#@^&($)#*(

Last Tuesday I got a message from my landlady, Carol (sounding very unhappy about it herself), telling me that they are indeed NOT replacing any heaters this year. She said she would extend the lease a few months if I wanted to find something else. Or to let her know if I want to stay.

The next morning, my AC had leaked well into the carpet. (AC and heater are the same old junky unit, the kind of thing you find in motels.)

Carol said it costs $3,200 to replace one unit, including shipping and installation. Can't I just buy one, then? I said. She thought that was crazy. She said she'd try to convince her cheapskate husband to buy a reconditioned one.

The maintenance guy came to see if he could figure it out; these things are so old he doesn't know how they work. He's offended by how cheap the landlord is. If you were me, would you feel comfortable staying here? I asked him.

No, he said.

I don't want to move. I do, but I don't. The whole thing has my stomach in knots right now. There's not much out there. I have to convince a potential landlord/manager that 5 cats are no problem, or that I will pay for anything they do, at the same time promising they won't do anything. I don't know what my landlords in Florida will tell someone who calls for a reference, and I'm afraid to find out. I guess that should be the first thing I do about this today: see what they say, find out if I can relax about that at least.

I looked at a condo Saturday. It's in a beautiful area; the living room looks out onto Six Mile Creek, and it's sunny and beautiful downstairs. Small bedrooms, though, and some other issues. Plus, if I'm leaving Ithaca in a year, it's not worth the closing costs.

When my parents (who visited Saturday) and I came back from that, I found that my water heater had leaked AGAIN.

There's not much put there right now, apartment wise. Guess I really shoulda looked more seriously before. Hindsight is always blah blah blah. Whatever the complete opposite of grounded is, that's where I am right now. Space shuttle? Pluto?

My stomach is a mess. All my insides are. Outsides aren't so great either.