What I'm Reading This Week #31

Good morning and welcome to August.  Time is so weird, isn't it.  It's insane we're starting the 8th month of the year but yet if I thought back to where we started the year in snow, that seems like a lifetime ago.  It's been a very long year yet seems to have gone fast - how does that work?  Anyhoo, I hope you're ready to roll for the weekend and the week didn't drop kick you too hard.  

Once again our HOA was refusing to do their job and wanted to check the drainage.  This problem is on our subfloor...above anyplace for drainage to be an issue with no gutters above it.  Then the woman in power sits on emails all friggin' day and purposely sends things out on her way out the door so another day gets wasted.  Oh the things the Mr and I say about her that I can't say here.  I was shaking so bad Monday night I wanted to go out and rip the damn siding off myself but we worked out instead to try to work off the frustration.  I called our insurance agent (a family member) and asked them about our recourse and what if more damage occurs because of it?  They said to call the insurance company of the property management and tell them the situation to see if that would light a fire.  In the meantime, the Mr had responded back to the property management saying after we put up a drop cloth over the siding, it didn't get wet after a downpour proving this was the siding and if nothing more is done, he'll be contacting the insurance company because our home is continuing to be damaged.  Within 2 hours a text asking if that day (Tuesday) was good for the construction dude to come out.  I told the Mr he would be dealing with me that day.  When he got there, I went out and I was firm but clear we're not doing this crap anymore and are discussing our recourse because of them putting off fixing this for a month.  I told him I wasn't trying to be a bitch but if they are thinking of band-aiding this for 5 years until the siding gets replaced again, we weren't living like this.  He agreed.  For everything he tried to throw out there, I had a comeback.  

"I suppose going into the drywall (the threat he keeps using because he knew initially that wasn't our preference) might be the next step."

*Points at multitool*  "Let's do it, we have the multitool out and we're both fine with it if you want to do it right now."

*Glazed eyes and befuddlement*

"Well the window..."
"The window people are coming out Thursday.  We have an excellent warranty on those and they said if there's any issue, it will be taken care of."
"OH!  Can I be here when they come because if they don't find anything then that would be the day I could do the drywall."

"Fine.  They said they have no problem doing up a full report for the HOA."

"Good!  We need all of the documentation we can get.  Jane (property manager) wants all pics/videos, etc to submit for approval."  

Oh the approval she was supposed to be getting a month ago??

I made it very clear we're done dealing with the negligence and this needs to be addressed now.  He was like "tell the Mr I said hi."  HA...yeah...you missin' the "good cop" right now, aren't ya?? 

source

It should be no surprise he showed his snake ass colors and Wednesday night the Mr got an email saying they have determined our window is the cause of the issue and the case is basically closed.  Oh, what's the matter tiny little man, don't like a woman giving it to you straight so you run back to the  slumlordess to cry?  When I tell y'all I almost passed out from anger, it's not an understatement. My teeth were chattering so hard from all of the adrenaline I almost literally bit my tongue. I was about to bite on a piece of leather.  (I seriously looked that up to see if I'm the only one whose teeth chatter while undergoing massive stress and it's apparently the body's fight or flight response.  

~The More You Know~ 

All I could do is pray to my mama and grandma to please look out for us regarding this and another situation and we just want this over with.  

Yesterday the Mr put our new pinless moisture meter to the test after a bit of rain the night before.  Right below one spot on the wall by the middle of the window it beeped like crazy giving us some hope that it was, in fact, the window which at this point is what we wanted.  Around 1pm the window dude came out and immediately said "they didn't caulk the bottom!  Who did this job?"  *furiously texts company*  I cannot tell you how much of a sigh of relief it was to hear that.  We talked to him about the J channel at the top that the association caulked when it wasn't supposed to be.  He said it wouldn't hurt it and rain would roll off but that if that had been the issue, we would've known it (and so should the guy who came out.)  He talked to the company, took pics and said he was going to caulk that, took off the shutters and everything looked good there but wanted to check our upstairs windows in the bedrooms.  (Thank God we cleaned them 2 weeks ago!)  He said the front bedroom was caulked which he could see from outside but he looked at the back one and it wasn't.  He started shaming the dude who installed them by name which was pretty funny.  He caulked that one and said it would be cured in 72 hours so don't lower the screen onto it until then but that should take care of it.  Zero idea why after 6 years we would suddenly have an issue with them but he said there were so many storms we got pounded with this year coming from the south.  (They don't come from the south for us, typically from the west/northwest yet no issues with those windows.  I'm pretty sure all construction jobs require a degree in Shuck and Jivery but I wasn't going to debate our weather patterns with him.)  I want to breathe a sigh of relief but we won't really know for another 1-3 good storms and can assess to make sure water isn't getting in.  Now many of you may be saying "uh, why was the window not your first thought??"  When the water is coming in on your subfloor and the after hours general contractor says he'll caulk the window but he sees a bunch of gaps in the siding and is writing it up as a siding issue then the regular contractor looks at it in the light of day and says he will caulk a few things on the siding but we'll likely have to pull it.  Then he proceeds to tell you stories of how many people have had siding issues over the past few years, that's two construction dudes telling you its the siding.  They're the ones in that line of work, not us.  When it became obvious the usual dude couldn't find his butt with a GPS is when I contacted the window people.  Just so you don't think we're complete idiots!  😂

The moisture meter will come in very handy to be able to keep an eye on things through the walls as time progresses and hopefully we'll go from alarms going off on the meter to a number as things dry up back there.  Definitely can't put the baseboard back on the wall for at least a month.  I do want to get some caulk and at least caulk the little gap in the air vent that allowed the water to trickle into the basement but without it touching the subfloor so we can still clearly see it and not seal off that water path.

YEESH!!!

Now let's throw our attention toward:

Does the Elliptical ‘Count’ Toward Your Daily Steps? Here’s What Experts Say  (The biggest takeaway is the definition of steps vs exercise.  You can bet I will be counting my floor bike toward my steps but I don't record it as exercise.)

5 Supplements That Could Disrupt Your Poop Schedule, According to Gut-Health Experts  (Good to know!)

​7 Surprising Ways You Wreck Your Body When You Don’t Get Off Your Butt  (I love how the men's mags have more in your face titles for their articles.)

13 Foods With High Water Content  (There's more than one way to hydrate this summer!)

Didn’t Sleep Well Last Night? Here's What Experts Say to Do for More Energy Today  (I have been experiencing extreme fatigue this week and I'm trying to focus on the first one more to see if it makes a difference.)

4 Vitamins You Should Never Mix with Coffee, According to Dietitians  (FYI in case you take yours with your cup o' joe.)

6 Practical Tips for Fall Prevention  (I really need to specifically work on my balance.  I've noticed a shift I'm not crazy about.)

You’re Never ‘Too Old’ to Start Therapy  (I do urge pretty much everyone to try therapy at least once especially if your deductible has been met.  If you prefer to DIY, I suggest this book all of the time even for people who think they had a golden childhood.  There are often things you didn't realize affected you that did.)

The 8 Dirtiest Spots in Your Home (I don't remember the last time I cleaned my laptop/phone so I guess that means I should get on it!)

20 Things Every Homeowner Should Know How to Do  (Trust me, YouTube University before doing a project.  Think of the project you want to tackle and watch no less than 5 different videos on the subject from people who seem knowledgeable- even for small stuff like caulking.)

Miss a post this week?  Catch up below:

Man We Hate Being Right Weekend Recap

Hump Day Poll

Our Strength Workouts for the Coming Month

It's been two years today.  I still can't believe I'm writing that, it still doesn't feel real.  The only good thing about this day is maybe the date dread will ease off and I won't be constantly nauseous, grinding my teeth more than usual and the like.  I miss you every day Mom.  Thank you for the signs- sometimes so in my face that even the biggest skeptic would say "okay, that's not coincidence."  

I really need to get out of the house this weekend.  The weather is supposed to ease up for a few days and I want to take advantage for sure especially after this week.

Are you taking advantage of anything this weekend?

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