Happenings on the home front

I definitely have something to say about...

Why did Nationwide quit being on my side? - In the final planning stages of buying my home, I had to arrange for homeowner’s insurance. I chose to go with Nationwide Insurance and catching up with my former agent (Dick).

WELLLLLLLLLLL, my homeowner’s payment is finally due (after one year of home ownership - yea!) so I called Dick’s office and asked when am I getting my bill? Seems like my policy was going to expire at midnight March 19 (last night) with denial of renewal BECAUUUUUUUUSE of repairs not being done (as requested by Nationwide) on my house and patio. Nationwide was dropping me!

Well, it’s a good thing I called because I DIDN’T GET THE MEMO ON THIS!!!!!

My agent is a cool dude; it’s not his fault. He just writes policies and it is not his job to police unless one of his clients calls with a complaint.

Twice last year I got notices in the mail from Nationwide that a company inspector was snooping around on my property (without me being aware of it) and wrote up items that were considered hazards. The letter stated that the repairs were to be made by a certain date or risk cancellation of my policy.

I have absolutely no idea how this woman managed to come onto my property without being noticed. There was quite a bit of activity and plenty of people on the premises; all who never saw her.

Gary and I knew what needed done to the house and we made up a ‘to do’ list. Interior was on the higher priority with exterior on the lower priority list.

On the lower priority list: the outside staircase leading to the upstairs apartment had a loose handrail; rusted - simple fix requiring a bracket. We had it fixed; the agent came out and took a picture and e-mailed it to Nationwide.

That isn’t what the inspector wanted fixed; it was another railing - a cosmetic repair was what she was concerned about so we fixed that.

Then she slithered onto the property again; when? - we don’t know because, once again, no one saw her. “The structural integrity is compromised” on where the patio roof is attached to the garage so either replace or repair before March 2009 or risk cancellation of the homeowner’s policy. It was chipped paint from small leaks in the roof.

Dick happened to stop by to take a picture of the final repair to the staircase and I showed him the letter about the patio - the letter came in the mail that day but we had already repaired the roof. Dick inspected what this woman claimed was wrong and he saw nothing structurally threatening.

I’ve never had problems with them in the past but I definitely have problems with someone trespassing on my property. Maybe I didn’t get the letter prior to these inspections but, what excuse does this inspector have for not knocking on our door and announcing her presence?

I have been reinstated but I am considering dropping Nationwide like a bomb on a Nevada atomic test site.

The calls to 1-900-HOT BABE - My house has an apartment upstairs that I rent out to construction workers that come into the area to work at the First Energy power plant 3 miles north of us. It helps pay the bills for all the work that the house needs plus the mortgage.

That's the good thing.

The apartment is completely furnished with utilities included plus a washer/dryer combo. bed linen, dishes, cookware, basic cable, 19" color TV with VCR/DVD combo - all the comforts of home. It's sweet! Most of the guys who have been tenants have been very respectful of my property.

Since Gary was once a "road warrior" in his days as a union carpenter, he had the 'brilliant' idea to provide unlimited local and long distance service for upstairs. We have a package deal of two lines plus high speed DSL at a sweet price.

Well, we got a phone bill after one of the tenants left for $679.00 for a total of 9 phone calls (all the same night) to two different 'date' lines. We now have a block on the upstairs phone - live and learn. We thought that charges to 900 numbers would require a major credit card. Apparently not.

I was able to track down the former tenant and he has paid $500.00 so far towards the phone bill.

If this would have happened 35 years ago, I could have given him directions to the Modern Spa in Steubenville where he could have 'bundled' the hand-jive with add-ons for about $150.00. Inflated times we are living in now!!!!

'Ole Bessie' will be running soon! - That truck Gary found for us in East Cleveland for $500.00 has been sitting on the pad since a few days before Christmas. The transmission - dead; and I was 10 miles from home when it happened. Had to get the truck towed.

The nice Steubenville cop who made the call for me is the son of one of my high school teachers. He was just just a little boy when his dad was vice-principal and my sociology teacher.

The cop went to college at the University of Akron where he majored in business. He did the corporate thing and said being a cop was less stressful.

Anyway, we got another tenant upstairs (after nearly a two month vacancy) so the trany has been pulled and another one will be installed next week.

You need to get out more often! - When I graduated from art school, I had to leave the area to get a job in commercial art - the jobs weren't here. Going to school in Pittsburgh exposed me to a variety of cultures -nationalities, races, religions - that weren't prevalent here.

Now remember this as you read on - Pittsburgh is only 40 miles away but like it might as well be another planet.

My friend Joanna and I were discussing this in the grocery store one day (I was ranting about the inavailablity of some of my favorite pantry staples) plus, since we both had been away for thirty or more years, we know what the 'real world' out there is like.

Joanna and I are alike - both rebels - and we like progress and we just feel that too many people 'here' are just too set in their ways. Joanna (a former member of the MET Opera chorus) feels that everyone, upon graduation from high school should be required to leave town - or the valley - for 5 or so years to experience life in the real world. I agree.

Anyway, I have a new tenant who works for the county and yesterday we were having conversation and I said that one thing I miss is the cultural diversity that living in a metropolitan area offers. He asked what I meant so I told him about the people I met and the friends that I made.

"Are your Muslim friends radical?" he asked.

My one friend Kemal is a Cleveland RTA bus driver, born in the Bronx and is a Yankees fan. Whenever he spotted me walking, he used to slow down, open the door and yell, "The Tribe Sucks!" I dunno - is that radical? Nope, just a New Yorker.

Jack Scalia said to me, "The Tribe Sucks!" but I guess that's okay - he's Sicilian; from Brooklyn - and a Yankees fan. He just doesn't drive for RTA.

When my tenant started to talk about my friends' religion, I was so very tempted to suggest the book that my friend Sam recommends - "Islam for Dummies" but I have the feeling this guy would have thought this would have been my attempt of insulting him. I doubt he knows about the " for Dummies" series of books.

Ok, maybe I am being snarky.

Then my tenant asked, "You're not a LIBERAL, are you?"

Let's see - I'm a registered Democrat but don't necessarily vote a straight ticket; it all depends on the issue at hand and......

Maybe I'm confused but would like to think that - with my forever shorting out frontal lobe - I don't have a small mind, a liberal mind or a conservative mind; I just know it's one that doesn't always work well.

Just pay your rent on time, Pal. That's all I'm concerned about.

And yes, I am being snarky.

My little Guardian Angel - All Goldie really has to worry about is Mommy - is Mommy going to get me some tuna? Is Mommy going to fill my dry food bowl (it's Fiestaware and he deserves the finest oven safe stoneware).

My best boy walked me to and from the store the other night. He waited for me outside.

He's taking his nap now - I just took this picture of him.

Lucky little guy.