The Verdict

In response to my request to be released from my leasing agreement, I was offered $67 for the inconvenience of maintenance not returning my page.  I'm going to talk to a lawyer tomorrow via 9line and see what rights I have.  The staff is so nonchalant around here and I bet if the place burned down, we'd still have to pay rent because our stuff was in our apartment at the time.  I was SO mad yesterday that I couldn't see straight and am grateful I was home alone to vent.  I certainly didn't want to yell at anyone out of frustration.  I'm (mostly) over it and resigned to the fact that we'll be staying in the bowels of the Titanic until February.

In other news, I forgot to post a picture of my latest work of art.  I put it on Facebook, but forgot my blog.

The paint is still a bit wet in this shot, but I really like it.  I call it 'Round and Round.'  On another creative front, I'll be making green chili for the first time today.  I sampled some that John brought to work and asked for his recipe.  He admitted that he just followed the recipe on the back of the green chiles he bought in the frozen food section of the grocery store, so I'm going to do the same thing!  Green chili is so versatile and can be a pretty healthy meal by itself.

Water, water...EVERYWHERE!!!

There have been FOUR water incidences in my apartment since May; four months after I moved in:

~1.  A hot water heater from the third floor blew out and water damaged our ceiling as well as bloated three door frames to the point of not being able to close said doors.

~2.  Our hot water heater blew out and soaked most of the carpeting in the apartment.  We were displaced for three days while five industrial-sized fans and a ginormous dehumidifier humped and impregnated our electric bill.

~3.  Water from a sink on the third floor was leaking for who knows how many hours and started leaking from the air conditioning vent in my bathroom.  The second floor apartment is vacant and I can't imagine how much damage it may have caused.

~4.  I discovered that my toilet sprung a leak when I woke up this afternoon.  I turned off the valve and put a towel down because the line is still dripping.

I paged emergency maintenance at 6:17 PM and have yet to receive a callback at 11:33 PM.  I will be at the leasing office first thing in the morning!!!

I really have no idea what to do.  I'd like for my lease to be broken so I'm able to move as soon as possible.  I guess I'll find out tomorrow!

Calgon

...take me away!  To a land where I'm not required to do anything but paint and read and write and sing and dance and laugh and love.

And take pictures.

Help needed!

Here it is - short, sweet and to the point:  I am asking for recommendations and advice to incorporate into my new healthful lifestyle.  I've bookmarked several blogs that I read daily and I devour (figuratively and literally) most everything that comes my way on the topic of getting healthy.  Food-wise, I'm a volume player.  I like to eat...A LOT!  Exercise - not so much, probably because it's hard for me to move 'all this' around for longer than ten minutes without getting sweaty and winded.  I want to get the most bang for my buck, be it tips on food, exercise, meditation, etc.

Any and all suggestions are encouraged and welcomed!  That is all.  :D

PS - check out myfitnesspal for idiot-proof ways to track what you eat, how much water you drink and how much exercise you do daily.  I just started logging in yesterday and it's a HUGE eye-opener!!!  There are also apps for iPhone and Droid, so you can use it on the run.

Recipe #3 (already tested and approved)

Tonight, I made chicken, edamame and red pepper stir-fry.  I've made it before and it was a keeper.  Most of the week's menus that I chose were Mexican, so it's nice to throw a curve-ball in to break it up a bit.  Tomorrow is either guacamole chicken tostadas (if my brother remembers to bring home a lime) or frozen pizza.

Here is the chicken, edamame and red pepper:

And this pic is the final product.  Brown rice, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, lite soy sauce and corn starch joined their friends in the hot tub before being devoured by my brother and me.  YUM!