Busy Week

We have had a busy week here at the apartments.
-Racoon trapping - they started hanging out by the pool at night. They were leaving little presents.
-Leased two vacant units (you will not believe how many phone calls and tours this takes)
-Preleased a unit that is not yet vacant (if she can prove her income.)
-2 malfunctioning dishwashers
-1 humid refrigerator
-1 broken exterior light fixture
-Plumbers!
-Had to talk to a neighbor about him feeding stray cats. They poop all over my apartment complex. I trap them and havethem destroyed (avg. price > $200 per cat.) I found out that he feeds the strays to control the rats that live in the ivy at the back of the property I manage. New solution: I put out rat bait stations, he stops feeding the cats. Ahhh diplomacy.

Additionally, we tried to buy a small apartment building that was being short-sold. Got the loan approved and made the offer only to find out the buyer had accepted an offer a couple of days before we made ours. I am totally relieved. I barely have time to do all the stuff I do now. How could I have managed a neglected building in a bad neighborhood? I was very troubled for the two days after the offer was made but before we found out we were too late. I am glad someone else bought it.

Athanasia has decided to work on a second Masters degree beginning in September. Stanford will pay for it. (That's a really nice benefit.) She's going to study disaster management. Sounds like fun!

Last night I went to a planning/information meeting for the Cub Scout camping trip next week. That was interesting. The council office lost our registration paper work. So, we're putting that back together now. I had a lot of questions from members of our pack that they wanted answered. I was able to get those answers at the meeting last night. So that was good. More and more I am impressed with the Boy Scouts. Such a neat organization and run almost entirely by volunteers.

Speaking of volunteers, Athanasia completed her training to be a Red Cross volunteer. So now, if someone's house burns down, or if there is a flood, or (God forbid!) another big quake my wife will be on site to help. Sometimes I wonder what I did to get her. God is amazingly good to me.

I've been reading my textbooks for the history degree I am starting next month. They are a lot of fun. I think I'm really going to enjoy this program.