Living Conditions

As far as my living conditions are concerned, I guess I'd say they are quite satisfactory.

I've made two improvement requests to my landlord. I don't expect to see any action taken, and that's probably ok for now.

The kitchen countertops are not wonderful but I can keep them clean in the ways that matter, and a certain ground-in dinginess can be added to the list of things I train out of my psychic awareness.

The second request is for a storm door with screens for the doorway that opens onto the balcony. Right now, I just leave the door wide open in order to get air moving from the front of my place, which faces the parking lot, to the rear, which looks out on a short but somewhat steep embankment leading up to the street behind my complex.

It's fine.

Venn the cat likes to go out and sit or lie on the balcony railing and so far hasn't indicated any interest in trying to jump from the second story and have his freedom. I've carried some guilt about him being a strictly indoor cat, so I'm happy that he takes advantage of partial access to the wider world.

I leave this back door open all the time, even at night. At first I fretted about the free access I was giving to any critter with the curiosity to venture inside. I think a determined raccoon could probably scale the gutter downspout but so far that hasn't happened.

As of yet, no birds. Because cat, I posit.

Bugs! They come in. Especially in the evening when my desk lamp or reading light is on in the otherwise dark room.

Junebugs are dumb right? They come in to die apparently. My floor is strewn with their sad little awkward bodies. They seem so bad at flying, I find it surprising that they can aim themselves through the door without crashing.

There have been surprisingly few flies and only one(!) mosquito that tried to sneak some of my fluids while I sat reading.

A couple of days ago I looked up from my computer screen to see a spider on the wall looking at me. But, not at me, as all of a sudden it zoomed across the lunarscape of textured sheetrock to grab a bug I hadn't noticed until the the spider's travel vector pointed my eyes to it. Chomp!

Yeah, it's just like Wild Kingdom up in here!

I like that the sounds from outside can get in. Not so much the police yelling at my neighbors. "Sir put the knife down. Nobody needs to get hurt." Rather, the sound of thunder and rain, bird sounds (so loud in the morning,) the wind.

At some point I'll have to close the door, screen or no, but I hope that will be to keep out sleet and snow.