concierge with the broken hunk of counter top. Sean seemed amazed that we did not want to keep in a place of honor in the apartment. I have an appointment at 9 AM Wednesday for whatever they are going to do. BD also told Sean that in order to save me throwing cell phones down the toilet, and avoiding a toilet repair, he need to get the ayis under control. And get them to change the towels properly.

In the couple years we have been here we are seeing a pattern. There is some rule that all monies owed to workers somehow has to be paid in full in coordination of the Chinese New Year. This is when people typically quit or change jobs. Huge turnover and this year it is around January 23 I think. As it is nearly impossible to fire someone here employees can get away with practically anything.

My long awaited package from Punkin Head arrived and had to be picked up at the Post Office. It contained my new AMEX and I was getting concerned about the card. It also contained 2 birthday cards and some movies from The Ladies collection. Last night we watched Fried Green Tomatoes, I love that movie.

This is gonna get ugly

I am hopeful I have not lost my sense of humor. I seem to be a bit cranky. Big Daddy is pissing me off, he is taking the stupid pills again. Yes, we have them in America too, men don't take them regularly, just when they need to feel stupid. Yesterday as I was getting a gallon of oil on my toenails and then having them wrapped in plastic film he asked if I wanted to stroll down to the bakery. Then he told me we had new movies, which we don't have. Then he washed kitchen towels this morning instead of last night. Kitchen towels take 4 to 5 hours in the machine. He is on thin ice here.

I am giving him a chance to redeem himself.

The Shemps did not appear for the kitchen counter top repair. I waited for the ayi invasion before I got pissed. Actually the ayis pissed me off. First they dropped everything in the hall. It sounded like all hell broke loose. Then they started shouting at each other. Then they started talking on the phones. Well, when the one ayi got a call in the kitchen and I could hear the caller, I did have to say something. I was nice, I did not swear and scream, I just told her no phone. That will be on BD's list of things to do, ask the manager if he pays the ayis to clean or talk on the phone. I mean really, they get out of hand and you have to say something. They have brought their children when they clean. They have brought husbands and boyfriends, and brothers. Not any more.

Maybe I should have titled this the bitch is back.

So anyway, I called BD and asked him to inquire about the counter top with the management. He talked to Sean. Sean and Brian are the managers and I can't remember which is the big boss. Sean then called me. It seems the counter top cannot be repaired for a few days. They don't know when. They don't have the right shit to fix the counter top. He suggested that I just sit in the apartment and wait for them to show up. I suggested he fuck himself. He suggested that waiting was a great idea. I suggested we get the leasing company involved and then I told him he had given me a Chinese headache. As we were quite far apart in our negotiations I ended the call.

So now BD is in charge of saving the day, my sanity, and Sean's hide. And maybe that ayi's cell phone as I may flush it down the toilet the next time I have to hear that bullshit.

Shemp returns

The spot of ledge on which Shemp hunched down to fix the heating unit. That is our kitchen window. Pic taken from the back balcony.

Well I am pretty sure we have heat. Shemp was gone when we returned from our mani and pedi experience. And shortly thereafter an ayi arrived to mop. And she emptied a waste can. Actually she did quite a bit which only means this is worse than I think it is. And she discovered the tub that does not drain and is making a phone call. Woohoo.

The worst part of the entire mess was Shemp once again refused the step stool and used his own methods of getting out the window onto the ledge. That involved vaulting onto the sink and counter. Which resulted in the one piece granite counter breaking/cracking in 2 places. Which of course made the sink dicey. You know, staying in place.

Well the Shemps are supposed to replace the counter top tomorrow while the ayis are doing their regular cleaning. This may require stronger drink than my wine. Or more wine than I have.

Well they just left and I pressed some special tea on the ayi, she acted like she did not want to take it but I persisted and she relented. She did a damn fine job. Tub is now draining properly.

Toes are pretty and Big Daddy is ready to tackle the kitchen with his well massaged hands and arms.

Out and About

I finally left the apartment on Saturday to get my hair done. No problems and the hair looks good. Stress makes it worse and worrying if you are going to have an episode is stressful. I almost froze to death though. It was mid-forties and felt like 30 degrees. That would be F not C.

We ended up coming back home to get my full length fur before the afternoon. I have never worn that fur when the temps were above freezing. Everyone seems to think the humidity makes it feel colder. And here when there is cold there is wind.

We just wandered around and I found a new throw blanket for 3 dollars. When we got home I made Big Daddy throw it in the washer as we found it in rather dodgy conditions. Came out fine.

Shemp came last night for the no heat problem. I am sure this will become a huge issue as the first thing they did was to offer us another apartment. Then Shemp called his buddy. 2 Shemps do not make a quorum. This morning Shemp came back and is sitting out on this tiny ledge tearing apart the heating unit. I can't get a picture, I will improvise later.

BD did get Shemp to fix the chain on the front door. When we were leaving the apartment about 6 months ago he opened the door with the chain connected and it broke. As he used no extra force I was not worried about the safety factor, so I never rushed to get it repaired.

This afternoon I have a pedicure and I need to get ready, and I have no heat here. Hmm, could be interesting.

IBS

Well I bucked up and investigated one of the medications I was not familiar with, Dicetel. I also found quite a bit of information on Irritable Bowel Syndrome and there is more information available than I found a few years ago. Dicetel does not seem too bad when you weigh the symptoms against the "what may happen". When I was a child they had me on phenobarbital and Donnatal, I was so upset when they put our poodle on the same meds for seizures. Then a 10 or so years ago Bentyl, which did nothing. The next was I think Velnorm which I am positive almost killed me.

The only problem with the Dicetel so far is you are supposed to take it with food and I just cannot eat right now. A piece of cheese is about it, and I don't think that is enough. Or perhaps it is my phobia about taking pills. I just hate it. Yuck. And it always scares me when they say you should not take the pills lying down. First, who could? Don't you have to sit up to drink the water? Second, what is the problem, does this shit need gravity to work?

There were a lot of stories on one site of people's experiences with IBS and I have to admit, I did laugh my ass off. It is a terrible disease and very hard to control, but when it is not you, it is hilarious what people go through to hide it. Or what happens when they can't.

I know stress makes mine worse. And eating properly is different for everyone but the main key seems to be eating smaller portions more often. And that is my failure here, access to what I can eat and eating too much when I actually see real food. I have to learn to be satisfied by small portions of nothing with a treat once in a while.

The food poisoning seems to have run its course, so now it is just getting back on track. I wish I could get real yogurt here, and real whole wheat bread.

Home Maintenance

Big Daddy left for Ning Hai and I can't blame him.

I need to call Shemp and frankly I am not up to it. The tub is not draining properly and the knob to turn on the sprayer is not working properly. I have to use my Leatherman to use it. Same knob problem in the shower and I am not using the Leatherman in the shower. And something is not right with the washer/dryer machine. It does not want to do the fake drying cycle.

I would say I am 50% better. Doctor said it was very serious so I must be at medium now. I forgot the instructions on one medicine and I need to look it up on the Internet as everything except the name is in Chinese. This is always a bad idea for me, I get diseases from just hearing about them, you know the hypochondria thing. Could call the doctor but that ordeal is as frustrating as getting Piers off the air, just never works.

That reminds me, someone left a comment on the last Blog about recycling and Green credits. When I was working I was called to a meeting at Plant Loco to give them all the information on how we recycled our product and where did we send it. I told them a corn field. It was a non-recycle item. Those idiots had stored 3 years of this crap and claimed credits on their recycling efforts. Just another example of my tax dollars down the shitter.

I apologize for the content here, just not up to breezy chit chat.

Oh yea, I am reading James Patterson and unknown writer's The Christmas Wedding. Almost at the end and it is starting to feel like a Nicholas Sparks book. WTF. Has anyone heard of James Lee Burke? I need a new author.

More gifts for me

Our free Christmas tree, we sprang for the twinkle lights at 3 bucks a pop.

If you order from Mealbay, a restaurant delivery service, on Christmas tree Saturday you get a free tree with ornaments. A full meter of holiday cheer.

I also got food poisoning, at least that is what the doctor thinks at this point. Yes, I ended up back at the doctor's office for another go-round with the IV treatment and a shot in the hiney. The good news is that bright red blood is better than dark ucky blood. I now have enough medication to start my own store. And a thermometer. They are hard to find here.

I also have a new doctor. My old one must have escaped because the new one did not know who he was. She has only been here 2 weeks so she must be his replacement. She also recommended Gatorade for severe dehydration and a gluten free diet for the IBS. I asked her very politely in non Nola Rice language if she had lost her fucking mind. Where in the hell does she think I can find that stuff in China. She laughed and agreed. She did tell me to lay off the ginger ale. But when you are that sick, there is nothing like ginger ale, just wished it could have been Vernor's.

So momma is having a very quiet week.