Category: Poll

We’re currently renting a nice house in an upper middle class neighborhood.

The landscaping around the house annoys me somewhat, because there is a section of grass in the front near the street and a larger section of grass in the backyard. We’re in a desert. Of course, there are rules from the HOA telling us how often we have to water the grass to maintain the appropriate level of green.

So, we’ve been watering the bare minimum that we can get away with.

There are also a number of trees and flowering shrubs in front, along the sides of the house, and in the backyard. These are desert-adapted plants. That makes me happy.

Last week, we received a notice from the HOA.

This is a planned community created and governed by deed restrictions. The purpose is to ensure that your neighborhood continues as a well-maintained community with enhanced property values.

The following non-compliance issue with respect to your property was noted:

It has been reported that bushes are missing. Please install additional landscaping in your front yard pursuant to the Design Guidelines or approved landscape submittal. (emphasis as received)

Bushes are missing? I would love to know how many we are supposed to have. And how they counted. The large number of flowering shrubs between our driveway and the home to the west are firmly on our side of the boundary. There are many additional shrubs directly in front of the house and in the yard to the east. (And I am super curious about all the homes on the street that have fewer shrubberies than do we. Indeed, some have none at all, and only a couple cactus or century plants. Did they all receive notices?)

Well, we’re renting. The only time this becomes my problem is when the landlord has people all over my space to install more shrubs. That aren’t needed. That I am then responsible for watering.

So, tonight’s poll: HOAs. Do you have one? Would you ever own a home where there is one? Would you be the neighbor who tattles when someone’s grass is 1/4″ too tall? Or walk around counting shrubs?

Discuss!

Well, here in Upscale-Yet-Not-1%-Ville the yardwork gets started at the ridiculous hour of 0600, 7 days a week. It doesn’t help that there is a golf course directly behind our place. I am most decidedly NOT a morning person, as we have firmly established in the past.

But, putting aside my sleep-deprivation-induced surliness for a moment, I’ve noticed something in addition to the early start hour of the $#&king leaf blowers. No matter what kind of landscaping is involved, each household in our neighborhood has a landscaping/yard maintenance service to handle the chores.

Except us.

Saturday morning finds OMWC out bright and early to use our little old-fashioned reel lawn mower on our minuscule patch of lawn before the day starts getting too unbearably hot.

(If it were up to me, we wouldn’t have a lawn at all; a rant for another time.)

So, tonight’s poll question: if you have landscaping or a yard to maintain, do you DIY, do you have your orphans handle it, or do you pay Pud Paisley’s company (or equivalent) to take care of it for you?

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So, since relocating to Phoenix, I’ve been focused on different weather events than previously while living in the Midwest. There it was tornadoes, and blizzards, and ice storms. Here? Heat and humidity (and lack thereof).

We’ve had many beautiful, perhaps even perfect, days and evenings. 75F, 15% RH, light breeze, big fluffy clouds floating around during the afternoon; 55F, 30% RH, still, dark nights with a zillion stars visible overhead.

If it were like this year round, I’d be a happy camper.*

That is completely subjective, of course.

WebDom and my MIL: “That’s so cold!”

OMWC and the Big White Dog: “It’s so hot!”

So, I’m curious to hear what weather conditions the Glibertariat prefer. How about it?

*But, sadly, it was 91F today (with air quality alerts) and expected to be 100F tomorrow.
 

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Good evening, Glibs!

I’m still here. We’re running into all kinds of weather-related problems that are seriously messing with our timing…and everything else. Hard enough to do this relocation thing anytime. How to make it even more challenging? Let’s bring on snowstorm after snowstorm! We barely dig out of one and the next one hits. And the temperature keeps dropping.

Poor OMWC has been having to go out (over and over) to drop off donated items and acquire more boxes…and packing paper…and tape…and bubble wrap (and not because I’m popping it all, I swear). Since we have a large roll-off container taking up the entire driveway (the image on the site front page is our actual front yard this morning), and there is no street parking in our neighborhood, this entails hiking through the snow drifts up to a neighborhood park’s parking lot, digging the car out of where it’s been plowed in, and finally bringing the car to the house to load, carrying everything down our snowy, icy, sloping driveway. Gee, I don’t know why he has bruises the size of a dinner plate. (It wasn’t me, Officer!)

One of the biggest concerns? Yep, that’s going to be loading and moving the wine in subzero temps next week. Oh, yeah, and loading and moving everything else we own, too…although that’s the problem of the big moving company with a very similar name to an airline. As of right now, they don’t plan on postponing.

So, tonight’s question.

How many times have you moved residences as an adult? How many times have you relocated?

I don’t ever seem to just move. I always relocate. This will be cross country relocation number nine. I don’t mind telling you, I’m a little sick of it.

Your turn!