Last year, I hand crafted a 5' x 4' sleigh, 9 reindeer and each individual letter to spell out "Happy Christmas o All And To All A Good Night." I painted each of these and adorned them with jingle bells and ornaments. I even made felt harness for each reindeer and labeled them with the names of each reindeer. I spent hours putting these things up on my balcony, in addition to the days I spent making them in the first place. If you check out my blog from October 25th, you will see what I am talking about. I am so over the whole contest thing. I didn't win last year, and I was mad...but now I am okay with that and I just wanted to put decorations up because they make me happy.
Anyway, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving this year, I spent 3 1/2 hours putting these decorations up on my balcony. I sat out there in the cold with a roll of duct tape, making 6 little duct tape circles for each individual letter so they would stick to the wall. I've had people knock on my door to tell me how much they admire my balcony. I can hear the kids being dropped off at the preschool downstairs telling their parents how cool my decorations are.
Yesterday, The housing office called me and told me that I needed to take them down! They said it was against regulations to put decorations on the other side of the balcony. I had to climb over my balcony railing in order to put these decorations up and I guess they don't want people doing that because it is a safety issue. Whatever, I did it last year when I was over 6 months pregnant. It is not dangerous.
The guy from the housing office said that they needed to be taken down immediately. Of course I am not going to say, "Okay, no problem". Those decorations are not coming down without a fight! I told him that they were the same ones that I used last year. He told me that he had seen them last year and had meant to tell me not to do it again this year. What? Why would they let me keep them up last year after seeing them and then decided to be super mean this year? Why would they wait until after I put them up?
If it's a safety issue, it would present the same amount of risk for me to take them down now as it would if I took them down after Christmas. In fact, it would probably be more dangerous for me to take them down now because I am pissed off. It would be like driving with road rage.
After trying to present my argument over the phone, he told me that if I do not take them down, the housing office will present us with a letter to vacate.
Seriously? Over Christmas decorations? I am not hurting anyone! Why would they threaten something like that? What kind of inconsistency are they practicing when it was okay last year, and now they are going to kick us out of base housing for something that is not hurting or bothering anyone!
I am pretty sure the regulations were the same last year. Why have they decided all of a sudden to just be jerks. This guy must be one of those people that never got a Christmas present in his life, or has never had anyone told him that they love him. Now he is taking his holiday hatred out on me!
Brad just wants me to be nice and comply, because if we do get kicked out of housing, it will ruin his career. That makes me look like a bad guy for risking his career on silly Christmas decorations. Seriously though, should I just go down with out a fight? Should I just let these idiots be mean and inconsistent? NO! Something needs to be done about these a-holes. Call me a bad wife, but I am fighting for this because there is no reason I should have to take my decorations down until after Christmas. Period!
By the way, Brad has been home for 2 weeks now and things are great. It is amazing to have a husband around! I think I have spent more time away from Jocelyn in the last two weeks than I ever have. Anyway, I am loving life and Team Hayes is going strong....except for this deal with the housing office. I am going down there to talk to the boss in a couple hours. We'll see how that goes.
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The adventures of Brad, Amy, Jocelyn, Samuel and Carolyn...
About Me
- Team Hayes
- Mommy stays at home with the kiddos while dad works long and hard hours for the Navy. We like the park, the beach, the mall and going for runs.
7 comments:
That is kind of asinine of them to ask you to take them down now instead of after Christmas since it is the "same" risk regardless. Now, if they want to send someone over to do it for you in order to avoid the safety issue then I would understand that. I still think you should be allowed to keep it up. I think you're right to pursue it but if they keep harping about kicking you out then I would do like Brad said. Still I would write a letter of complaint to their bosses and see that something is done to ensure that things are fair every year and not like they handled your situation.
that is crazy! especially if they allowed you to keep them up last year. hopefully it will work out in the end...
I have recently read a book titled "How to win friends and influence people: how to win people to your way of thinking".
So, here are my suggestions (a la' Dale Carnegie):
1. keep your cool - walk in with a smile for him.
2. dont criticize, condemn, or complain.
3. do your homework on the dude that called you: find out his wife's name, what he likes to do on the weekends, his favorite song...whatever you can do to get him talking about himself.
4. Use his first name and ask him some questions about something you find out about him that you can genuinely be interested in.
5. Let him know you totally understand his job, and appeal to his intelligence & high moral character through "that's why I know you understand my dilemna" type talk.
6. Ask him to please reconsider & let him know you will call him the next day to find out if he was able to come up with another plan.
7. Thank him (use his name) and confirm that you will call him on the morrow.
8. Leave with a smile and more thanks.
Trust me. I never get what I want when I go in with guns ablaze. Try it out & let me know how it goes!
Looks like all of the housing office hates the baby Jesus. Maybe if you hung up a 'Great is Allah' sign he might not give you such a hard time because saying 'Merry Christmas' doesn't seem to be kosher these days. I bet you one person in your complex complained and so everyone has to suffer. The guy must be a hippie from Marin County. Hippies smell.
I bet those people like to light flowers on fire too. I miss you. I have also procrastinated in mailing your presents but I will do it tomorrow!! Yay!
Kylie
SO, what ever happened?
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