I own a town house. The (rather large) complex I live in is in the on-going (for about 6 or 7 years now) process of being painted "into" a new color scheme. They started with the front most buildings and are slowly working their way to the back of the complex. My building was targeted for painting last summer but things happened (the cost of our umbrella insurance coverage nearly tripled, for example) and they didn't start working on my building until a couple of weeks ago. Just before I left for Oregon, in fact. As soon as I got the notice, I decided it was time to clean out my patio area. I do that about once every 6 months or so. Sometimes, I'll go almost a year. I really have no use for a patio (thus the town house purchase rather than the house-with-a-yard purchase way back when). There are two strikes against me every time I go out there to clean. Well, three strikes I guess, if you count the fact (which we should!) that I clean it out so rarely. The other two strikes are: (1) a very tall pine tree that sheds needles like there's no tomorrow and (2) wild-growing shrubs that don't care if they never see water or much sunlight. I dunno who planted the shrubbery but it's relentless. The tree was planted by the previous owner. I believe she got it in one of those "recycle your Christmas tree and get a seedling in return" things the city park service does every year. It was probably only about 15 or 20 feet tall when I moved in. It's now much much taller than my 2-story unit. It completely dwarfs my patio. I had it trimmed last year so it wouldn't be in the way when they got around to painting (see my blind tree trimming story). They didn't end up painting last summer but the job was done well enough that I shouldn't have to get it done again for a couple of years.
Anyway...to the point. I sorta have one. I spent the Saturday before leaving on my trip bagging up mounds and mounds of pine needles and cutting back the shrubbery. I ended up with six (6!) large garbage bags full of cuttings and needles.
So, everything was ready for the repairmen and painters. They could move about the patio un-encumbered by the jungle that reappears every 6 months. Good deal. Here's the odd thing. The painters have decided to use my patio as their storage area. As I was leaving for work a few days ago, I noticed what seemed to be a large garbage bag just inside the patio gate. They were actually working on my garage and patio so I didn't think much of it. I got home that evening, though, and took a look out back. Mounds of painting equipment was piled up and covered with a tarp. Same story the next day. Today (Saturday, no less), I get up to hear a conversation going on outside my kitchen window. I peek out and lo...two of the painters are milling about, going through their supplies, and getting ready to do whatever it was they were going to do today. And, now...at about 3 pm...they seem to have left for the day. So, I looked out again and the stuff is still there. Buckets of paint. Brushes. Ladders. Etc. It sure is a good thing I cleaned out my patio, eh? There'd be no room for the painters if I hadn't. I don't really mind them using my patio. I mean, after all, I'm not using it. But, it strikes me as odd that they'd just assume it was okay to take over. That it wouldn't occur to any of them that maybe they should ask if it's okay. It's just odd. But, then again, it is me. So, it shouldn't surprise anyone. Least of all me. Eh?
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