melworks

So, first things first: Happy Birthday to

reccea! I forget how long I've known her, but it's got to be a few years now, and she remains awesome and quirky. Sweety, here's hoping you've had a great b-day and got lots of nice presents!
Also, I hope that her day goes better than my night. After last nights encounter with the crazy lady on the phone, my relief showed up and I went home, glad to put the night's events behind me. I did some marketing at the all night grocery and went on home.
As I was getting my keys out to open my front door, I happened to glance over and saw what, at first, I thought was a pile of lawn bags in front of my heater room's door. The porch light of my condo went out a little while ago and still hasn't been replaced, so all I could see was this lump. I went closer, thinking the grounds crew had left the bags there, because they do shit like that all the time. That's when I realized it wasn't a pile of lawn bags, but a person.
Oh shit, I thought. Please, not another dead body.
I unlocked my condo, left my groceries on the counter and opened the kitchen window to get some light to see by. Then, went back out to deal with the situation, which pretty much amounted to me kicking this person until they woke up.
It was pretty obvious the guy was homeless. Just another drunk-ass Alaska Native who smelt of unwashed ass, sweat, urine and cheap booze.
I told the guy he couldn't sleep there and if he didn't get up and move on I'd have to call the cops. It took me about fifteen minutes to get the old duffer on his feet, but then he staggered past me, made it down the steps without falling and tottered across the parking lot toward the tree line and the walkway that runs through the neighborhood. He vanished among the long shadows and, after a couple more minutes, I went back inside.
Today, when I woke up, I left a message with the management company asking them to replace the porch light, ASAP. Then, I went upstairs to give my upstairs neighbor a head's up. She's single and goes to work really early in the morning, way before sunrise, so I wanted to let her know what happened, so she could be on the lookout. Called and left a message for the Condo Association, and am hoping they will call me back tonight some time, so I can let them know what happened.
I've been at the condo about three years now and never seen any homeless wandering the neighborhood. The closest I've seen is the beggars at the highway off ramp with their signs, asking for a handout. I guess this old guy must have been one of them.
I just hope this isn't the start of a new trend. 'Cause I'm paying way to much in mortgage and condo dues to have to worry about the homeless squatting in my heater room.
So, that was my night and most of the day and now I'm at the Job of Doom, waiting for midnight, so I can get the hell out of here, go home and, God willing, not have to roust drunks off my front landing.