Dante was wrong

He missed a circle of hell - the one for inconsiderate landlords.

My landlord has been given notice that he has thirty days to bring upgraded electric into the house (who knows when the clock started ticking on that - he was already talking about getting an extension of time when he finally called to tell me about it). As a result, my washer and dryer need to be moved, the dryer over to the wall, the washer all the way to the other side of the utility tubs.

Why is this a big deal? As I've chronicled in the past, my landlord and I have vastly different perceptions of what constitutes "adequate notice" and "acceptable repair". The problems with this particular process, from my viewpoint (and the actual repairs haven't even begun yet) are best put in list form:

1. It's not the best idea to call me late (for me, admittedly, quarter to eight is late) at night to tell me about this, obviously all anxious to move the appliances right then. It's not going to happen.

2. I do need to use the washer; there is currently no electric in the spot to which it will be moved. Until you have hired a contractor and have a set start date, the washer will not be moved.

4. When I told you in no uncertain terms you are not to move, touch or otherwise mess with my appliances without my express authorization and without my physical presence, it would have been much better for you if you simply confessed that you had already moved the dryer. Sins of omission are still sins.

5. Once I calm down, you will be hearing from me on that issue.

6. Bear in mind these appliances are over thirty years old; they need to be handled with a little bit of care. I expect they will still work after they are moved; if not, I fully expect you to remedy that situation to my standards.

7. It has been nine days since you called to tell me that the city had given you thirty days to correct the problem, but I've yet to hear another word from you. Do not expect a pleasant response if you call me late one night to tell me the work is going to begin the following day.

While I would expect the electricians to be professionals (that's not necessarily a valid assumption, given past experiences with hired help) who will keep the power interruption to a minimum, the fact remains that no electricity means no heat in the house. In November. In Wisconsin.

So...part of this weekend will be spent doing a general cleaning of my laundry area, to sweep and clean up around the appliances. It's been on the list of things to do for a while, anyway; while the laundry facilities are fairly neat, I've an area where I store painting supplies, extra paint, flower pots and assorted porch decorations. Not high on the priority list, but as long as I'm down there, I may as well do that, too.

Although if I find that the washer has already been moved, all bets are off...