Busy day today. Spent almost 5 hours buying a new truck, which is still not final. We (hopefully) own a 2010 Dodge 4x4 quad short box truck. It's a pre-owned, but only has 35,000K on it and we got it for $12,000 less than the original sticker price and a couple grand cash back. I feel pretty good about it. Traded the Camaro on it, which is great since it needed oh, tires, brakes, a tune up, paint in some spots and had a nasty rod knock. No offense to it, but good riddance. I hate sports cars. Seriously.
My Subaru- speaking of which- is in the shop. Probly will cost a few bucks to get it operational but we need that second car with him working. Took us a couple minutes to unearth it from the branches that grew over it in the last yr since I parked it... then another few to boost it... and I drove it around the corner to the closest autobody. I'll have to phone them in the morning to confess that it's mine and tell them what it needs =P I figure by mid or late next week we'll be 100% operational.
Meanwhile- while waiting to hear about the truck- I got some dollar store supplies and started scrubbing the poorly washed kitchen floor in my empty duplex that my tenant left for me. I should say that it appears she tried. Knowing HER level of clean, this was really spectacularly clean. Knowing MINE, it was pretty gross. It was mopped with dirty mop water, and you could tell. Because it like, dried on the floor in dirty swirls. So um, I needed to get down there, face it, scrub it, wash it, rinse it, and then wax it. Reagan would be proud. I'm doing the second wax coat tomorrow.
The damage to my hardwood floors - well, that's another matter. Have to rent a sander next weekend (halloween) and spend the weekend working out those issues. But until then, I can do some daily work replacing moldy grout, and peed on baseboards and stuff. Cleaning is therapeutic anyways. Or something.
Renters are awesome.
But wudev. Lessons learned. I know who I want here next time, and where to advertise, and how to screen. I'm not in a place where I'll just take ANYONE this time. Last time I really was. Last time I was financially screwed without that income. Today I can manage. Today I can CHOOSE who rents from me. Today, I can ask for, I can FIND, I know "that person" is out there and will rent from me.
I just have to prepare for them. I have to invite that person to see the house with my eyes. Someone who will walk in and automatically love the space, love the floors, the character. I love it, and I know someone else will. The person who will respect it is out there, and they will be my next renter.
Amen !