Adulting is Hard etc

Discussion in 'Brainbent' started by Enzel, Jan 14, 2016.

  1. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    mold1.jpg mold2.jpg mold3.jpg
     
    • Witnessed x 1
  2. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    I sprayed what I could and wrote an email draft & helped Aki set up their air purifier, there's no real point contacting the office til Monday bc they certainly won't do shit over the weekend (it being a holiday too)...gonna revise the email since I tend to ramble and I noticed that no one reads long emails thoroughly so I have to be as succinct as possible -_- I'm braced for having to clean the ceiling tiles myself but if they actually get someone to get rid of the mold I'll take it. ugh.

    considering we've been smelling the cigarettes for basically exactly a year makes me think the leak has been a thing since then? unless dry cigarettes would smell that strongly just in summer heat?? (the smell basically went all thru Aki's room) I want to go clear them out myself but I'm not sure if I should leave it for evidence??? idk if it matters since it could have been a previous tenant or workmen or sth & it is something I can deal with in 5 mins with disposable gloves wheras mold...that may be deep in the wall and ceiling...ugh. basically I'm pissed about the fact that we were treated like we were nuts for smelling it but the biggest problem *is* the mold so I'm wondering if bringing up the cigarettes is derailing...

    I guess this could have been worse with a plaster/fully tiled ceiling bc the leak would have been less noticeable until the ceiling actually collapsed. but I'm still boggled by the stupidity of a fucking drop ceiling in a bathroom so moisture can just. saturate the underside of the floor upstairs.

    ...also it would be nice if they replaced the bathroom fan bc it's been making a horrible rattling noise since we moved in (initially it was part of the fixture was loose/broken so I secured it with glue but now its definitely inside the fan itself)



    ...in other shit news my work was one of the only places locally still enforcing masks but we just heard that corporate might drop it...ugh ugh ugh

    I honestly felt relief whenever someone looked at our masks required sign and left bc like. fuck you bye. had a hard enough time constantly reminding people not to take it off in the fitting rooms.

    today is the last day of public transit buses (for now....) and I am looking forward to having 2 hrs of my day back...

    thinking abt what still needs to be done...

    -organize the porch
    -then clean the living rm
    -make a cover for the coffee table so the cats don't scratch it up more...(small cat's fav thing is to put her front paws up on the corner and stretch, we had a tablecloth on it but she managed to scratch it up a bit anyway, thankfully fairly superficial but I'm going to use leftover couch cover fabric which she cant get her claws into... wondering if I can put some other fabric good for scratching on the edge so she can still do it w.o ruining the table?)
    -then tackle my room...

    -need to look back into the car registration process and get it done bf the end of July
    -afaik I should make a DMV appointment first bc insurance is apparently easy to set up same day?
    -car def needs a checkup so maybe do that first...it seems to still be running ok but I've noticed some...vibrating when I go on the highway and I'm wondering if the left front tire might have a slow leak...
    -check oil also

    -also make a DMV appointment to get a license I can use to travel now that I have a consistent address....
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2021
  3. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    hanging...in there.

    minor gripe but now that I'm back to full time, because my meds are time sensitive/controlled (can only pick up literally the day I run out and no earlier) and the pharmacy closes at 7, i have no way to get them after work so i have to get up extra early and go before...ofc I stayed up til 4am last night bc I make bad choices

    I'm doing a little better w the full time hrs than I thought at least. Work itself is less stressful than it used to be having a manager that actually has my back, so its really just the lack of free time that I'm struggling with. trying to get used to the new schedule and hoping I can settle in enough to find time to do creative stuff again...

    forget if I mentioned it but apparently my meds are less effective if I take them with food??? there was a huge difference once I tried taking them 40 mins before eating as psych suggested, so I at least bought some more time before I actually get too much of a tolerance. (crosses fingers) idk why this never came up in the like 4...5...years I've been on them?? but w.e (also apparently the whole "eating acidic foods reduces the effectiveness of stimulant meds" IS true despite the internet claiming it wasn't?? like there was a tumblr post going around saying it and then a bunch of ppl were like THIS ISNT TRUE I ASKED MY DOCTOR but my doctor confirmed it is so...I wonder if it's new research or sth...)


    made a bit of progress on cleaning my room...but ofc its laundry time again...lies on floor

    most of my extra money this month is going toward car but I wonder if I can swing a portable washer...we were talking abt getting a full size one bc there's a hookup in the basement but. idk. i guess the issue w a portable is we have no real space for it...it would probably have to live on the porch. It doesn't hurt to look I suppose...compare prices etc. (it would also be too small for sheets etc but that I could at least do at one of our parents' places every month or so...)


    reminder to self to finish sorting medical paperwork today and go put it in the file cabinet we got for this purpose that has been sitting empty this whole time...lol
     
  4. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    just learned how car loans work...ew. (was trying to collect info on how manageable it would be to buy a car if this one is on its last legs...) At least my credit union has good rates so it would just be a matter of getting approved...

    wonder if we should go w/ our original idea of getting a small loan to buy an actual washer/dryer to improve credit. like I should still have a good score bc I've paid my min balance every month and only let some roll over twice, but I have zero loan history.



    today:

    -sort those medical papers after work
    -check HSA balance/enter 2 receipts


    -make list of sewing projects:

    -cat cushions for carriers
    -make cat bed bigger
    -curtain for roommate's door to keep their AC from trying to cool the whole apt all day so cats can still come and go
    -repairs (fix summer pants, shirt)
    -see if extra fabric I got to finish quilt matches the color well

    -check if I have some good plaid fabric for cosplay...
     
  5. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    possible car issues: slow leak in tire, timing belt, suspension

    out at a doctor appt rn gotta call and make mechanic appointment when I get home...and then call the landlord's office about the mold (sigh)

    realized this month I get paid 3 times so there's that at least. won't have much left over but good bc I'm getting car expenses dumped on my head

    talked to roommates & concluded we should just get a normal washer/dryer, at least split 3 ways it won't be too bad. so do some research there...

    also have to call...gas company? I think. keep getting calls abt the gas meter. annoying that they don't go to the landlord like why.
     
    • Witnessed x 1
  6. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    after days of no reply to my email abt mold. get an email at 8:30am this morning from landlord's office saying the landlord's husband will be "doing work on the property" today and can look at the problem. OFC i am on the train to work at like 10:30 when i see this because WHO CHECKS THEIR FUCKING EMAIL AT 8:30 AM ALSO HE WAS ALREADY BANGING AROUND UPSTAIRS MAKING AN UNHOLY RACKET BY THE TIME I LEFT

    and...he didn't call either me or my roommates so he didn't come to see the mold after all (our doorbell does not work and never has since we moved in and i've mentioned that fact MULTIPLE TIMES) even tho i replied to the email saying my roommate was home.

    So tomorrow im getting up at like 7am, taking the car to the mechanic to find out how many thousands of $$$ repairs will cost, then calling the office to be like "sooooo why did you say the landlord's husband was coming by and then he never contacted us to let him in meaning my roommate literally waited for him for hours instead of doing her own errands??? and wasted her entire fucking day? Also maybe give 24 hr notice BY PHONE and verbally confirm it instead of fucking emailing me like wtf also MAYBE GIVE 24 HOUR NOTICE BEFORE YOU'RE GOING TO BANG ON PIPES AND SAW THINGS ABOVE OUR HEADS BEFORE 10AM also the upstairs neighbor still lets his child run amok at all hours of the night banging on the floor"
     
    • Witnessed x 1
  7. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    forgot to call the office bc half asleep this morning...ugh.

    have no idea how much car repairs will cost...I wasn't told when to expect a call back but all the other mechanics I've been to have gotten back to me within a day but I didn't get a call bf they closed so im... confused if this is normal or not. but the place was very busy when I went so maybe they're swamped? I'm now unsure if I should wait for a call or call them tomorrow to check or if that would be seen as obnoxious...but kinda need to know how long we'll be without a car?


    ...on top of that Aki got billed for their surgery what amounts to $1000 when it was supposed to be paid in full. apparently their doctor told them they wouldn't have to pay anything with state insurance but the thing is they weren't ON state insurance, they were on discounted private insurance thru the state marketplace which APPARENTLY has a deductible and idk how tf the doctor missed that if she had to send in the prior auth forms and all????

    • the only possible upside is that they *had* gotten approved for state insurance...just idk if the plan I picked for them that keeps their current doctors is like. retroactive to when they got approved or if it only counts the one they got shoved onto by default. bc the latter I'm p sure their surgery was not in-network. either way I called and asked them to re-bill to the state insurance because they did have both insurances simultaneously for the month of June so you'd think it might cover something. I'm prepared to fight over this tbh. I'm very annoyed how fucking obtuse they make it. im also PRETTY SURE I checked if their private insurance covered the procedure and it said nothing about a deductible. like I did this legwork. bullshit. I also think its fucking bullshit that the insurance wont tell you exactly how much you'll have to pay ahead of time.

    (angry gurgling)

    gonna be 2-4 weeks til we hear back on that I guess.
     
  8. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    #1 source of stress: money
     
    • Witnessed x 1
  9. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    Car bill: nasty. (both axles and steering column part need replacing...the only good news is that the suspected tire leak was small and very fixable.)

    However, I talked to the mechanic abt options and he explained that RN buying a car (new or used) is a ripoff and a royal pain in the ass bc of parts shortages. so if we decided to sell it it would probably be worth more than it was when I checked last year, but it's also more expensive to get a car & they're not negotiating prices.

    he also said the type of car we have can get up to 200k miles on it & this one has maybe 86k so that's actually rly good for a 2007. And it may need more repairs within a year or so but if we take good care of it, it'll last a good whole longer.

    so...tentatively...(waiting for approval) but my roommate explained personal loans to me so I applied for one w/ my credit union...this way I can take up to a year to pay it back, cover the cost of having the car put under my name & the repairs, and have enough for other expenses every month...I also have no loans in my credit history and it seemed unlikely doing a payment plan w/ the mechanic would count as one. So yes I'll have to pay interest, but this hit just as I was starting back full time at work so I had no savings. But I do have steady income & this is basically what we were talking about doing for a washer/dryer anyway. (I think the whole credit score business is hot bullshit but if we ever want to afford a place of our own I have to do it...)

    so...I sent the application, it is a weekend so idk when I'll hear back but my credit union has apparently streamlined the process so they had a nice web form and everything.

    its certainly a better plan than my original one which was putting the repair bill on my credit card and paying only as much as I could on that each month...

    so current to do:

    this weekend:

    -keep checking email frequently
    -make list of food for different meals so I'm not aimlessly poking around in the fridge when hungry
    -help Aki w/ organizing kitchen
    -keep working on organizing porch & bedroom
    -make curtain for roommate's door so they can leave AC on during the day but cats can come and go
    -finish second pillow cover

    -call Aki's mom and update her on car situation
    -review car registration/selling process
    -make DMV appointment for that
    -also DMV appointment for that special license now that I have a real address they'll accept documents for (-_-)
    -once that's set, set up car insurance

    monday:
    -gas meter thing
    -pick up car if its done
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2021
  10. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    feel a bit like I'm drowning. gotten between 4-6 hrs of sleep per night the past 3 days and tomorrow looking much of the same. my own fault and its gonna catch up to me. (couldn't sleep in on my days off bc of the various obligations above...can't get my ass to bed at night... )

    the loan got approved but I'm still waiting for the money to actually hit my acct...feel bad bc the mechanic called me Tuesday.

    god I just wanna sleep. but gotta get up early tomorrow & see if the money went thru so I can get on the bus, go pick up/pay for car & then drive back in time to catch the train to work...
     
  11. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    also my Reynauds got super bad this week (as in, sitting down for any length of time made me go ice cold from the waist down) and I'm 90% sure it's due to my raised stimulant dose so im gonna...cut the pills in half and go back to my old one and hope that taking them w.o food is enough to keep me functioning...if that's what 5mg can do...jesus. I even tried wearing leggings under my work pants (yes, with 80+ degree weather out) and it had no effect. been trying to strengthen the toes of my left foot (the ones that get it the worst) bc they started turning sideways & I looked it up and that's apparently caused by muscle issues... I still don't know why the joints feel so stiff but I've been doing my best to take more stretch breaks at work to prevent the nasty muscle cramps I get.

    man you hit 30 and they really do pile it on.
     
  12. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    slightly more alive...opted to sleep an extra hour and get car tomorrow (I was convinced today was Friday and not Thursday bc I'm so out of whack). called the mechanic to let him know & ease my conscience. still waiting for the money anyway. (tho the loan itself shows up in my online banking but only the option to make payments...its not in my checking yet. Hopefully today...)
     
  13. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    sleep is amazing and I highly recommend it btw

    loan settled & car picked up but the wheel is drifting even tho they did an alignment so I have to bring it back in Monday...(grumbles) at least it shouldn't cost anything more since the repair is under warranty

    looked up the car transfer process and apparently insurance is actually the *first* step so I'll have to get on that this week.

    Also supposedly landlord is sending someone to tackle the mold problem this wk. thankfully I have several days off...

    just wanna do creative stuff but the adult obligations keep comin and they don't stop comin...




    apropos of nothing, saw someone on Twitter that had their display name as "Adult Human Tamale" as a way to mock terfs and had a good giggle over it
     
  14. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    saw a post that was like "stop thinking about people as good people or bad people, think about the things people do as good or bad" and while I theoretically agree i immediately felt like shit because. when your brain is constantly sabotaging you to do "bad" things and hurt people despite your best intentions what do you do. when do you do when trying your hardest isn't enough.

    like the framing doesn't really help me if it's just going from "you are a bad person" to "you do bad things" please tell me how to stop doing bad things when i have to take medication to increase my impulse control

    I also can't stop making social blunders if I can't understand why what I said was wrong because if I don't know *why* it was wrong I can't prevent similar things in the future. but asking is hurtful.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2021
  15. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    have DMV appointment for car registration tomorrow, finally got the paperwork sorted and the insurance turned out to be less expensive than I thought...

    ofc 1am the fire alarm starts going off repeatedly & we can't figure out what's causing it, must be the shitty assholes upstairs bc it seems like our alarms are all wired together?? idk. this happened the other week when poor Aki was home alone & they had to call the fire dept because it went off like 6 times & they had a super bad time bc its sensory hell. so we called again the second time it went off today & ofc they arrived like 30 secs after the alarm shut off by itself...

    they told us to call Fire Prevention and see if we could get our alarms inspected...plus last time asshole neighbor refused to answer the door for the fire dept (Aki could hear him telling his kid not to answer the door) despite the alarm clearly having gone off up there too so its sketchy as fuck. So if he's up to anything we could potentially get him in deep shit.

    also the poor cats are traumatized by all this, sigh

    anyway its 4am and I sure am gonna get only 5 hrs of sleep...
     
    • Witnessed x 1
  16. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    car stuff is finally...sorted...its a big relief to not have it taking up brain power but also I didn't know what to do w myself for a couple days there after. had that weird jittery creative urge but no direction.



    fire guy came by & basically said to keep calling 911 every time it happens to create a paper trail, contact landlord abt it, and keep an eye on which smoke detectors have blinking vs steady lights...so that's all we can do for now.

    ...still have to bug landlord about the fact that they just. never came by to look at the mold :|
     
  17. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    lmao where do I begin...

    was headed to work last week and ran into landlord's husband who was apparently there to work on the 3rd floor apartment. anyway turns out no one communicates w/ each other and he did come by a few times but...rang the doorbell...which doesn't work and never has...and seemed surprised when I told him this...so supposedly he's coming by tomorrow to look at the ceiling. I told him to call to be let in but somehow I don't believe he'll remember so I'm considering going to the basement to try to hook up the doorbell myself... (I think the prev tenants disconnected it, which tbf it's apparently very sensitive bc asshole neighbor's has been set off by people standing too close to the door frame & brushing against it)

    he also didn't believe me about the cigarettes until I showed him a photo -_- (me: there are cigarettes in the ceiling. him: oh you know the previous tenants were there for years and smoked a lot of pot so it probably permeated the walls. me: no there are LITERALLY CIGARETTES IN THE CEILING) and was also like "oh well if there's mold it would be obvious" bitch the leak went into the ceiling in the adjacent room and also down the drywall that the tiles are glued to, HOW WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SEE THAT

    either way I shuffled my schedule so I could be home to talk to him so he better show up. I want to try to get them to replace the horrible rattling bathroom fan (and GET RID OF THE CIGARETTES which I would have but you'd literally need to saw off some of the old ceiling boards.) (the ones that had plaster on them, not the support beams thankfully) I think whoever got them up there stuck the packs thru the gaps but since the whole pile has been leaked on it's now a lump of mushy paper and cigarette innards stuck to the boards.)

    anyway...charming

    I also have to pick up my meds (was supposed to Friday but didn't get up early enough and the pharmacy closes at the same time I get off work...ugh) and...probably go do a load of laundry... (cat made the protective blanket on the couch gross, I hand washed it but bleh)

    also need to make a doctor's appointment to follow up on my Reynaud's...last year doc asked if I wanted to do blood tests for possible autoimmune stuff but I didn't at the time bc with Covid protocols & everything going on at the time it was too much. but recently I've been super heat sensitive which is a symptom of the thyroid thing my dad has so it's worth starting to keep an eye out for it...esp because he told me it's not always going to show up on a test.


    work has been...exhausting, a bunch of ppl left for school & manager has been having a hard time hiring anyone bc corporate won't raise their hiring wage, plus someone quit w/ no notice because she found out the new guy was making more than her (I don't blame her, she agreed to stay full time while in school and he has no retail experience???) but it's become a big drama thing bc she's friends w/ another girl who was staying but is now apparently looking for another job...and my manager started venting to me about it...I know she's stressed but she did the whole "it's unprofessional to talk abt your wages, blah blah, we have reasons for hiring ppl at different rates" uhhh yeah but it looks bad when you hire a 20 year old w/ no retail experience for more than the girl who's been here for a while (same position). Been trying to keep my mouth shut and respond minimally bc I know it's really corporate's fault for being stingy as hell, they've been losing people from other stores to a competitor so they should PROBABLY RAISE WAGES. (apparently someone who originally moved across the country to become a store manager for our company quit, came back here and is now the manager at the competitor store a few doors down, LMAO)

    anyway I've had to fill in on the floor which I don't mind doing stockroom work but the customer service portion has definitely been draining me.

    new guy is nice but has uhhhh. severe ADHD and no coping mechanisms (I do mean that literally, he fidgets constantly, forgets what he's told immediately, impulsive...just everything I did as a teenager) and while I don't blame him it has been tough bc it's practically just me, him & manager on all the time. he is making progress but whew. (I've been trying to sit back and let him make small mistakes because it's not actually my problem & he'll figure it out eventually) at the very least he's very friendly & customers seem to like him.

    I keep thinking about how when I was younger adults never seemed to remember stuff that was important to me and now that I'm an adult I'm like "yeah that sucked but if every adult is as stressed as I am all the time I kind of understand why"
     
  18. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    landlords husband ( I guess they are co landlords but w.e) is completely useless....he half-assed removing all the cigarettes so I had to go back & do it myself anyway, shrugged about the fan noise and said it was just vibrations.

    apparently the doorbell is wireless (I did not know that was a thing) but the indoor tranceiver is missing. aki & i both have a vague memory of me removing something that seemed useless from an outlet when we moved in but i looked up the model & it doesn't seem familiar...I could swear the thing I moved was an outlet adapter. plus I feel like I wouldn't have thrown it away? at least replacements are only $20 so might just order one to avoid getting dinged on security deposit...

    anyway after he left I spent like 3 hrs pulling down water-damaged wood and drywall from inside the ceiling (it was so rotted I could break it with my bare hands) and deep cleaning the bathroom, including taking down every ceiling tile & cleaning it. (thankfully had an N95 & goggles I got for wood crafting) then fixed the fan (stuff was loose!!! no wonder!!) and showered...

    as i was leaving the bathroom i opened the door & the vibration from that knocked bits of rust down from the ceiling tracks onto me. I almost screamed.

    so...have to figure out how to seal that, which is a project by itself...(its prolly going to be spray paint but that means taking down all the tiles again & covering the whole bathroom and/or cleaning it again)

    tl;dr if you want something done right gotta do it yourself apparently.
     
  19. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    lies on floor

    had a covid scare bc roommate is sick, thankfully we all tested negative but she & Aki feel crappy, luckily I've escaped it so far...

    I did finally bake some cookies which I've been wanting to do for ages & now I know how to make homemade soft chocolate chip so (thumbs up)?

    cat seemed very interested in the cookies so I looked up how to make cat cookies but those were less interesting to them. maybe it was the vanilla she smelled, lol. there's ways to make homemade treats w tuna tho so might try that next time. amusingly enough the cat cookies were the exact texture I've been craving in savory pastries so going to try playing around w that too...

    other than that w my two days off I mostly went on a cleaning spree.

    good news is Aki's brother is getting rid of his washer/dryer so we're getting em for free. dryer needs fixing apparently but that's still better than paying for a new one. looking into ways to lock them bc we don't trust asshole neighbor not to touch em...sighs.

    been considering going back to doc and asking for autoimmune testing re : my reynauds and then this past week or two I have been...sweating excessively. like the smallest amt of exertion (doing dishes???) makes me sweat like I'm working out. it's making me have to wash my hair twice and I hate it.

    apparently that's a sign of hyperthyroidism which my dad has soooo...thankfully that's the only symptom I seem to have but on the other hand his took a while to diagnose bc he was relatively asymptomatic so I need to keep an eye on it. x.x
     
  20. Enzel

    Enzel androgynous jrpg protag

    shuffles papers

    -good things: I finally figured out the right stretch for my legs & my toes have actually been straightening out + haven't had a muscle spasm since (knocks on wood). Had a v bad episode like a couple weeks ago and did some furious googling bc my upper calf felt weird. its pretty simple but for some reason doing the "legs straight while sitting & touch toes" stretch is working better than lunges. I've figured out that while I'm terrible at setting aside time for PT if I can integrate stretching into other stuff (like I do my wrist stretches when I'm walking places) then I'm more consistent. so now when I'm doing non machine work I put my feet up and stretch my legs.


    Washing machine arrived w.o incident mostly, but I do need to call landlord bc the dryer is gas & needs a professional to set up, plus the valve for the washing machine water is leaking so we can't actually use it yet...after that need to call a repairman for the dryer. Still not sure what's actually wrong w/ it but hopefully it's not an expensive fix.

    then order a stand for the dryer (since it's on a part of the basement floor that's a flood danger unlike the washer bc the basement is stupid) & also

    -adhesive locks for the machines to make sure asshole neighbor doesn't mess w em
    -cat hair catcher since it's a top loading machine
    -refills for the shower filter

    going to move the storage shelf I have in the basement next to the dryer maybe so we can put baskets and stuff on it, there's stuff I should just get rid of...

    in other news I spent some time trying to clean Aki's AC and just ended up giving them mine bc theirs was horrifically moldy. I tried to take it apart to clean it but it seems like a lost cause...yikes. I think it facing the shady backyard did not help but also I apparently had it tilted too much so I hope that's not the reason...tbf both of Aki's ACs face the back and they collected a lot of tree crap so the bedroom one should also be replaced...I fixed the tilt and sprayed it w vinegar in the meantime...


    need to look into their medical bills again bc they asked their doc to send the surgery stuff to the other insurance & got a message saying that's not possible and also there was "no balance transferred to the patient" which is grade-a bullshit bc they got FOUR bills...jfc. There's options (hospital has financial assistance program they can apply for & so does their work) but the fact that we're now getting conflicting info about the insurance is irritating me. (also why the fuck does every department of the hospital have a DIFFERENT billing dept with a different website.)
     
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