Sunday, July 05, 2015

Taking stock

There was no blogging for several years.  It is now July, 2015.  My last blog was in 2013.  So much has happened.  I've been too busy to blog.   There seems to be a theme in my life.  It is, "Shit Happens".  For some unknown reason, I am experiencing one of every delay and disaster type.  My life reads like a cheap novel. 


Let's see:   There was mildew in the apartment, tenants that tried to cheat me, several floods and storms, frozen pipes, the betrayal of my sister who stole my inheritance. (This reminds me of the story of Joseph with the coat of many colors.  Was she jealous?)   We are now permanently out of each other's life.  This is a tragedy, but I know it will never improve. 


I received a phone call from several friends with the same message.  It was "You had better get home right away.  Your house may be on fire.".  Good possibility, but this one was a near miss.  The fire hydrant just outside my door has failed.  The reason is probably that there is a lot of sand and dirt in the fire hydrant's piping system, from the Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy.   The fire consumed 2 houses right to the ground.  It was working on the house right next door to me and coming my way.  My house was engulfed in thick acrid smoke.  Fortunately, the Fire Department got the fire out before it ate the third house and came for mine.   Close call.


My tenants in Orange are moving out.  As I inspect the house, I see bugs in the pantry.  Another plague to deal with.  There are roaches in the house.  An exterminator is on the case.  I hand the bill to the tenants, which they gladly pay, as they don't want to move roaches along with their furniture.  I will be paying for monthly sprays for a year.  In that way, I am sure that there are no roaches in this house ...which I want to sell,, but am hesitant to list for sale with roaches in the pantry.  Oh my.


This is the same house that now has another insect infestation.  I have a hive of honey bees living in a bent gutter on the front of the house.  You can't miss them.  They buzz back and forth, going about their little bee business, gathering nectar and making honey.  The exterminator for the roaches won't touch the honey bees.  They are protected in the state of Connecticut.  I agree.  I like them, little workers .  Instead, a bee keeper is called in.  I saw him this morning.   He has 2 ways of removing the bees.  One will take only 1 day, but it means ripping up the siding.  hmmmm...no.  What is the other way?  He will set up a one way door over the bees.  They can fly out, but they can't fly in.  He sets up a fresh bee hive near by.  The evicted bees settle into the new hive.  Over the course of several weeks, most of the bees are in the new hive.  Then a surprise!   the bee keeper opens the door, so the bees can re-enter the old hive.  They do so and suck up all the honey.  ..  which they move to their new hive.  In the meantime, the old queen has died because no one is feeding her.   After a few weeks, the old hive is completely dry and clean.  There are no bees.  There is no honey.  The beekeeper picks up the new hive, hands me a bill for $400 and take the new colony away.  All that I have to do is, have the bent gutter repaired.   Will do that, with much gratitude to the gentle bee keeper, Mr. Harrington.




Let's see;  I am still taking stock of this long progression of disasters.  I don't have the patience of Job, but I begin to see that there is some unseen purpose here.  It could be a test of faith?  I am not sure.  


Then there was the tenant that left the house filled with garbage.  The process of cleaning out the house and finding dead mice, resulted in me contracting Lyme Disease, which I will have my entire life.


Does that complete the list?   Fire, Flood, Financial reversal, family betrayal, illness and insect infestation.  I think that does it for me. 



























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