Serenity Now

I don't even know where to begin.... Let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start).  Today is check in for the students.  It's been a busy week with getting the apartments ready, and students who wanted to move in early, plus working at my other job.  Basically I am really tired and in no mood to deal with obnoxious people.  This is the longest post ever, and it is me just venting, so I won't feel bad if people don't read it.  I don't even want to re-read it to proof read it.  So if it doesn't make sense and my grammar is horrible I'm sorry.   
 My first annoyance was a guy who has no type of personality at all and when I tried to joke around with him he wasn't feeling it.  So I give up on trying to be nice and just give him his key and parking pass.  15 minutes later he comes in and is already defensive as he starts talking to me.  He tells me that the apartment he was shown was not the same apartment we put him in.  I explained that the apartment he was shown was a vacant apartment with the same layout, but not the exact apartment he would be in.  However, the apartment he was put in actually has a slightly smaller kitchen but a larger 1/2 bathroom.  For some reason back in the 70's when these were built, the apartments didn't all come out the same.  But I mean we are talking smaller by 16 inches, nothing major.  But he was trying to tell us that his bedroom was smaller than the one he was shown, blah blah blah.  Clark said he would take his measuring tape and measure the two rooms and they would be basically identical.  He said all of his stuff would not fit and if we couldn't move him to another apartment he was going to cancel his rent payment.  So I told him we didn't have any open spots and I was about to tell him I would look and see if I can move people around when he cuts me off and says "I'm not some freshman you can push around".  So I tell him, I'm not trying to push you around, but we honestly have not spots.  Then I figure out that we could move him to another apartment.  By that time Clark went over there and helped him move some stuff around and he was okay with it.  I keep laughing to myself just hearing him say "I'm not some freshman you can push around".  Ha ha, I guess I look like a really scary manager who tries to intentionally bully the tenants and "push them around".   
Now to my second annoyance.... we are keeping with the theme of me being a horrible manager and "spitefully trying to ruin people's housing experience".  So I have a girl stop by today (technically after move in hours) wanting to check in.  I have her sign the paperwork and I give her the key and she is on her way.  {I need to give a little bit of background info before I continue.  So when people come sign up I usually let them say what apartment they want to be in and they usually tell me they would prefer LDS people, or a certain age of roommates, etc.  I tell them I usually try to match people up based on age and religious preference as best as I can, but it's no guarantee.  Especially when someone is moving in with random people they don't know.  Sometimes once we start filling up spots, we realize we need to move people around to accommodate a shared spot or private spot.  It's confusing, but we make it work}.  It has never been a problem... obviously until now.
So this particular girl was moved from her original apartment to the one right next door.  Basically she is now in an apartment with 2 freshman girls and the girl she would share a room with was one year younger and a sophomore.  Apparently she is too mature for these "young girls" and can't even get to know them or give them a chance.  She just knows they will not get along, and she thinks they will be the same as girls she has lived with before.  She cannot live with freshman.  But the girl she would actually share a room with was exactly one year younger.  Since when is that "too young".  I told her I was sorry but there is no where else to put her and that maybe she should give them a chance, instead of making judgements after 10 minutes of being here.  So she pouts away with her mom and I think that's the end.... well I was wrong!  Very wrong!  So I go down to the Social Center to help Clark set up cable on the new TV.  I walk outside and the girl, her mom, and now her dad are all outside and he wants to talk to me.  He is a very very large man that is in a jazzy/hover round/power chair/motorized cart thing.  I don't have anything against large men in wheelchairs, but because of his size and his wheelchair he cannot get into my apartment.  So we are left to speak outside.  So in a nut shell he tells me that I am in the wrong and I moved his daughter without telling her and we promised her one thing and gave her another.  I broke the "verbal agreement" I had with his daughter when I told her that her original apartment choice was available and had older girls in it.  I explained that we have the right to move people around it is in the contract.  He tells me "you have no integrity, I though you were LDS".  That is a direct quote!  I guess he was trying to make me feel guilty, since I'm not being a very good member of the church.  When I was a freshman I had a kind of weird roommate(luckily we didn't share a room)  who wasn't LDS(doesn't matter, we can still live in the same apartment), she smoked (not in the apartment), she slept all day and was up all night.  Yes she was not my style or a person I would normally be friends with but we were nice to each other, if we were both in the kitchen or living room we would talk.  I didn't judge her and she didn't judge me.  Yes, we weren't best buds but we got along.  I told the Dad my little story of "not compatible" roommates and I said it in a way like "maybe you shouldn't be so judgmental of people and actually try to get to know these girls before giving up and running away!"  I don't think they even cared.  I feel sorry for this girl, that she can't be more open minded and try to make friends with people of all ages and backgrounds.  So finally I said well this is what we can do for you, if you don't accept it than I don't know what to tell you.  The girl handed me her key and the Dad decided to call Sonya.  Apparently he wants to sue us because we are unethical, we broke our promise (even though it was never promised), we moved her to another apartment, and we didn't give her 3 perfect roommates that are NOT Freshman and ARE LDS.  He would rather waste all of his money on a lawyer, than telling his daughter to toughen up, or having us fill her spot and giving him a refund when the spot is filled.  Smart guy we have here!  Or maybe just stubborn.  
This post is forever long and I didn't even write all of the details.  I am so tired after today.  It has been the worst Check In day so far!  I literally wish The Old's were still here.  Each year the students get more stuck up and feel entitled to everything, and their parents are more and more involved.  The term is "helicopter parenting"  and it is BAD.  Parents do not need to "hover" over everything their kids do.  Let them figure things out for themselves, especially being in College.  I'm pretty sure when I moved up for my Freshman year my Mom helped me move my stuff in, we went grocery shopping, and then she took me out to dinner and left for home.  She didn't get all in my business about roommates and if the apartment was in perfect mint condition.  I knew she was there if I needed her, but I didn't have her calling the apartment managers to complain about every little thing.  I'm just glad this dumb girl is gone and I won't have to deal with her complaining about her roommates all year long.  I guess I will have to deal with her when her Dad sues us and I have to write some statement about all my broken promises to this poor "mature" girl with immature roommates.  


*Disclaimer: I guess I should write that I do understand that you would feel a little annoyed if you thought you were going to be with a girl that was not a new freshman.  I would probably be a little confused as to why I was moved.  BUT  No where on her application did she write that she wanted to be with older, LDS girls.  She probably told me verbally, but I literally probably talked to about 150 students.  How am I supposed to remember each person's preference. So when I needed to move someone I thought moving her into a room with a girl ONE year younger wouldn't be a problem.  So I guess my anger is from the way the Dad handled the situation.  He was swearing, telling me that since I'm LDS I should have integrity, and basically "pushing ME around".  


We are going to the temple on Saturday.... I'm sure I can find some serenity there!


"Serenity Now"