Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The joys of home ownership.

This is the drama that I've been going through for the last three to four weeks. I've had a leak in my rental unit for the last couple of weeks and I couldn't get the condo association management to look into it. I finally got an email address of the owner of the business that runs this thing and sent him the email below this morning. I got a call within an hour after I sent it.

As I write this it is being fixed. I've gotten quite a few phone calls from Gerald to first appoligize and secondly to say that it was all being taken care of. The people upstairs will be responsible for fixing my unit because it seems to be thier tolet that was causeing the problem.

I can only guess that Gerald got his ass chewed up for this. He didn't respond to any atempts to contact him se we could fix the problem. He only started doing something when I sent something to his boss.

Go figure. Enjoy the following. This is leaving out alot of stuff too.













Yes, I spoke to Gerald about it. He said that they apartment above is responsible for the fix.

-----Original Message-----From: ********************************** Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 3:12 PMTo: Chris ***********Subject: Re: FW: Apt 809 leak

just spoke to the plumber and it looks like it is the toilet in 908.
they are fixing it now. the lady from the mgmt co. said 908 is paying
for it.

On 7/24/07, Chris **********************************wrote:
Sorry, they said in about an hour and that was about an hour ago.

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew **********************************

Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 2:01 PM
To: Chris*************

Subject: Re: FW: Apt 809 leak

what time do you think they will be stopping by?

On 7/24/07, Chris ********************************** wrote:


They are going to look at the leak today. Seems that calling the owner of
Piercom got his but in gear.

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew **********************************
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 10:29 AM
To: Chris ******************

Subject: Re: FW: Apt 809 leak
that's great news. i'll clear out the bathroom tonight so if they need
to do anything right away they can. I'll keep you up to date on the
progress. Thanks a lot chris, i appreciate it.

-AW

7/24/07, Chris K. ********************************** wrote:


Just got off the phone with someone from Pierlink who wasn't Gerald.
They will be coming over with a plumber to look at it tomorrow. They
apologized profusely. I sent an email to the owner of the company. Looks
like it will be taken care of now.
Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew **********************************

Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 10:16 AM
To: Chris *************
Subject: Re: FW: Apt 809 leak

The bathroom is still 100% functional, just an eye sore, but i want to
make sure it is solved before there is any structural damage. having
dealt with mgmt companies on a day to day basis in my previous career
for 5+ years i feel your pain

On 7/23/07, Chris ********************************** wrote:
Just called and left a very not happy message. Don't understand what
we are paying these f*ckers for.

Frank,

I’m only writing you because I’m not getting any information from the person below. It involves a leak in the bathroom of unit 808 in the Saint George, a condo unit the pierlink oversees. I found your email address on the internet. Please read all of the correspondence below. If matters are not resolved I will be forced to seek the services of a lawyer.

Chris *********************


PS. Please see the damage in the pictures attached.




let me know if you need me to do anything.


On 7/23/07, Chris ****************> wrote:
> Are you kidding me, nothing!!! Ok, I'm getting a lawyer.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: *********************]
> Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 6:23 PM
> To: chris *****************
> Subject: Re: FW: Apt 809 leak
>
> Chirs,
>
> Have you got an update on this situation?
>
> -Andrew
>
> On 7/15/07, Chris ********************* wrote:
> > Gerald,
> >
> > Are you guys going to do anything about this? Seems that the water isn't only damaging my unit but the fabric of the building. I would think that because of this it would be high on your priority list. Please let me and Andrew know of your plans and progress on this matter. Thanks.
> >
> > *********************
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: *********************]
> > Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2007 5:42 PM
> > To: *********************

> > Subject: Re: Apt 809 leak
> >
> > Chris,
> >
> > Any word yet?
> >
> > On 7/10/07, Chris ********************* <*********************> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Amy,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Thanks for your diligence in this matter.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Gerald,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I need to know where to go from here. It looks like it is a
> > > building problem and not one that Amy is responsible for. My tenet
> > > has been patient with this for long enough and I'm starting to get
> > > significant damage. Thanks for your help and response.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Chris
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > From: *********************

> > > Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 9:30 AM
> > > To: Gerald Sullivan; *********************; *********************

> > > Subject: Apt 809 leak
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Dear Gerald -
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > As discussed, I checked my bathroom for any leaks, and could not find any.
> > > Furthermore, I have put a tarp around the wall of my shower for
> > > the past week, and the leak still continues. The leak is
> > > particularly strong in the late afternoon when I have not used any
> > > water, so it is not likely that the leak is coming from my shower.
> > > Therefore, the leak appears to be coming from a common element.
> > > Please have someone inspect 809 to determine the cause of the leak.
> > >
> > >
> > > Thank you
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Best,
> > >
> > >
> > > *** ***

> > >
> > >
> > > PS - The owner of the unit - Steven ***, is not my father. He is
> > > my brother.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 7/3/07, Gerald S******* <*********************> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Mr. Cost*****:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The owner of UNIT 908 is listed as follows:
> > >
> > > 908STG
> > >
> > > *********************
> > >
> > > *********************
> > >
> > > #908
> > >
> > > Washington, DC

> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > His daughter Amy ********************* is resident there. She
> > > has spoken with her father. She will be speaking with you to solve this.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > If it is not from the deeded Unit above your Unit, then the
> > > Association looks to the common elements and pays for any repair of a common element.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Thank you for your help with all the information you provided.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > *********************************
> > >
> > > Gerald J.*********
> > >
> > > *********************
> > >
> > > *********************

> > >
> > > Washington, D.C. 20007
> > >
> > > *********************
> > > *********************


> > > **********************************.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > .......................
> > >
> > > Saint George Apt 908.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Hello, I'm the owner of Apt 808 below yours. We seem to have
> > > another leak coming from your bathroom into mine. Please contact
> > > me so we can discuss fixing the problem. Please also find a picture of the damage attached.
> > > Thanks.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > *********************
> > >
> > > *********************
> > > Unit A
> > >
> > > *********************
> > >
> > >
> > > ********************* (Home)
> > >
> > > *********************(Cell)
> > >
> > > *********************(Work)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > *********************
> > >
> > > *********************
> > >
> > > *********************
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ________________________________
> > >
> > >
> > > From: *********************
> > > Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 2:33 PM
> > > To: Gerald Su*******; *******************
> > > Cc: *********************
> > > Subject: Let's try this again.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The pictures and letter.
> > >

Thursday, July 19, 2007

London Heathrow

Well here I am again in the Red Carpet Club in London. Getting here and check-in was quite easy. I came a little bit early because I had to be out of the hotel by 11. Thought about shopping but decided it was too expensive now that the dollar is at a 30 year low against the Pound. This trip hurt.

The trip has pretty much been straight forward. It was a pure business trip. I came in on Monday on the day time flight, it was three hours late. I didn’t get to bed until 2ish that night and had to be at work the next day . I ended up showing up at 12ish.

I did all of my network stuff and then headed off for a drunken lunch with my co-worker Melanie. We sat outside and drank blush wine for about three hours. Gret lunch but I didn’t get much else done that day. I pretty much went back to the room and slept until the next day.

I went into work and fixed all of the little issues that happens when you do a major network change over. The printers didn’t work right, the polycom system was screwed up and various other small issues. Before I got there I remember to go to the Teb Baker store and switch out the shirt I got for Kiat for a larger one.

I SMSed the boys and meet them out last night. We went to Rupert Street’s and then Balian’s for dinner. It was fun and it was great seeing all the boys again.

Not really into writing long drawn out witty blog posts right now so I think this will be it.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Can I get another opinion?

Where to begin, not much has happened this week. Just waiting for the big move and squashing small fires at work.

I’ve been going home and watching movies this week while Dave is in Jamaica. Superman returns, Ghost Rider, and some weird movie on HBO call happy ending. I’m also studying my Italian. So very exciting I know but it’s keeping me out of trouble. I’m going to have sushi with Kiat tonight which should be fun. I need to wash clothes too.

It’s so exciting I just don’t know what to do.

I got an email from my long lost friend Colleen today. It was good hearing from her. Seems she’s had another baby. Last time I talked to her she was pregnant and now there is this little human being. Amazing really. I’m trying to set up a time to go out to Virginia and see her and the family. It will be good to catch up.

So here is our schedule for the next couple of weeks.

Dave gets back on Friday and we have a quite weekend planed because the week after is going to be very hectic. I’m going to London and Dave is going back to Jamaica for the week. I get back on Thursday and he gets back on Friday. We then turn around and go straight back to the airport to catch a plane to New Burn, NC for my family reunion.

The next week Dave leaves for Jamaica for the week again and our friend Alex comes to stay with us for a bit. He’s looking for a place to rent here in DC and we’re putting him up until he finds it.

The weekend after that I will be moving my servers from our current location to an offsite facility. This is going to be fun but a mess of pain. Hopefully it will all work very easily. Keep your fingers crossed.

We then don’t really have plans for August except for Italian classes two times a week until we go to Italy at the end of August. Dave will probably be called down to Jamaica again. We’ll see.

Now on to another topic….

My mind is a little bit butterflyish today, it’s all over the place.

Work, I had the opportunity to think about it the other day. My boss and I had discussed me taking over some responsibility and getting a promotion. I thought this was going to definitely happen around review time.

And then I got my annual review.

It was a good review and I got the max raise that I could get, and then was told that they would be giving me the responsibility and NOT the promotion. We would look at the promotion again in three months. My boss said that he had proposed it too late to the powers that be.

I found this very funny in that the powers that be can make things happen the same day, I’ve seen them do it.

I was not happy at all. I left my boss’s office and went outside. I sat on a bench for three hours thinking.

It was like someone had punched me in the stomach. I had tears coming up and felt sick.

I’ve been at this job for over 7 years. I’ve seen many, many people promoted that do ¼ the work I do and who have been there one or two years. It just told me how appreciated I am here, as in not very.

This makes you reevaluate your life and what’s important and right now work isn’t it. I’m 40 years old and the idea of doing this for the rest of my life makes me feel quite ill. The stress from work has been affecting the rest of my life drastically, and not in a good way. I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it yet but I’ll keep the blog posted.

Enough for now.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

3rd Time at the Inn and we didn’t strike out!

Oh what a wonderful experience we had. It was amazing. We were a bit worried because you never expect something to be better the second time you go let alone the 3rd.

We left the house around 3 in the afternoon and arrived at little Washington around 4:30. We settled in and went for a walk just to get our blood pumping, dinner wasn’t until 8:30 so we had time. When we checked in the Innkeeper at the Gay Street inn asked if we would like some wine but we declined at that point and did the walk. By the time we got back he were ready for the wine but no Inn keeper was to be found. They went to dinner at a friend’s house and left a number to call if anything was needed. We decided we could wait for the dinner.

We really wanted the wine at that point, because he had put the idea in our head, so we walked back up to the Inn at Little Washington to the store that they have. Which happened to close about ten minutes before we got there. We knew that they had wine but it was too late. Nothing else was open so we went back to our inn to take a nap.

The nap was good, we woke up refreshed and decided to take showers and go earlier to the inn then our reservation was for. We were told earlier that they where kind of slow that evening so we could come in earlier if we wanted.

So we dressed in what I would call fabulous conservative, with sports coats and cuff links and walked on over to the Inn.

When we got there we where met at the front by the doorman who knew out names and asked us to come in. Once in we were asked if we wanted a cocktail, which we declined because we knew that we were going to have copious amounts of wine once we sat down. Three to four people greeted us and we were then lead to “the most romantic table” table by a very happy headwaiter that exclaimed this as we walked past quite a few other tables. Kind of funny and a bit embarrassing, we just smiled and headed toward our gorgeous table.

Once we settled in at this most amazing table, we ordered Champaign. One rose for me and one White for Dave. This was a repeat of the 40th birthday dinner for Dave that we had at the Plaza Athanade in Paris. The table was at the end of a long corridor with windows on both sides and a little creak running underneath with gold fish swimming below. We then started reading the menu, oh my goodness what a menu. We had already decided what we were going to do, which was the tasting menu but it was a hard choice. Here’s what we had, and we paired it with wine.

1. A quartet of Island Greek Oyster Slurpees with Grosset-Hill Smith, Mesh, Riesling, Eden Valley Australia, 2005 as the wine
2. A Tin of Sin: American Ossetra Caviar with a Crab and Cucumber Rillette with Feudi San Gregorio, Pietracalda, Fiano Di Avellino, Campania, Italy, 2004 as the wine
3. Morel Dusted Diver’s Scallops and Louisiana Crayfish on Carmellini Beans Dress with summer truffle Vinaigrette with Domain Chapoutier, La Bernardine, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France 2004 as the wine
4. Potato Crusted Tuna Wellington with Caponata Rivioli and Bearnaise with Westbrook, Blue Ridge, Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2005 as the wine
5. Braised Veal Cheek with Saffron Risotto with Hillinger, Hill 1 Burgenland, Austria, 2005 as the wine
6. Lilliputian Passion Fruit Dreamsicle No wine
7. A Limoncello Souffle with Lemon Ice Cream with Vietti, Moscato d;Asti, Cascinetta, Piedmont, Italy, 2005 as the wine.

We also had an amuse bouche to begin with that consisted of one small shrimp dish, one small tuna dish, one small beet and caviar dish and one small mango Virginia ham dish. These all came out in small spoons. They were wonderful. We received a plum soup to try and to cleanse our pallet too. So if you think about it we had nine courses and life was good.

At the end of the meal one of the waiters quietly came down our corridor and opened a door onto the garden to my right, she opened it just a little bit but both Dave and I noticed. A little while later I see a figure in the garden moving toward the ajar door, he was coming from the kitchen across the way. The next thing I know Patrick O’Connell opens the door and comes over to our table. What a great surprise. He chatted with us for a good ten minutes and wished us a happy anniversary. That is one of the reasons why the Inn at little Washington is such a wonderful place to go, the personal attention and the thought put into everything.

We stopped by the Monkey bar an had a single malt scotch just because we had to. Not that we needed anymore drink but it was fun and we then paid.

OUCH!

But worth it.

We stumbled back to our Inn at around 11 being one of the last to leave the restaurant. Went to bed and got up around 8ish this morning to have a wonderful breakfast at our Inn. I’m fooded out at this point but Little Dave is coming over tonight for more food and wine.

Like I say it’s a hard life but someone has to live it.

Oh, and I think I fixed and issue with the exchange server. All in less then 36 hours.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

10 Year Anniversary, or 4th of July

I’ll pick the 10 year anniversary over the other.

Today 10 years ago in on a small island called Key West Dave and I meet. It was only supposed to be a very short term thing and we're still together.

We met in a bar ( I know, I know but hey…. It can work) and that night was supposed to be it. The next day we got together and had a great time. Dave was there (key West) visiting form the Cayman Islands using up an airline voucher that was about to expire. I had just been to a company pick-nick that got rained out and had gone home. I decided that I didn’t want to be home alone on a holiday so I got dressed and headed out to the local bar Bourbon St.

I thought it would be dead, who in their right mind would go to Key West in the middle of the summer. Turns out lots people did. It was packed, totally nuts to butts packed. I didn’t want to be alone but I didn’t want a huge crowd either. So I looked around and saw a seat at the back bar that was open. I quickly grabbed it and then ordered a beer. I then looked at the guy next to me (Dave) and said hello. He then answered with a heavenly British accent.

That was all she wrote.

I learned how to scuba drive and then went to the Cayman Islands to visit Dave. This was the first time I had ever been outside the US. We had a blast. I did the turtle farm with Dave along with some of the best scuba diving in the world.

After this we talked almost every day. Cayman is very expensive to call but luckily Dave worked for the phone company there so he could make cheaper calls if not free.

We both had made plans to move from our perspective locations, me to Charlotte, NC and Dave to Washington, DC. I had already moved up to Charlotte when Dave came for an interview in DC. I was at a family reunion in the mountains of NC and had decided that DC wasn’t that far away so I would drive and come see Dave. After about an 8 hour drive I showed up. Dave thought that was the most romantic thing every. I guess you could say I got lucky that night.

Dave got the job in Washington and I had a job in Charlotte. We did the long distance thing for about 2 and ½ years until I couldn’t take it anymore. I told him I was coming up and bringing my two dogs. That was close to 8 years ago. Lots has happened since then.

We still like each other.

Dave has shown me the world. Sydney, Cape Town, London, Venice, next up Rome.

Dave now works at home and I’m the one going into the “Real” job every day. I did think it would be the other way around.

It all just kind of works, very strange really for something that was never supposed to work at all.

Tonight we’re going to the Inn at Little Washington. This is one of the best restaurants on the East coast if not in the US. It’s about an hour outside DC in Washington VA. We’ll be staying nearby in a B&B that is owned by friends of friends of ours. It’s way too expensive to stay at the actual Inn. We fully expect to spend at least $500 on dinner alone tonight. It better be good.

Did some Italian today and will finish my home work tomorrow for the upcoming weekend class. We’ve decided to double up on it during August before the actually trip. And to do it during the week.

Dave will be gone next week to Jamaica for the whole week. I have a physical on Wednesday of next week. I figured I turned 40 I better get it all looked at. Dave comes back for the weekend and then we both leave for the next week. I have a business trip to London. I need to get that office ready for the move to the off-site location coming up. When I get back from London we then go to Newburn NC for my family reunion. The next weekend will be the move of the servers to the off-site. Hopefully August will calm down a little.

‘till next time.

Chris