poop. 😐

Honestly, I had hoped to have a proper picture-management system built into the blogging software by now. Unfortunately I'm facing an infrastructure hurdle that I'm not going to solve until I move to MI, get settled, and take the time to move this blog to another hosting service.

But I really wanted to have something up and running in time for the road trip, as that should offer up some prime photo sharing opps. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it, but I may shoehorn something in temporarily just so I can share along the way. 🙂

Or maybe I'll just share a cloud link or something.

I don't know.

Anyway, yeah, so there may be a ghetto picture system here soon. Be gentle with it, I promise to get something sincere up here eventually. 🙂

Well, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm kind of stuck waiting for a few days. So, why not come back and post a little more? 🙂

Is it gonna be good stuff? 🙂 Haha, of course not!! 😀 But that's OK, it's all minor shit... but maybe worth sharing. 🙂

The Elevator Update

So my morning starting by reading the following email, sent by the building manager for my condo:

This Is (One Of Many Reasons) Why I Won't Miss Seattle

On the surface that email seems fine, right? Maybe even friendly and polite? If this was day 2 or 3, maybe even into the 2nd week, it could arguably be appropriate. But it's not, this is day fucking 25.

"I will send another update out towards the end of the week." 😮 That's in 10 days. 😠 The maximum repair time, according to Seattle's Renter's Rights laws is 10 days. It's been 25 and their next update will be in another 10. I mean, why not? This is all just chill as fucking hell, right?

And look at how fucking casual they are about the fact that the wrong part was ordered. Two weeks ago , when we were told the part was delayed, I emailed asking for the part number of the part that we're waiting on.

Why? Because I have the magic power of google and I can look up inventories like a fucking wizard! I'm genuinely curious what part on a modern elevator in a modern building (<20 years) in one of the largest cities in America is so fucking difficult to obtain that we're stuck for this long. Well, sure enough, two weeks ago, instead of providing me the part number, the Building Manager replied with "elevator parts".

Hahah... I can assure you, I very fucking quickly googled the location of their office. Then... deep breaths..

So, yeah, fast forward another 2 weeks and we get this email above.

It's dumb shit. A single fucking part, on a modern day elevator. I mean, how? How is this is even fucking possible? I can get pair of pants shipped to me direct from China in 5 days for $3.99. But getting someone to step up and own their own shit here is impossible.

This is fucking Seattle. I know it may seem unfair to take a single experience and extrapolate it to an entire city, but that's not what I'm doing. I'm pointing out to you, my dear friends, one of many, many experiences I've had in this city that's so clearly a combination of a cultural celebration of mediocrity and strange pride in self-absorbed apathy.

There's a general shittiness in the people here. And trying to get my landlord, the building manager, or anyone at the management company to care is the very definition of a Sisyphean effort. I'm aware that the West Coast is more laid-back than most of the country, and the PNW is maybe even more-so. But at some point, you're not "laid back", you're just a selfish asshole.

In Seattle, fixing an elevator is akin to landing on the fucking moon.

Anyway, I fired off quite the email reply to the Building Manager and the CEO of the management company as well. Not because I expect anything at this point, but just because I enjoy telling people they're fucking assholes. I also CC'd my landlord as a free lesson on how to be a fucking landlord.

Anyway, so... bitch, bitch, bitching aside... what else is up?

I'm. Never. Leaving.

Yesterday I mentioned that I was likely going to aim for this Friday as my 3rd attempt at moving out. I don't know. I may, I may not...

• First off, my back. I mean, I don't know, I think it's getting better, but it definitely still hurts. I'm wearing the back brace right now actually. If it doesn't get me to a certain point of confidence, then I'm just going to bite the bullet and pay for movers. I mentioned my IKEA furniture didn't justify the cost, and they don't. Saving some furniture isn't worth it, but saving my back is. That said, that does put a slight premium on sitting in place.
• I wanted to be in Michigan around mid-July so that I could find an apartment and get moved in by August first. That would've given me a nice, slow transition before school actually starts in early September. Time to explore the campus and the region. However, I don't need to be in Michigan until late August. Again, that's not the goal... but I am pointing out that I do have a little more time to work with.
• I'm not paying rent here in August. I've made it clear to my landlord that's never, ever going to happen. Things are testy, and I'm sure I'll never see my security deposit again at this point anyway, but if he wants another dime from me he's gonna have to fight me for it. Soooo... that does at least take the pressure of needing to leave by the end of the month. If he has to lose rent because he refused to advocate for his tenant, such is life.

Yes, I definitely want to be out of Seattle as soon as I possibly can. But, maybe it's actually in my best interest to chill out for another week or so and just rest up and not worry.

I don't know.

I'm as ready to leave here as I am ready to move on to what's next. At this point, it's not the elevator, the moving truck or any of that. It's just my back. As soon as I'm healthy enough to move, or in a few more days, when I decide to just get movers, then I'm gone. As soon as I can... but no sooner than when it feels time to push the last push.

So, yeah, I'm frustrated. But there is a silver lining... and that is that I'm frustrated because I'm beyond-antsy to get going. And that's a good sign.

Now, if I can just get the fuck out of here! 😂

It's July 23rd, and I'm sitting at a cafe writing this blog. In Seattle. Still in fucking Seattle.

In Seattle.

Still in fucking Seattle.

This was not the plan. The plan was to have my place fully moved out on July 17th. This plan had a U-HAUL storage pod being delivered to my place on the 16th. But, you know, life fucks you...

Let The Fuckings Commence

Fuck Me Once

The elevator in my building broke. This happened on June 25th. In the three years I've lived here, the elevator has broken down several times. Each time, it was up and running within 3 or 4 days. So, as you can imagine, when it broke on June 25th, I wasn't overly worried about my July move out.

July 10th, I send my landlord (I'm renting a private condo in a private building) a text, telling him it's been 2 weeks already and I'm getting a bit worried.

July 13th, I send another text, telling him there still hasn't been any further communication from the building management company and I needed a working elevator to move out. He says he'll look into it. I hear nothing back.

July 16th, I cancel the U-HAUL POD delivery. Cue: fumes.

July 18th, I send an email to my clearly-useless landlord. I tell him I'm not going to be cleaning the unit on exit without a working elevator. I tell him I'm expecting him to pay for my movers. And I inform that he's now in violation of Seattle's rental laws by not repairing within a mandatory 10 days.

A very testy phone call ensues. Landlord suggests I should be nicer. I tell landlord I'm not giving the keys back, not moving out, and he can fuck himself. The conversation continues along similarly positive paths.

Fuck Me Twice

Right, so I'm fucked. Got it.

Movers are quoting me $600-900 as minimum costs. My entire set of IKEA furniture is less than $600. I'm thinking it's not worth getting movers... and as much fun as it was to threaten my cunt of a landlord, I don't have the time, energy or money to take him to court in Seattle after I move halfway across the country. So, it becomes hard to justify payiing for movers just for a few boxes.

That said... I am on the 5th floor. Moving out without an elevator is going to be hell, yes, but it is what is it.

Fuck me.

So I get the UHAUL rescheduled for, well, tomorrow. July 24th. Here we go...

I have a POD scheduled to be delivered on the 23rd and then picked up on the 24th. The intention is to spend the 24th getting it packed and then having it picked up by the end of day. This way, my stuff is never left overnight in the storage pod parked against the curb. Why is this important? Because I live in Seattle, and Seattle is swarming with human trash and they will break-in overnight.

Well, sure enough, last Friday, the 19th, I get a call from UHAUL to work out the scheduling and delivery logistics. I explain that I don't care when they drop it off on the 23rd, but I need a late pick-up on the 24th.

"The delivery and pick-up window is from 8-5", the UHAUL ass explains to me. Long-story-short, I end up talking with a supervisor, explaining my story, explaining that the corporate UHAUL office (the logistics folks are very local) was clear that I could ask for a late pick-up. I also explain that I can't leave my shit out overnight for the reasons explained above.

The response, was a snappy, overly-short, "The delivery and pick-up window is from 8-5". Fuck them, but I this isn't the war to wage... at least not right now. OK dickhead, I have a NINE FUCKING HOUR window. Great, that means the worst-case scenario is that these douchebags will pick up the box at 8am.

It'll suck, but it's another week away. The elevator will for sure be working by then. I'll have to wake up at like 3 or 4 in the fucking morning and pack like I'm on cocaine, but I can do it.

Fuck Me Thrice

Fuckings aside, time's a tickin'. I must go.

So here we are, the last weekend before the move (not the weekends really matter when you don't work). I'm packing the condo. Walking downstairs for the millionth time, I'm carrying some trash to dumpster room. Stairs, turn, stairs, turn, stairs, turn, *tweak*.

Stop.

"Hmmmm... was that my back?" I think as I give a little shimmy, followed by a little shake. "I'm OK", I think, finishing the walk down the stairs.

By the end of that day, my little back tweak has turned into some sincere pain. Fuck. Am I sore, or did I really hurt something? 🙁 Fuck. I mean, something feels... well... fucked. But I can't tell if it's fucked fucked, or grab-an-ice-pack fucked. This was Sunday.

Yesterday, Monday, I took it reeeeal easy. I also went and bought a back support brace... arguably one I should've bought before I fucked my back... but I am hoping some support not will help. I felt better in the morning compared to the evening before, but still, it feeling more injured than sore. 🙁

Before yesterday's 2pm cutoff, I decide to call it. Between UHAUL's bullshit 8-hour window (forcing me to rush), the broken elevator, and now my fucking back, trying to get the storage pod packed in 4 hours is feeling impossible (though trivial if I had an elevator and my back wasn't shit). So I canceled the delivery. 😢

Limping Forward

Umm... OK. So now, yeah, take three I guess?

I think the storage pod delivery is becoming too difficult. In addition to the bullshit above, I have to apply and pay for a permit from the city for the storage pod, and get a second (albeit free) permit for the parking space. And the permit folks took 2.5 weeks to reply the first time, so I'm not keen on trying that again.

Instead, I'm going to have the storage pod delivered to a local UHAUL storage place. Then I'm going to rent a UHAUL truck, pack it at my condo, drive it to the storage place, and then unpack the truck and pack the storage pod. 😐 I mean, fuck me!, right??

As for my back? I've been popping a mix of Tylenol and Advil while wearing this fucking back brace. I've also been laying down a lot. But yeah, I'm hoping it's going to continue to feel better, and be usable in time.

And the elevator? I've given up on that. This is going to be a shit show.

I'm going to aim for this Friday, I think. I haven't scheduled anything because I wanted to see how my back felt this morning. It's still inconclusive so I figured I'd wait until the week's end. I'm hoping by the end of the week, my back will feel strong enough for me to get this shit done. If not, I'll probably just break down and pay for some movers. Either way though, without a working elevator, I plan on leaving quite a bit behind. Nothing critical, but definitely my furniture and a few things I can go without.

On top of this, my condo will be left looking like a shit hole. I'm not fucking my shit up carrying trash down the stairs again. I'm not holding my breath on getting my security deposit back at this point.

So, Yeah...

I'm trying to get out. I'm not successful yet... but I am trying...

pray for my back. 🥲

Well, I've registered for Fall classes! 🙂 I guess it's time to make it official:

Yup, I'm headed off to the University of Michigan - Dearborn! 🙂

I'll go into more details soon. Honestly, right now, I'm kind of drowning with my struggles to get the fuck out of Seattle, and I'm not really in the happy-blogging sort of head-space right now. When I'm past that bullshit, hopefully I can circle back to this and share with you guys how I ended up here finally. 🙂

Until then, at least we've made it official. I'm about to be a wolverine! 😀

I will share which school I'm going to! I promise!!

Actually, as of now I'm registered for 1 of 2 classes. After being denied from registering for any courses last week, I seem to have progressed, slightly. But I'm still stuck, and until it's done, it's not official, at least not in my mind.

Hopefully this week? Maybe?

I emailed someone at the University asking for help, so let's see. Once I'm registered, then it's official. Once it's official, then I'll share. 🙂

But right now... grrrr. 😐

Truth be told though, I'm ready to fucking get going already.