Coming Soon

There are a few things I am looking forward to this summer and a few things I am not looking forward to.  Let's get the bad out of the way first shall we.

• The "Olds" aka "sunbirds" from Sun City Arizona.  They arrive in t-minus 7 days.  We can hardly wait!  So I did a little search on Sun City, Arizona because I was curious as to how this little "gem" of a city formed.  Well I found an interesting tid bit.  According to wikipedia: "Sun City started construction in the 1960s.  The community is well known to law students, as it is featured in the case Spur Industries v. Del E. Webb Development Co., 494 P.2d 700 (Ariz. 1972), commonly used in first year property law courses to illustrate nuisance law."  As I read those last two words I thought, hmm that is interesting because these "Olds" are a very big nuisance to Clark and I.  So I thought what is a "nuisance law" anyway.  Thanks to wikipedia again I found this: "nuisance means that which causes offence, annoyance, trouble or injury."  I believe these old people are in violation of a nuisance law.  I wonder if I have a solid case!  Here are some of my arguments:
•   Our first summer (2008) we were awakened at 8am to a tenant knocking on our door.  I get up to find out what the problem is.  He proceeds to tell me angrily that they almost "suffocated last night because our air conditioner was blowing out hot air".  I was new at this so I panicked not wanting the "Olds" to die so I sent Clark over right away.  Turns out he had pushed the button with a FLAME on it and NOT the SNOWFLAKE.  Clark had to remind him that flames mean hot and snowflakes mean cold.  After this I knew it was going to be a long summer!
• Fast Forward to 2009.  We are slightly more prepared and knowledgeable on how to handle our summer tenants.  A man knocks on my door and tells me that he went to turn on his light in his bedroom and a loud "popping noise happened and he thinks his light bulb exploded", except now his alarm clock and bedside lamp also do not work.  He isn't quite sure what happened.  So I say "it sounds like it might be your breaker box and you blew a fuse".  He looks confused.  I say "did you check your breaker box".  Still more looks of confusion, and he says "what is that?".  I tell him it is the grey box near your kitchen and he says "Oh!  that's what that thing is".  He is glad to find out that his light bulb did not explode! 
• They all stand outside and wait for their mail to come.  This wouldn't be annoying except that the mail boxes are right outside our front steps so if I need to go outside for anything I have to walk past them.  At that point I am stopped and they surround me telling me things that are broken and need to be fixed immediately, that the weeds are making their dogs sick when they eat them, that they would like a new item of furniture in their apartment, or that Arizona is currently 110 degrees!  You could ask me the temperature in Arizona on any given day and I would know the answer!  They love telling me how hot it is there.  Some days I don't want to even leave my house.  
• When I am showing students the apartments during the summer, they think they accidentally stepped into a retirement community.  I have to assure them that we are student housing during Fall and Spring semesters.  Then there is this one old guy who smokes and is outside all the time.  He is going a little crazy and he says incoherent things to me and the people I'm showing around.  It's a little embarrassing.

So you tell me are the "Olds" causing me annoyance or trouble.  I mean come on, being a prisoner in your own home is rough*  

• Also one of my best friends from high school is moving to none other than Arizona this summer.  This is on the "bad" list.  I will miss her dearly.  I may not be able to come visit, for fear of running into one of our dear summer tenants.  Although Arizona temperatures are tempting come winter time. 

Now for the things I'm looking forward to this summer:

• Seeing the Sun more often
• Going to California to visit Mr. Merrick
• Not being in School
• Trips to Bear Lake
• Camping
• Boating Trips
• Riding my bike (its a beach cruiser!)
• Going on walks
• Eating Shaved Ice
• Hiking
• Our 3rd Anniversary
• Corn on the Cob
• Peaches
• Getting the new iphone that is making its depute this summer.  
• The Fourth of July (a favorite holiday of mine)

You can find good in most anything.  I'm working on a "the glass is half full" attitude.  I may need to start a new blog dedicated just to stories of my summer.... that may be another thing I can look forward to this summer.  I hope you all have exciting things to look forward to this summer.  If you get bored, come spend a day with the sunbirds from Sun City!


*disclaimer: the "Olds" I talk about are a rare breed. I am not trying to be disrespectful to my elders.  I am very polite and respectful to them.  Many of them are quite normal, nice people.  Some however ruin it for the rest of them.  I would also like to say that my dear sweet Grandparents are nothing like the "OldsOlds" are special!