oops. i previously messed up the title when i called it a sicilian kiss. this is the kiss of death...



Anyways, I was just going though some pics from the summer. I took this one for (e:paul).

Perhaps my life is a bit boring, but I feel the need to talk about my new humidifier. I LOVE IT SO MUCH! (Fargo Asian accent). When I moved to my new apartment I slowly realized I was drying out from the outside in. My skin was cracking and burning and my eyes were blood shot and and I woke up so thirsty...and then I got the humidifier. My life is so much better now. I even love the bubbling of the water boiling. It is seriously high maintenance to clean it every day because my water is so hard and I am so OCD, but it is totally worth it.

I wanted one that had a digitally adjustable humidistat but I settled for one without because I wanted one so bad. I couldn't wait after getting a severe sore throat. This is the one I got. It is a Vicks so I have the optional medicine cup.





I use it in the bedroom because the rest of the apartment gets humidity from the toilet, shower and from cooking. The plants help too but they are struggling in the loss of humidity. I gave them all a nice long shower this weekend. They really loved the attention.

I can't stress enough, the right balance of humidity is essential. If you have too much, or too little, it can be detrimental to your health.

They still are dying, every single day. This bugler plays the best Taps I have heard.



If you want some History about Taps...

The nightmare is finally over. I cooked spaghetti and heated the wonderful sauce that (e:dcoffee) and (e:mtornow) brought over for me. Thanks guys it was delicious!

I haven't had cooking gas since I moved into my new apartment. When National Fuel came to turn it on, I smelled gas after they left and so they had to come back and shut off my gas at the meter because they said the leak was somewhere between my apartment and the meter inside the walls. Obviously, I was pretty upset considering I knew it would be major work in order to get the gas on. I thought great, they have to tear somebody's wall out in order for me to get my cooking gas. I called the landlord/owner of the building and became pretty pissed off that he suggested that I should have just left a message on the maintenance voicemail line that is checked daily.

Then my first Saturday after moving in two maintenance men came without any prior warning. When I complained about no prior notice they said "Do you want your gas turned on or not?" Anyways we started off on the wrong foot and it ended with me being screamed at by one of them. I wouldn't say I deserved to be screamed at but I did provoke him a bit and didn't handle it as best I could have. In the end I apologized for my responsibility in the altercation and they left letting me know that the problem was fixed.

So that Monday I called National Fuel to have them come turn it back on. They were happy to send somebody that day to have the service connected. When they came they tested the air for gas and said the leak was still there and they would not turn it on until the gas was fixed. They personally told the landlord that the leak was in between the walls between my apartment and the basement (I'm on the second floor).

The next Saturday the maintenance guys came again and again told me that the problem was solved. They did not go into the apartment below me. Everyone kept on telling me that National Fuel was wrong and that the problem was at the meter and it's their responsibility.

National Fuel again comes on Monday and still will not leave the gas on because of the leak. Meanwhile National Fuel is getting bitchy with me because they are sick of rushing someone to my house to turn it back on when the owner isn't addressing the problem which they were advised in writing of.

This time I called the owner and let him know that National Fuel is pissed off and that they want him to hire a certified plumber to fix it. Maintenance men should not in my opinion be addressing gas lines or servicing elevators. He agreed and told me to expect someone on Friday between the hours of 8am and 9am. I waited until 11am and then called the landlord to let him know that nobody showed up. I left a voicemail. Then at 11:30 somebody calls me to say that somebody called in sick and they would be there on Monday (today) to fix the problem. I let her know it would have been nice if somebody called me earlier to let me know as I had arranged my whole day around them coming and missed a work meeting.

Today is Monday. They are supposed to be here between 8am and 9am. It is 9:05 and I am on the phone asking them if they are still coming. Yes, they are running behind. So finally they get here and I have to take a personal day AGAIN to be home for somebody to come and fix the gas line. The guy lets me know that the problem is not at the meter like my landlord insisted and that they would need to get in the apartment below me to address the problem. Thankfully, the woman below me is home and reluctantly permits the intrusion into her home when she has had no idea what has been going on because nobody called to let her know that they would need to be there.

So now they are ripping out her walls and addressing the gas line and I am really hoping that it is going to be fixed and I can finally use my stove. It has been 3 weeks and two days since I have moved in. Problems happen but the worst part about all of this has been the way that this issue has been dealt with by the owner. I am a reasonable person and am well aware that living in older buildings can be problematic but seriously think this issue should have been handled differently.

I am sitting here hoping that the guy will come back and give me good news. I think he is going to fix it. He knows what he is doing.