Tuesday 15 September 2009

MONDAY PHOTO-A-WEEK & DRAMA

i have basically been away from the net for nearly a week now.....can you believe it?!!!

if you have been reading michelle's blog you will already know about the stressful week she has had and i also ended up with migraines two days in a row because of stress and run-ins with michelle's new property manager. firstly, i was not going to tolerate this woman speaking to my daughter in such a rude and condescending manner and i told her so. her response was simply to tell me that i was an idiot (which she later denied) and hung up on me twice! i did not yell at her once but i guess she wasn't used to having someone pull her up about her attitude. in all the twenty years i have been renting, i have never come across such a rude and unprofessional property manager. the problem all started when the property manager was annoyed because michelle fulfilled her obligation as a new tenant and notified her of three quite serious problems in the townhouse that needed immediate attention. the woman's negative behaviour was unbelievable and she basically called michelle a liar. thankfully, a tradesman (plumber) was able to confirm that there was indeed a leak and quite a severe one at that. i doubt an apology from the woman will be forthcoming. i feel so bad for michelle because she was so excited and looking forward to this move only to have this horrible person spoil it for her. anyways, we ended up getting onto the residential tenancies authority and they were equally appalled by her treatment of michelle. we followed their advice and let michelle's property manager know, in writing, that she had better treat my daughter with respect from this point on and that if there are any more grievances, a representative from the RTA will be called in. michelle has not heard from her since. oh, and michelle and alex will be reporting her to the head office of the real estate company as advised by the RTA. i think this woman has managed to get away with treating tenants like second class citizens for far too long. hopefully, michelle and alex will be able to enjoy the rest of their tenancy in peace.

i helped michelle and alex clean their old apartment on sunday and ended up with chemical burns to the top parts of all the fingers on my right hand. OUCH! all thanks to some diluted oven cleaner finding its way into the rubber glove i was wearing. it hurts to type but i'm trying to type through the pain.....albeit very softly and slowly.

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MONDAY PHOTO-A-WEEK

after all the drama this week, i did do something to try and de-stress. on saturday, i took myself off to bunnings and bought a couple of lavender plants to pot and place outside the front entrance to our home.


and today, i noticed they are already attracting the bees. this little guy and i played a game of cat and mouse (i was the mouse) when i tried to take close-ups. i'd snap a pic then make a hasty exit as he came racing after me. we repeated the process a few more times when i decided i didn't want to run the risk of a bee-sting on top of all the other aches and pains i've had over the past two weeks.


this one is worth clicking on for a larger view


spring is definitely here. aaron's cactus is starting to flower.


i can't wait to start reading my regular blogs over the next couple of days. i've missed everyone sooooooo much and can't wait to see what you have been up to.


love, light and peace

18 comments:

  1. I was wondering where you were! I'm sorry Michelle was being treated so horribly. I will pray that things calm down for her so that she may enjoy her new space.

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  2. Serena, I'm so sorry about poor Michelle's plight. I certainly hope the work you've done to help her will bring about a permanent solution. Love your lavender, it looks so much sturdier than mine!

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  3. Too many times rude people get away with it because people are just afraid to speak up. Good for Michelle and for you....rude people need to be called on their behavior. It's so much nicer to be civilized and treat people with respect.

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  4. Wow! Quite a week! Hope your hand heals quickly. Must make it terribly uncomfortable to work!

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  5. Why do some people have to be so mean-spirited? I see no point in it. Hopefully, the property manager will get a personality make-over and leave Michelle alone! On a happier note, love the photos! Especially the cactus blossom.

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  6. Oh, I´m sorry Michelle had to deal with such an unkind person! Hopefully things will get better.

    Take care of yourself and those sore fingers. *gentle hug*

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  7. when you get a bit older and poor little Michelle too...... it will be simple to upbraid them right then and there if they are rude or miserable....it gets reeeeelly easy..... especially is you have had to deal with whackos and weirdos for very long..... I almost love to see them coming...hahahha.... and I just look them straight in the eye and say...don't be so rude or laugh and ask them who pissed on their cornflakes this morning... and if that doesn't work.... ask them the name of their manager or find out myself...and totally get rid of the rude one immediately.... no nice letters from me anymore....maybe I put up with too much for too long...and got downright mean I suppose.... but, it makes my life easier... ....don't let 'em get you down......

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  8. So sorry to hear about your daughter...I really don't like mean people!! Sounds like you tackled the problem and I hope it's smooth sailing this point on.

    Wonderful flower photo...that cactus flow is amazing!!!

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  9. Hi Serena,
    Oh dear, first Michelle with her teeth and now you with a migraine.
    I hope you're both feeling better now.

    Ah, good on you Mum for sorting out that woman and taking it to higher grounds.
    Hugs,
    Anna

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  10. ooh really nice shot of the bee :)

    good for them at reporting, she can't get away with that.

    ouch! about your hands :( sounds really painful

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  11. I was wondering where you were.. I have no idea why anyone can think that they have the right to treat others like this property mananger treated your daughter. Good tenants are very hard to come by and I wonder if the owner of the property would be very impressed with it.

    be careful of the chemical burns.. try some pawpaw ointment and next time try natural cleaning products ;) xo

    was missing you joining in the Artists way!

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  12. So Happy that you are back Serena I missed you. :(
    What a horrible person that property manager is. So sorry that you and Michelle had to go through so much stress because of that person.
    I am praying that everything from now on will be peaceful for Michelle at her new home.

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  13. What a mess to have to deal with! So glad you took it to the proper authorities. No one should have to deal with that.

    Gorgeous photo of the bee with the lavender blossom! You're right, it's so worth a closer look.

    Sorry to hear about your burns. What a pain, especially for you, with your hands being the tools for your beautiful paintings :(
    Take good care of them.

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  14. Oh my! I have been missing from blogland this past week and haven't read about what happened with Michelle. How awful that the woman was so nasty to both you and Michelle. Mean old biddy!

    Love youyr lavender. My grand daughter, Kelsey, and I used to grow lavender, dry it and use it in dream pillows. Such a wonderful smelling plant.

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  15. Thank you all so much for your supportive comments. If only everyone could be as lovely as my blogging friends.

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  16. I am just now catching up after having been away for quite a while, myself. Sounds like you guys handled the nasty person quite perfectly--and didn't sink to her level. :) I have had things like that happen to me many times in my life. And I think I finally figured out that sometimes we are put into situations TO create change. You all have probably saved a lot of other people from this woman's treatment--and have given the woman herself an opportunity to change. (Altho, sadly they often do not exactly leap on that opportunity--hehe!)

    I don't know why I am so scared of bees and wasps. Maybe I was stung to death in a past life--hehe! Love the smell of lavender, tho--and beautiful cactus! :)

    So sorry to hear about your rubber glove mishap and hope your poor hands are better and better. We all need your painting and typing hands in working order!! :):):)

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  17. What a beautiful cactus and bloom!!!

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  18. Glad you pulled that nasty women up by her boot straps and set her straight!! How horrible the Michelle had to deal with her!! Glad is is behind you and I have been missing from blogland myself so am just catching up with everyone. Love the lavendar plant.. I love the fragrance!!

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