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Thursday, Mar. 20, 2003 - 7:40 p.m.

There's a light out, and it's not just in the house

OH, this is a good one.

Just called the landlord.

ME:
Gilbert, I don't know if any of the other residents have called about this [Very doubtful.], but I wanted to let you know that there is no bulb in the light on the first landing when you come into the house.

GILBERT:
I know. I took it out.

ME:
Oh. Okay ...

GILBERT:
I had to take it out because I found that what was happening was nobody was turning the light out. It was on 24 hours a day. Frankly, I don't know what else to do. [And you didn't TELL US?!? What the hell is THAT?? Also, I don't know if he really said "frankly." The rest is pretty much how he would talk, with his Hungarian accent or whatever it is. He has a very unique syntax and cadence to his speech.]

ME:
Well, all I can tell you is that Casey and I always turn the lights off when we come in, but we've both noticed how it's always on again in the mornings, and I can tell you we're not the last people in, because we hear other people coming and going after we've come home for the night. Also, the outside porch light is never on, and sometimes Casey doesn't feel safe because someone could be hiding between the bushes and the porch [The garbage cans are there, and there's a little sidewalk.] and we wouldn't know it. It's just not safe, really.

GILBERT:
Okay. Well, I don't know what else to do.

ME:
Uh, something you could look into, both for inside and outside, is those motion detector lights. They'll only come on when someone moves within the range of the sensor, and they'd turn off like a minute later. It's really just a safety thing.

GILBERT:
Yeah, I thought of that. That is one solution.

ME:
Okay, well, we'd really appreciate it if you could do something about it, because it's mainly a safety thing.

GILBERT:
Yeah, thank you, Dan. I'm going to be working on that this weekend.

You know, honestly, I think we'd have some sort of formal -- if not legal -- gripe with this, seeing as how he went and removed the light bulb without telling anyone or explaining why. First and foremost, it is a safety hazard, seeing as how the indoor lights are now 0-for-2 on operational capabilities (the one on the second-floor landing, outside our door, has been out for months, and I'm not sure if there's a bulb there or not. I just haven't mentioned it to Gilbert because Succubus upstairs would just leave it on all the time anyway and have it burn out again in two weeks like this one did). And she's gotta be the culprit here, perhaps in cahoots with Jo and the two kids and the dirty boyfriend downstairs, because I hear her coming and going at all times of the night, and I'm sure she's not thinking about things like the electric bill, even if she's not paying it. Especially if she's not paying it.

Anyway, the first-floor light was out last night, but Casey and I both got home while it was still light outside and didn't think to call right away. I meant to call this afternoon after I got back to work after taking Casey to the train, but I forgot, naturally, what with all the basketball and chatting with Lauren about basketball. I'm glad I did call now.

Boy, Casey's going to love this one when she gets home.

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