No good deed goes unpunished...

Have you been in an experience where the title of this post was befitting?   I say it so much to myself, because it so true. These stories are about some of my volunteering experiences. I am in no way saying not to voluntary, because after all it is good for the soul. 

Some friends of mine decided to volunteer to help a recently older  amputee  women with a new bathroom and to create a new bedroom on the first floor.  The women was admitted to the hospital due to some complications, so she was not in the home during our project, however her 3 grown children were home.   There were a lot of us, and each team was assigned different task. A co-worker and I were assigned to "cleaning" the upstairs bathroom. Ok with all my bathroom phobia's I wasn't happy, but I thought Kim, you are here to help you can do this, well my friend and I walked into the bathroom and I thought OMG, Im not going to make it.  It was a very large bathroom and lets  just say, I understood why two people were assigned to clean.  So, we started and we had many laughs along the way, the home owners daughter kept coming in and out of the bathroom and saying are you going to clean that, are you going to clean this, in the back of my mind I am thinking ummm you and I are the same age, grab a mop.  Of course, I then said, Kim this women is under stress, and obviously emotional not in the right frame of mind. So, I said, yes, we will clean every inch.  Ok, my co-worker was washing the wall paper, and she scrubbed so hard, I said, hey wait you are rubbing off the pattern.  She said, how can you tell, we laughed, and I started to clean the tub, and I couldn't  get the water to drain. I had to call the daughter, she looked at me like I was nuts, and here she is walking around the house in a tan trench coat, in 80 degree weather.  Anyways, she went over and lift the leaver, She said do you know how to clean?  I said, yes, but I've never cleaned a tub from 1920's. 

During our lunch break, we had pizza, and trying to relax before we went back to cleaning. When all of a sudden a few people showed up, who were friends of the son, who had been overseeing the project by sitting on a reclining chair, and drinking beer all day. 

So the friends came to drink, eat pizza and watch us work.  The daughter, yelling because she thought the pizza was her's,and all day long the daughter was complaining that we were not doing enough in her bedroom,which was spooky as hell. I actually can compare her to being like a little chihuahua barking at your feet.  Before my friend and I went back to work in the bathroom, I was asked to take a load of clothes into a room where the door had been shut all day.  I opened the door and slowly walked into the dark room, as my eyes were adjusting, I noticed that someone was laying in a bed, and just looking at me, I screamed, and then ran out literally with my hands in the air, screaming.  Come to find out, the home owner had a son who was mentally handicap.  It took us 8 hours, to clean one bathroom and when I left, I kept thinking to myself that poor guy was in that room all day long, by himself, in darkness so maybe having the ability to clean a bathroom, for 8 hours wasn't that bad.

The following year we volunteered, helping a lower income health single mom help with house repair, painting, etc.  As soon as we walked in, I knew this day was going to be long.  The Mother was pushy, she was younger than me, and I'm thinking wow, this girl just expects that everyone needs to drop to their knees and thank her for helping her out. So, right off the bat, I'm not in the mood for the attitude. The kids came in and out of the house from playing basketball ( age@ 10-12). The house was not well kept, and the mother was actually bossing people around, who were cleaning HER house.  I was assigned to painting the mother's bedroom.  I went right to work, in the middle of painting the mother came into the room, and said, excuse me, excuse me but you are missing pieces right here and right there i said, I'm sorry where?  She said can't you see, right here, I walked over to the wall, and started to  squint my eyes, and I said, can you show me where?Handing her the brush.  She takes the brush and started to paint the wall, I said, Wow, looks like you know how to paint, I tell ya what, instead of walking around up being up everyones ass, why don't you finish your own bedroom.  With that, I walked out, got into my car and took off.  

So, third time is a charm right?  Well, this time it was decided not to do anyones house (after our last experiences). This time, we were going to clean up school yard, repaint, and clean. This school, was in a bad area. I was on swing sand duty.  Clean the sand, which was filled needles, it was really sad to see how the kids couldn't even play in this area, because of the needles and crack vials.  There were people in the neighbor who were sitting on their porches, hanging out the windows just watching us all work.   There was one house where the man were laughing and saying stuff, but we politely ignored and went on with our business.  When all of a sudden, this kid comes running across the playground, he was so excited we were there, he worked right along aside of us, painting and cleaning. It made all of years of  volunteering seem worth it, just to see the pride and happiness in this young man face.

I would have loved to have ended this story on a high note, but that ain't life. While we were busy working, we hear a car alarm horn.  We realized that one of the guys that was on the porch mocking us, broke into a co-workers car, and stole his stereo. So, as the saying goes:

Finding a place to call home....

Finding a place to call home....


Currently, I'm in the market for a new home. i'm reminded of the last time, I was in search which was a NIGHTMARE. Of course, I was looking for a new home, when the housing market was at it's peak.  Houses South of Boston Massachusetts, were very high, and lets just say, the houses were less than what I expected after reading this post you will know why I was so turned off from buying a house and soon after the housing market crashed.  

First home, my wacky agent took me to was lovely, very nice home. Too much house for me, but very nice. So, I had to pass on that house.

The second house my agent took me too, the owners agent, the home owner and her kids and kids friends where in the house. Nice area, the outside had that New England charm. The owners agent brings us to the garage, proceed to find the light, and when she couldn't my agent flicks a lighter, at the same time the agent finds the light switch. With the flash of light from my agents lighter, the owner 's agent screamed, which made me scream.  We all started to laugh, but red flag in my mind, there is something wrong with the electric if this women thinks that sparks would be flying for putting on this light.  I turned to my mom, and said, oh Lordie.

Off we went into the house, and I walked in where two dogs greeted us at the door.  I wish, I could express in a colorful manner what that smells was, but till this day I can't even explain.  I never smelt anything like it in my life, and hope to never in the future. We we were rushed thru the living into the dinning room, where all the kids were on a computer at the table.  This house needed work, that is for sure, then we pushed along into another living room where the mother was laying on the couch because she was sick.  I turned to the left, and I saw a fireplace, well, it was one of those cardboard fireplaces that were around back in the early 70's. I was like ok, and then we were pushed into the kitchen.  It was dark and very old, let just say it didn't look like they were expecting a showing.  The agent trying to look for the bright points, said "the appliance will come with the house" my response, "Do they have too?"  We went into the bathroom, and I wondered, people actually live like this?  The agent says lets go up stairs to the bedrooms.  As we walk up the stairs I saw, that I could see the basement threw the stairs. We first go to the son's bedroom, and honestly it was a closet.  The bed was placed under the pitch of the house, and so when this kid walked  5 steps to his bed he would have to slide his feet under the pitch, and forget about this kid ever toss and turning.  We were then led to the mother's room.  My Mom, not wanting the agent to feel bad said Kim look new windows.  As I was I'm thinking, get me the hell out of here.  My mother walked over to the window, as she passed the closet door, it feel off, no not a hinge, but a HUGE nail that was holding the door up.  The agent, then said, lets go to the basement, so my Mom decided not to go to the basement, and talk to the owner. I went to the basement, where a cat was "housed", and that is when I saw all the wires, looked at the fuse box, no wonder this women screamed when she turned on the light in the garage, she went on to say that it will be updated before the house is sold.  As we were walking out of the house and came to the first living area, that is where I saw dead heads. 4 dead dear heads, I'm thinking was that the smell?  My response to my agent, Next?

Second house, it was a rainy day, good day for house hunting. This house was in a nice area, right down the street from a beach, small but cute.  We walked in and I love it. The two story house was empty, a huge boat in the yard, the inside was recently painted, hardwood floors, the layout was unusual, but that is what I liked about it very cute, as we were talking, I said, what is that noise? My agent says, I don't hear anything, I said, it sounds like dripping.  We walked into the living room, and there was water coming thru the house onto the floor, my agent went to basement, and yelled OH MY GOD!  I can't believe this!  I was like what, and the basement was filled with water, I'm not talking a foot, i'm talking 2 feet.  So, my agent calls the owners real estate agent, and told her that the basement is flooded and the agent knew, and so they had a huge fight over the phone. 

Next house, huge front yard. no back yard, the house was literally backed up to the fence.  The odd thing is the long drive way, could have been used as a street because you could get from one street to another, I'm thinking how many people  cut thru this drive way to get to the other street.  So, we walk into the house, and I swear it was a doublewide trailer feel to it.  It was a hallway as a kitchen, a hall way to a small living room which you had to step down and the two bedrooms were off the living room both, you could fit a queen size bed but nothing else.  So, we walked into one of the bedrooms and I came face to face with my nightmare (if you have read one of my previous post, you will know why), there was 9 parrots and 4 HUGE cages. I screamed of course, and the birds went nuts, I said, OMG and then I started to laugh, so one of the parrots started to laugh. I turned I said are you laughing at me, and I started to laugh, and I swear to god, the parrot was imitating my laugh, I said, get me the hell out of here.

Next house, nice rural area but yet close to the highway, conner house, cape style, slate siding ,looked like it was just built.  We walked in, and I instantly *GASPED*  the kitchen looked like someone thru shit on the ceiling, cabinets were missing doors, spray painted walls, and I walked into the living room and instantly had an asthma attack, black mold all over the ceiling. The floor was brought down to the subfloor, and you could tell all the heating at been removed, and I instantly thought, was this a cat hoarding house?  I ran out of that house and said, really you bring me here?

Next house, two floor, the house needed to be painted or new siding installed and a new roof was needed.  We walked in and it was very impressive, the kitchen was incredible, open floor plan to the living room very nice, you could tell they spent a lot of money on those two rooms.  The bathroom, lets just say would have needed to be gutted out, the small bedrooms would all have to be redone, the bathroom on the second floor had to be gutted out as well. Then my agent went to show me, the basement, and we opened the door, there was a hole in the floor and a rope hanging. I'm thinking seriously? My agent says, I'll go down to the basement, and you can go around to the back of the house, and I will let you in, I said, really? I don't think I need to see anything in the basement.  Then as we were leaving she notices a For sale sign on another house two doors up, and turns to us and says, let's go.  I said, should you call their agent and ask if we can see the house?  She said, no the owners just pulled in, so we walk over and she directed us to stay at the top of the drive way, as she knocked on the backdoor, she then starts to yell to us in Spanish,  I turned to my Mom and said, who is she talking too?  We were there for a good 15 mins, before she comes running out, and she says lets go, lets go, I said what is a matter, she said I didn't think I would make out of there alive.

Next house, small house, on a peninsula like area, so they were converted cottages into houses.  Area very nice, small cute little house, and we walked in and I felt like I was in the move Willy Wonka, the scene when they got bigger but the hallway gets smaller until they get to that tiny door, believe me there was no chocolate wonderland in this house.  The cute small look, was just that, I wouldn't be able to invite anyone over 5.8". If you turned to the left that was the kitchen, if you turned to the right that was the living room, if you took one step and turn again to the left that was the bathroom, which you have to back up to get in, and then the bedroom. which was good size but for sure a man's bachelor bedroom.


This post could go on and on, because I went to 12 different houses.   I'm sure by now, you are also thinking well, what was your price range. At that time, I was in the market for house between 200/250,000.00.