Monday, November 19, 2012
The Association
I think I may have previously mentioned that I am the treasurer of my condo association. If not, well, I'm mentioning it now. Get excited. It's a wholly thankless position that primarily involves filling out forms and depositing checks, which are two of my greatest skills. Because I do have the checkbook, sometimes people listen to me a little bit more when it comes to arguing over things like what kind of patio furniture we should buy for the roof deck or who we should hire to shampoo the carpets in the common areas, but I would hardly consider that to be a fringe benefit. The power to have residents randomly executed would be much more my speed.
Speaking of which, our new first floor neighbors continue to have incredibly loud parties every weekend (and sometimes on random Tuesdays at 10:30 PM), which has led to a thrilling flurry of email bickering. It is, of course, ridiculous that a homeowner in his late twenties feels the need to pump European his dance music so loudly that the entire building shakes until the very dead of night, and even more ridiculous that he keeps a giant bong in his living room and leaves not just his own front door open but also the front door to the entire building, but these actions also don't seem to me like a very fertile subject for discussion. Which is probably why they've never been a topic on The McLaughlin Group. To me, it's just a short email (or in person visit) to the tune of "stop fucking doing that." But that's just me. So I spent a good chunk of my day today as kindergarten teacher to the building, trying to keep my fellow residents from burning each other's units down by typing soothing phrases like "I think this is a good point for discussion" and "I understand why someone might feel that way." Really, the only option left open to me at this point is just to move.
I think I may have previously mentioned that I am the treasurer of my condo association. If not, well, I'm mentioning it now. Get excited. It's a wholly thankless position that primarily involves filling out forms and depositing checks, which are two of my greatest skills. Because I do have the checkbook, sometimes people listen to me a little bit more when it comes to arguing over things like what kind of patio furniture we should buy for the roof deck or who we should hire to shampoo the carpets in the common areas, but I would hardly consider that to be a fringe benefit. The power to have residents randomly executed would be much more my speed.
Speaking of which, our new first floor neighbors continue to have incredibly loud parties every weekend (and sometimes on random Tuesdays at 10:30 PM), which has led to a thrilling flurry of email bickering. It is, of course, ridiculous that a homeowner in his late twenties feels the need to pump European his dance music so loudly that the entire building shakes until the very dead of night, and even more ridiculous that he keeps a giant bong in his living room and leaves not just his own front door open but also the front door to the entire building, but these actions also don't seem to me like a very fertile subject for discussion. Which is probably why they've never been a topic on The McLaughlin Group. To me, it's just a short email (or in person visit) to the tune of "stop fucking doing that." But that's just me. So I spent a good chunk of my day today as kindergarten teacher to the building, trying to keep my fellow residents from burning each other's units down by typing soothing phrases like "I think this is a good point for discussion" and "I understand why someone might feel that way." Really, the only option left open to me at this point is just to move.
