Let's hear it for air conditioning!

It was a rather long, hot, wet night last night - and not the good kind, either.

But we survived. It did cool off into the mid 70s in the apartment, and it was cool enough that I had to cover up about 5:30 this morning. But it was very humid - at least for my taste.

The maintenance guy stopped by about 30 minutes ago, checked that the coil had defrosted (it was pretty much a solid sheet of ice yesterday), put a new filter in and then charged up the outside unit with freon (or whatever they're using these days).

And cold air is now flowing from the vents and I can feel the place drying out a bit.

I'm gonna keep my eye on the temperature in here today as well as taking a look at the coil periodically to make sure it doesn't freeze up again.

Twits, I tell you!

So I paid the rent this month using my bank's web bill pay system. Not a big deal - do it all the time with other bills, etc.

Just to be sure everything was taken care of, I go down to the apartment office yesterday and ask the manager if she received my rent check. She said that she had.

I get a call from her this afternoon:

Her: "Remember yesterday, when you came down and asked if I had received your rent check? Well, when I looked it up yesterday, I saw one for apartment 728 [we are 128] and their last name also begins with 'R', and my 7 looked like a 1 and I didn't look further, so I told you I had received it, but I didn't get it until today. It just came in the mail today. And, um...."

Me: "Ok."

Her: "Well, um...."

Me: "Well, you told me you received it yesterday, so I didn't think anything else of it."

Her: "But, I didn't get it until today."

Me: "So, do you want me to bring you $10 for a late fee?"

Her: "Well, it's $50. There's a $50 late fee on the 4th."

Me: "So, even though I came down to the office yesterday and specifically asked you if you had received the rent check, and you said yes, and even though if you had taken just an extra moment to confirm it and to see that you didn't receive it, you now want me to pay the $50 late fee."

Her: "Well, what could you have done even if I had told you I hadn't received it?"

Me: "I would have called the bank to find out what was wrong and made sure you got the payment yesterday to avoid the late fee."

Her: "Well, um...."

Jiminy Christmas!!!! @#(*)&$!@#(*$&@#!!!!!!!!!

How FREAKING HARD is it to be accurate?!?! Why should I be penalized for YOUR FREAKING MISTAKE?!?!

This is the second time (possibly the third time) that I have been told one thing by the office and the very next day have been told the exact opposite - and that it was their fault, but that there was nothing they could do about it, sorry.

As much as I do love this apartment, I am having a real hard time dealing with the management. I think we will have to seriously look into what we can do to get out of our lease and find someplace else - preferably a house - to rent.

I certainly don't look forward to moving again so soon, but I am getting really fed up with the general incompetence.

Grrrrr.

*sigh*