Saturday, January 19, 2013

Breakfast

Breakfast has been ruined. After eating my default breakfast of Cheerios for a couple decades, something happened. Cheerios has changed.

I noticed it when I poured the cereal into a bowl. There was a really strong smell of something. Wet cardboard? The cereal was dry, but the smell was different from normal and so was the consistency and the taste. Now food changes all the time. Everything is "new and improved" because businesses have a hard time thinking that we will stop buying something if we like if it isn't new. No where on the box does it say "New! Improved taste" Or anything like that.

In case it was a bad box, a fluke, I tried another box. Nope. The same. I went and bought a box from a different store. Nope. Same weird smell. It was enough of a weird smell that my stomach roils at it.

So I went looking for a new default breakfast cereal. I went to the cereal aisle at the store and bought 5 different things. I honestly didn't know what other cereals tasted like because I found something I like and just stuck with it.

With the experimentation I discovered that 4 out of the 5 I didn't like. Cornflakes weren't bad, but they got soggy very fast. The others I didn't even go beyond  spoonful or 2.

On a whim I picked up the generic Cheerios substitute from Trader Joe's and Kroger. The Trader Joe's had a similar smell as Cheerios, only less. I didn't like the smell so I didn't eat them. The Kroger brand was close and I have now switched my default breakfast to almost Cheerios.

Fuck, I'm a weird creature...

Shenanigans

My landlord posted on my front door that they would be accessing my apartment on a Tuesday to install a carbon monoxide detector. Fine. They gave the prerequisite 24 hour notice before entering.

When Tuesday came I had picked up work so I was, maybe, not going to be home. If work was quick I might make it home so I could be there when whomever was in my apartment. In preparation for this incursion I turned off my computer and cleaned up a little. I didn't want someone to think I'm a total barbarian.

Work lasted a very long time. I came home after 12 hours. Things in my place were a bit peculiar.

1. My computer was turned on. (thank god I have it password protected.)
2. My digital clocks were flashing like there had been a power failure.
3. My microwave oven was dead. ?!!?!?
4. Some cupboard doors that are normally closed were open.

This made me wonder WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED IN MY APARTMENT WHILE I WAS GONE?

I emailed the landlord to try to find out what the fuck. The building manager called me back and told me a bunch of bullshit. She told me a preposterous story that sometimes microwaves just freak the fuck out and cause power failures. Bullshit. The microwave would have tripped the circuit it was in, but not the whole apartment.

There was no reason my computer should be turned on. "Maybe it came on when the power went out. Maybe there was a power failure in the neighborhood." Fuck you. The computer has a button that needs to be pushed in to make it come on. That wouldn't have happened if the power on a turned off machine went out. There was no sign that the neighborhood or building went out.

The manager kept shovelling ludicrous possibilities at me like I could be overwhelmed by vacuous bullshit.

In the end she said none of it was the workman's fault. He'd worked for the landlord for years and was a trusted employee.

Fuck you. Someone went thru my apartment while I was out and in the process of doing whatever they were doing, killed my microwave. But they were not responsible. Right. Bullshit.

I could go to some apartment board to say something went on, but I have no proof. No video from a nannycam, and I wasn't here, so I can't say for certain what happened. I don't think anything is missing.

I'm out one microwave, which has already been replaced by me, and they will never be in my apartment without me or someone else in the place. I will not tolerate this kind of bullshit.


UPDATE!
I figured out what was going on in my apartment! Now in my apartment all the plugs are installed upside down. The plug that the CO monitor is in has been replaced and is now right side up. I'm guessing that it would not stay in if the plug were inverted. So that means the handyman shut off all the breakers looking for the one that covered the living room. He turned on the breakers after the installation job was finished, and that blew out my microwave. When I send the rent check this week I'll include a note with this fact.

I wonder what their reaction will be after vehemently denying any wrong doing... Pay for some portion of the new microwave I bought?