The building I live in changes light bulbs in our apartments for us. I don't know if that is the norm for apartment maintenance, but that is certainly how we roll here in the fancy schmancy life. Two of my bulbs had passed on to the great fluorescent afterlife, one of them quite a while ago, but I had put off requesting change because I find it so intrusive. Plus it wasn't like I was stumbling around in the dark, there are plenty of other lights to go around. But one of them was the one over the sink in my bathroom where I stare at the ravages of time in the mirror, so I broke down the other day and put in a request and just now the light bulb guy showed up.
He seems nice enough; turns out our regular maintenance man, whom I like, is in the hospital. "He may have to go to rehab" was the alarming and obscure sum total of the info this guy was willing to share. I didn't want to pry, it seemed rude, and my delicacy was rewarded by this new maintenance man not saying anything else. Maybe there's a code of silence among janitors.
Actually his reticence was okay with me, fix my lights and get out, that's my motto. Part of the reason why I find it so intrusive is that they insist on doing any of this maintenance stuff during the day. In fact, this latest incursion happened at 10 IN THE MORNING, if you please. As usual, I think this whole morning thing is highly overrated.
The cats and I were sound asleep and I don't know which of us was the most alarmed. One of them responded by running in the bathroom to take a huge and particularly smelly dump. As is so common amongst his brethren, Mr. Maintenance Guy was spiffed up with a substantial dose of affordable cologne so between the cat poop and him, the experience was very fragrant.
I'm going back to bed. Here are some guys I wish were accompanying me:
Quite a few bulbs about to blow (or be blown) there, methinks... Jx
ReplyDeletePS Is your usual janitor Amy Winehouse?
I wondered what rehab exactly the poor dear was being faced with. He always seemed like a very respectable sort.
DeleteAre you able to request a time for the intrusion or are you at the building’s mercy?
ReplyDeleteI am sure the smelly cat dump got the guy to hurry up and do it as quickly as possible.
I just just turn in the request for maintenance and the guy shows up when he shows up. If the smelly cat dump hurried him on his way, I need to reward the kitties.
DeleteTen in the morning is ridiculous. My building decided to test the damn fire alarms last month, without any warning. They did this at 10:15 am. I wasn't even human yet, much less dressed! And there weren't any hunky firemen!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, too
Fire alarm testing is the worst. Our alarms are designed to be as obnoxious as humanly possible in order to drive you from the apartment.
DeleteDid Bob come to replace Jane's lightbulb before 10 in the morning too, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteI think Jane's problems all stem from that ugly dress and dreadful wig.
DeleteClearly our man Ginger is tired out from hauling that tackle around all day. Talk about skookum...
ReplyDelete