Day 174 - well it could be worse, neh?

Today is the 6th day of the 25th week, the 23rd day of the 6th month, and 174th day of 2023, and:

• International Rose Day
• International Widows' Day
• International Women in Engineering Day
• Let It Go Day
• National Detroit-Style Pizza Day
• National Hydration Day
• National Pecan Sandies Day
• National Pink Day
• National Take Your Dog to Work Day
• Pink Flamingo Day
• Runner's Selfie Day
• SAT Math Day
• Typewriter Day [AKA Typing Day]
• Ugliest Dog Day
• United Nations Public Service Day
• and Voyager 1 is 22h 06m 06s of light travel time from Earth

Quote of the day:

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."

~ Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer

The email came around 9 AM - there was a huge break under the BLDG C parking lot.  But when I got home to BLDG B I found the water had been turned off for the property

Forward to 2 AM - still no water.   But at 5:30 AM the water was back! There was even moderately hot water for my shower!   Those crews must've worked all night, even though it was raining, to restore service to the 1200+ residents who were impacted by the water outage.

Another thing that happened when I got home was that I found an envelope on the door - it was an offer from the management office [unsigned] to renew my lease that is up in September, offering to lock in my rent for two years.  Of course it also projected a 14.56% increase in cost!  The voluntary rate guideline for Montgomery County is 5.8%.  Apartments with my floor plan are starting at 6.86% more than I am currently paying [and that doesn't count the price hike for being on an upper floor], however, so I don't know how much negotiating room I have this year.  Last year?  They were renting new apartments out for only 3% more than I was paying, so I had more leverage.  This year?  They apparently took what they consider the market value of the apartment and then did an increase.  Is it worth more to them to keep a long-term tenant at below market pricing and are they so confident they can rent the apartment for that much more [the average vacancy rate in Montgomery County is a very robust 5.1%]?  This is why the vacancy rate, and the number of subsidized renters, are both such closely held secrets for individual properties.  

Rents hereabouts have skyrocketed - I've kept tabs on the alternative places to live both around where I am currently and up towards Ellicott City where my daughter and family live.  What I want from an apartment, in addition to a nice living area and walkable community:

1. in unit washer and dryer - need
2. access to high speed internet, preferably FIOS - need
3. permits pets, specifically cats - need
4. additional storage - want
5. covered parking - want, especially since I am working and required to be in the office three times a week
6. in unit climate control [more of a wish item]

Except for wish list item #6, I have all of these things now, without the bother of moving.  And it just doesn't make sense to go through all the pain of moving, plus the downsizing, and pay more for less space to me!  Didn't make sense last year, doesn't now either.  Next week, I'll have to stop by the management office and see what I can do.

And the third thing that happened yesterday was after a visit to the pulmonologist, and a call from my GP, I am now scheduled for a CT scan, a cardiologist visit, and a nephrologist visit.  Seriously, at this rate I am going to engage with the entire medical profession!

Today?  it's raining, but we desperately need the rain.  

I had to come into the office, but the commute was super easy as it always is on Fridays, especially when schools are closed.  Additional benefit - the three men who are in the office today all took long lunches.  

AND I did something to my left leg and am hobbling around, using a cane - but it is Friday and payday.