Moving Woes, cont.

I've not been writing much, but that's primarily because I was in the process of moving, didn't have internet, and didn't really have a whole mess of time to do anything other than unpack.

But now most of that is complete, except for a jaunt back to Chicago to clean the old place up and get the few remaining bits and pieces out.

Unfortunately the management, and all of the stupid companies they've contracted to show the place, are being indescribably annoying.

For instance: I was always under the impression that you needed to give 24 hours before entering an apartment. Apparently not so for my place! Since they began showing it around a month ago I've gotten maybe 5 or 6 "courtesy calls" that were more than a day in advance. Usually it's around 2 hours. Or, in the case of the last night, 15 freaking minutes.

While I could just say no, I think it would drive me even more insane. It's not just one company, it's 4 or 5. ALL of them pull this garbage.

And we haven't even gotten to my management company itself. I moved two hours away, I can't just drive back there whenever it tickles my fancy. When trying to find out where I should turn in my keys, I was told that I need to schedule a checkout appointment. You know, the time where they go through your empty place to assess crap for the security deposit return? They want me to be there for that. Why? I've lived in a lot of different apartments, and have never once been required to schedule a check out appointment, is this practice normal?

Oh, and if they can't come on Sunday, I'll have to drive back down there yet again for what I'm sure will amount to a twenty minute awkward walkthrough. I just want to be done with those assholes forever.

Lane Switching and You : A Driving Primer

I make the Chicago to Milwaukee trek at least twice a month, and every damn time I witness the same type of driving stupidity.

When riding I-90/94 heading out of the city, you will encounter a split, a choice of directions. Left is O'Hare Airport, right is Milwaukee.

They start warning you of this impending split two miles in advance. With huge green signs. Left three lanes go to O'Hare, right to Milwaukee. For two miles.

Yet every single time I run in to this -

Marvel at my arts talents

Really... REALLY?! Was smacking your signal and switching lanes just sooo difficult that you couldn't do it with two miles worth of warnings? And while yes, their are on-ramps within those two miles, keep in mind that traffic is going all of 30mph. It's not that hard to move over a few lanes in a half-mile distance. And it's usually not those people causing the problems anyway, it's morons who ride in the 4th lane from the left until the last available second before their brain thinks "Oh shit, maybe I should get into the third lane from the left!!!!"

Ugh. It's like the people who see "lane closing 1000 feet" signs, and then ride it till the last possible second before either nearly hitting another car, or plowing into the orange construction barrels. Believe it or not, the warnings can help you not look like a complete idiot.

The Annoyances of Moving

Since 2004 I've lived in seven different buildings, in four different cities, in three different states. I hate moving. Thanks college.

And now I'm moving again, to city #5, which is in a different state from city #4, but at least it's close enough to not be completely frustrating. Plus my parents live near the new place, so I can take crap up to their place when I visit. And I'll be paying for two apartments during July, just to give me some time to move and transition and clean. Smooth sailing, right?

No. I am not on a fun boat with T-Pain. Fail.

Wrong. See, it would be great if it wasn't for my landlord/management company. I tell them I'm moving. I even given them the date that the truck is coming in (which is a full four weeks before the lease ends). I assure them that we will be completely moved and cleaned up with at least two weeks to go on the lease.

Then, they say that I should try and "move faster" so that they can come in an take pictures of the place for advertising. They say this when I have seven weeks left on my lease. Seven weeks and you want me to move faster? And this is right after they make sure I'm still going to pay them for July. Freaking of course I will, didn't I just say I'd still be there at least two weeks into the month?

So OK, I get some stuff up to my parent's house, take my own pictures, now I hope they'll get off my case.

Oh no! Someone shows up to look at the place yesterday, I had no advance warning of this. I had a missed call a few days back from a local area code, but there was no message. Was I supposed to be psychic and deduce exactly the moment these people were coming by? Was I suppose to call back this mystery phone number that had left no message? Hell no, I never do that. If I don't know you, and you don't leave a message, I write it off as a wrong number, because for some reason I get loads of those.

And better yet, the guy showing the apartment seemed confused when I said the lease ended July 31st. I really hope he's just confused (there is at least one other unit in the building currently being shown) because otherwise my landlord is apparently trying to rent this place while all of my furniture is still there with a month left on my stinking lease.

Moving is the best.

Whatever, I'm going to go back to listing to Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. Which, by the way, is the exact opposite of I'm on a Boat, as it is considered The Saddest Song Ever Written. But that's a tangent for another day.