We v They

"Only one valid law: never belittle others, never belittle yourself."

~Marty Rubin

Yesterday, I needed to take a little trip down to Oakland, to the County Assessor's office to look up the property description for the apartment... um... illegal apartment I am living in. What I found pretty much confirmed things, my apartment unit does not appear in the official legal description of the property! So, it seems that my little cottage will indeed be torn down sometime in the not too distant future. But I found out an additional piece of information, the two units next door to me on the property also don't exist, so that means that this mess is going to displace at least 3 of our neighbors, and possibly more, because now there is some fear that some recent renovations done on yet another unit, the duplex in the front of the property, may have been done illegally as well! It's beginning to seem more and more like the entire property is pretty much going to have to be torn down to the dirt.  Soon it will be a LARGE empty lot, in the middle of the hills. Lonely, and lifeless except for the gopher that loves to dig around in my yard in the back of my cottage. I am going to miss Murray.

So, while this whole thing is pretty awful, and really sad, and completely scary, it's also pretty damn insulting! The property management sent us a notice to vacate in 30 days, which is also illegal. I have lived her 14 years, under the law I am entitled to 60 days notice. Any property management that can read and chew gum at the same time, should be able to look that up on the Internet... or do they think I am stupid? Yeah, I think they probably do, but I am not. I have contacted an attorney, who is reassuring me that we will get through this, and we might even be able to recoup some of our losses and moving expenses. All I want is what I am legally entitled to. Since living here we have paid over $100,00 in rent, on an apartment that was never legal. And now, because of the sudden expulsion from my home, I have been put in a situation where I may have to face giving up my cats. I don't know what is going to happen in the next 2 months, I am just holding on, and taking it like Kimmy Schmidt does, in 10 second increments.

Mood: Hanging In There

~Me :)

FUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKK

"You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months over analyzing

 a situation' trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could've, would've happened... 

or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move the fuck on."

~Tupac Shakur

Okay, well, FUCK! Last night I found a note taped to my front door, or I should say, taped to the front door of a cottage I have been renting for 14 years, giving me 30 days to GET OUT. Why am I being evicted? Because, as it turns out, this cottage has been an illegal apartment since 1965. No permits, no verified inspection certificate, just a "cute, cozy" illegal dwelling! End of story! So, I have been paying for 14 years, and making minor repairs, and treating this place like I owned it, only to be kicked out of it, with 30 days to find not only a place we can afford... in Alameda County... but a place that will allow my three cat children. 

My family. My babies. 

In two months the owner of my cottage will be tearing my my cottage down, as if it never was. As if all the memories we made here... never were... God... like it never fucking existed. It will be like I never put up pretty blue curtains, or painted the walls cornflower blue. My kitchen was painted apricot, or was it? And my bathroom soft lettuce green. Elvis spent his last day in my arms here, and I spent so many afternoons listening to the distant Ethereal Musician playing his saxophone I can't even count them. I lived here when 9/11 happened. On that day there wasn't a single sound anywhere in the neighborhood, except my distant Ethereal Musician playing that tune on that lovely saxophone... 

the tune was... America. And just hearing it, made me feel, safer somehow.

The most frightening thing of all, is having to get rid of my babies.

I can't survive that. I won't survive that.

Later today I am contacting a lawyer, to see what my legal options are. 

After that... we'll see.

Right now, 3:15 AM Pacific Time, all I can do is cry.

Mood: Devastated

~Me :)

 

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 148~ RRC: Tell Me A Story

"A garden is a friend you can visit anytime."

~ Unknown

RRC: Tell Me A Story

 

Some years back, after an especially stressful day, I decided to create a Zen garden. By Zen garden, I simply mean that I wanted to create an area that would bring about thoughts of peace and tranquility. I had a basic plan in my mind. The area would be sectioned off by a small garden fence and there would be some flowers, such as stock, baby carnations, and roses that would fill the area with a spicy comforting scent. Stock and baby carnations both carry a heavy cinnamon/nutmeg scent, as do certain types of roses. I decided to make the center of the garden the focal point, by planting a Japanese maple tree. I found one that transitions from a deep crimson red in spring, to a bright copper color in autumn. That tree gives me the feeling of autumn all year long. And it has a name.



I call him Paul. After the man who owned the cottage we live in.



When we first moved in here, 12 years ago, it was under some extremely stressful circumstances. Alan and I were tired and a little shell shocked from life and all the fun curves it can throw you. We had seen some places, but frankly, from the minute Alan and I saw the cottage, we knew we had found our home. I don't own the cottage, we are merely renters, but it feels like it was waiting for us somehow.

 

 Paul was happy to rent to us, and in his time as our landlord/owner of the property, he stayed on top of things until just a couple months before his passing in 2009. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, and in the fours years after it had turned into 5 different kinds of cancer that slowly and painfully ravaged his body. I remember one of our last conversations, he called to be sure we were all set and didn't need any repairs. He always ended his conversations with me... "Thank you dear." Like I was his daughter. He was a special man.

So with Paul the tree in the center, I have planted a nice variety of fragrant, long blooming, beautiful roses. It is a pleasant place to sit, and watch the leaves turn, and see the different native birds to the area build their nests, and the butterflies and dragonflies bounce about, and occasionally, there might be a neighborhood cat or two who will come by and rest for a while among the flowers. I know my Elvis would have loved this place, he was always crazy about scents of all kinds. He taught me about stopping to smell the roses. It's true. I have a rose in the garden that I know he would have loved for its especially spicy scent.

 

There is a special rose in the garden for each of the friends and those I have loved who are no longer on earth. And when I spend time caring for them, or appreciating them, I feel especially close to those who have moved on.

Sometimes I still hear the ethereal musician off somewhere in the hills playing his music on his saxophone. After all these years, we still can't tell where the music is coming from, but I have giving up caring about that, I am instead just happy that as much things change, at least that is still a part of my day to day life... hearing whatever song the mysterious saxophone player wants to share. Its just all a part of my life... living here... in a small cottage in the East Bay hills.

 

About a year ago, the property was sold to new owners, and there is the possibility that I may have to move. It breaks my heart, but sometimes life pushes you through new doors. It's just the way it is. If I hadn't been pushed through a new door in 2001, I wouldn't be sharing about my garden in this post. But I am not going to fret about the future, right now, I am home, and all is well.

"Earth is so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe, and she laughs with a harvest."

~Douglas William Jerrold

Now that you have visited my blog, be sure to visit all the participants of the RRC! Just clink the link at the top of the post to be redirected to the official Round Robin Blog. That's where you will find the links and all the information you need to play along!

And also pay a visit to my friend JR. He has been a loyal participant in my A Photo A Day For 6 Months project, and he is an awesome photographer! If you haven't had the chance to pay him a visit, you should! He's fun!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-146.html

~Me :)