It's vaguely unsettling to know that people have been walking
through your home while you've been away.
I've lived in the same apartment for nearly three years. I'm moving
either at the end of this month, or at the end of the next, depending
on whether or not my landlord is able to find someone to take the unit
a month early. If he does, then he's going to let me out of my lease
early and I save $625, and I will probably get most of my $550 damage
deposit back.
So it's in my best interest to get the place ready to show to
potential renters. I haven't been all that motivated to clean though,
but I managed to get some done and make the place look respectable
this morning though.
I'm eating second breakfast at around 11 o'clock this morning
("he does know about second breakfast doesn't
he?") and the phone rings. I'm expecting my friend to call, because
we're to go hiking in the afternoon. Nope, it's my
landlord. "Matthew," he says, "I'm bringing some people by to see your
unit at noon. Is that ok?"
I'm eating. I'm drinking my coffee. I want to have a nice relaxing
Saturday morning, followed by a nice hike in the afternoon. "Sure," I
say, "that's fine."
It's not really fine. I look around. I still haven't gotten
around to sweeping up the mouse crap that was under my girlfriend's
dresser and under my bookcase, which I moved after my girlfriend moved
to Victoria for graduate school. The bathrooms a wreak, there kitchen
is full of dirty dishes, there's crumbs all over the counter, and the
bathtub hasn't been cleaned in several weeks. "Shit."
So I spent the next hour or so in a cleaning frenzy. Wash the tub,
sweep the floor, vacuum the rug. Wash some of the bike tire marks off
the walls.
Well, I didn't get the dishes done, but the place didn't look like
a complete hole by the time I was finished. So the first group of
potential renters goes through, and I'm there, and it's all cool.
I leave for the hike. When I come back, everything seems normal. I
wander around a bit. My bike's been moved a bit so people could look
in the recycling closet. The closet door in my bedroom is ajar. My
laptop is off; someone (...or something!) has stepped on the cord
leading to the power supply, which falls out very easily.
Nothings been stolen or anything, that I can see. It's just sort
of weird to know that someone has been rummaging around in your house
while you weren't home. I'm sure a robbery would be much more
traumatic.
The hike was ok. It was fairly long; took us over three hours, and
it was mostly just trudging through trees. No rewarding scenery of any
kind. The next one will be better hopefully. Just as we arrived back
at the car it started to rain, so we made it just on time.
Hopefully climbing at Barrier and Grassy lakes tomorrow and Monday
will be better...