Doing the landlord thing...

Even though we're not charging M for renting the apartment over the barn, we're still the 'landlords' and he's the tenant. M has been a tenant before, but we have never been landlords. "It's a learning experience," my husband said.

Today, we had an appliance repairman here to look at the washer/dryer in the laundry room of the barn. Neither one had been working, but now the dryer is just fine. The washer, however, is a "goner," as the repairman told us. "Not worth the money or the time to fix her," said he.  (Why is a broken appliance always put into the female category?)

We were all set to go to Home Depot to buy a new one, and then M told us that the thrift store where he works always gets donated appliances. He called the store, they had just received a nearly-new washing machine, and they said he could have it for $25 plus a small delivery charge. "Sold!" --- they put M's name on it, and they will deliver it tomorrow and hook it up for him.  M wanted to pay for it.... no way... we are the landlords and we're responsible for the appliances. M was thrilled because he was saving us some money.

We decorated the big tree today, and M helped my husband with the lights before going out into the yard to get some trimming done on the trees around the house.  We all had lunch together, and I could quickly tell that M and my husband had a lot of guy stuff to talk about. Which is fine with me... I'm not too good with the guy stuff, except for being able to listen and not have my eyes glaze over within the first twenty seconds.

Around eight o'clock tonight, my husband's phone rang and it was M.... the apartment was completely dark. One of the circuit breakers had blown, and he didn't know where the breaker box was. "I will be there in thirty seconds," said my very precise and mathematical husband, and off he went. He showed M where the box was, showed him what to do if it happened again, and then came back to the house to tell me where the breaker box was located.

Details.... lots of details when you become a landlord and have a tenant living on the second floor of the barn. We have to install a mailbox for M.... we've already replaced overhead lighting in the barn.... we've provided a trash can so M can put out his trash on the pick-up days.  And, most important, we have introduced our new tenant to the cats, both Mickey and Gatsby outside, and Sweet Pea inside. "And then there's an orange and white cat who is here for a few days and then gone for a few days. We call him Pumpkin, or Orange Kitty."  M is a cat-person, so they should all get along just fine.

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you going to get that person out of my barn?