However, (you had to know there was a however was coming).... however, life at the illustrious Turkington Manor has gotten so interesting that I felt I had to get it off my chest. For anyone who has missed the unparalleled pleasure of spending anytime in our little nest of an apartment I feel I must share some basic background. The cinder block family housing was built just after the fall of man and hasn't had much invested in continual maintenance or upkeep in decades, and has recently been scheduled for demolition to make room for new family housing. Currently four units in the building are condemned due to raw sewage overflows due to ongoing plumbing issues. (nice and smelly)! Thankfully, we live on the other end of the building but the lovely leaks have made their way into the shared storage in the basement. I apologize in advance for my stinky winter sweaters in the upcoming months...
Kevin and I had just recently worked the cramps out of our faces from our 'grin and bare it' stance on our living conditions, knowing we are in count down mode to our move back to the Peach State. Living in student housing was a decision we made to help us take on as little debt as possible during our time at Asbury. (Taking on student loans in our mid thirties means we will still be paying for them when our children are in college-- not quite the college savings plan I had in mind). So little set backs like our bathroom fan making a screeching sound like something dying a painful death, like the window seals all being busted so each bustling breeze or train rumble (we live close to busy tracks) starts the shaking of the panes that has a nice crescendo in the early morning hours, like the paint pealing off the banisters to the degree that if I was a more active parent I should have CB tested for lead poisoning, or like the small waifs of sewage blowing through on the evening breeze were all taken in 'count down' stride. Yet, last night when our precious neighbor Courtney Coates came by to tell us of the large and active roach colony right outside our apartment I felt like it could be my last straw. Now our little nest was their nest too-- I am not willing to share.
Although I am not afraid of roaches I feel I share most people's rather strong dislike of them and I was so proud of my barefoot pajama-clad husband as he went into the dark of night to fight a brave but futile battle with the little beasts. Unfortunately, to no avail as they had him outnumbered 100 to one. So today I am sure as I sit here writing this post a kind member of the maintenance staff, who really try to do there best with the old building, will come a spray roach-death juice all around our building and all over my weedy but organic garden.
Will this be the end?
Will this be the last straw of Turkington vs. Barnes?
