I've been renting the same apartment for two-and-a-half years now. It's a delightful little two-bedroom basement suite located near the university. It is always dark inside, and has a habit of smelling like curry.
I've lived with a handful of roommates, each unique and special in her own way. I've lived in each of the bedrooms, and have rearranged the living room furniture once.
There have been a series of upstairs neighbours, each more thrilling than the last. The latest instalment likes to do carpentry in the middle of the night. I do so love waking up to the sound of saws and hammers.
There's been a bat in my room. A flooded bathroom thanks to the neighbour above. A mass of spiders that have fortunately disappeared. It's never dull at my dear apartment!
And lately, we've been the victims of a series of mini-incidents!
Two fridges have died for no apparent reason. I called Boardwalk about the first fridge to report that something was up, because the ice in my freezer was a lot more liquid than it should have been. They responded. Things did not improve. When all the meat in my freezer had thawed completely, I assumed they were never returning to make repairs. Boardwalk informed me that my freezer was perfectly fine. Really? I asked.
They replaced my fridge with a small temporary fridge the following day. It was inconsistent and prone to warming our food whenever it wanted. Very convenient trait in a fridge.
Finally, a new fridge has arrived. It's large and spacious, and nearly empty, since I have no faith that it will last very long. The freezer is empty as a result of my skepticism.
We're also the lucky new hosts to a mass of ants. I noticed one in the bathroom last week before heading home for the weekend. When I returned on Saturday, I found the linoleum floor swarming with the beasts, along with several other surfaces in the house.
Bless my roommate's heart, the girl acted quickly by taping a wad of tissue into a crevice of the baseboards! Unfortunately, the ants were too clever for mere tissue, and she retreated to her locked bedroom in defeat.
I purchased some ant traps and did a little research. Did you know that ants dislike the smell of vinegar? Splashing a mixture of vinegar and water all over the bathroom floor has proved this theory correct. I feel as though I've won this temporary battle, but the ants will be back to wage their war come the next melt.
Fortunately, I expect to be out of this apartment of doom by the end of April. I'm not sure where I'm going, exactly, but I know for a fact that I won't be staying.
Tonaya Marr's roommate woke her up an hour before her alarm this morning, because she had left the keys at the bar. Apartment life is a dream! To contact Tonaya, e-mail her at [email protected] or send her a tweet @TonayaMarr.
