Very Much a Newbie ... And that Breaks My Heart

Today a Junior High student had a brief freak out on me. I had asked her to hand over her phone after I caught her using it in class. She refused angrily telling me, "No! I'm not giving it to you. This is my phone." She put it away. I was fine with that for the moment but let her know that she was fine ... for now.

I made it clear that I was taking phones if I saw them. Later on, I saw her again on her phone when she needed to be working. I warned her, "put that away if you want to keep it." She freaked out! "Oh my gawd! It's my phone."

I couldn't help but give her a puzzled look. Then I took a stern attitude asking her what was going on. It took me a moment to realize this child was about to blow. I knew something was brewing under the defiant facade. The class also stopped to stare, I could feel them looking at her. I decided right then and there, for the sake of the child, to get her out. "You know what hon, why don't you head p to the office. I think that's where you kinda wanted to go anyway." (Her teacher was up at the office.)

"Fine," she said, shoving her stuff in her backpack.

"Go ahead and turn in your notebook," I told her. "Mr. (C) is collecting them."

She stopped and glared at me. "I don't have to give you my notebook. It's MY notebook." One of her classmates became exasperated and piped up, "Jeez "Gigi" what is the deal with the attitude!"

I watched her walk out. I looked at the class and told them, "I didn't mean to upset her."

"Oh it wasn't you," I was told. "She does this to Mr. C." I expressed sorrow. I reminded the students that we were all dealing with things. I know I do, I said. But they didn't seem to believe me.

For the record, I collected several phones today. The students gave me no troubles and simply collected got them back at the end of class. I never keep them if the student willingly hands them over. I usually give it back at the end of class. If a student is disrespectful, I either take the phone and deliver it to the office or I will write the student up.

Today was the first time I saw a youngster struggling this bad. I told this to the teacher and expressed my suspicions about the inner pain, his face became serious, he sighed and confirmed my suspicions with a simple nod and, "yep."

 I'm not sure if I handled it well. I know I could have done better. I think I was being tough with a child who was already hurting. For that, I feel bad.

Home is Where the Heart is ... And Where I Feel Afraid

Hello! I have a strange topic I need to vent about. First I need to set the scene for you all. I am a professional. So is my husband. We don’t make light of complaining openly about certain things. And yet I find myself angry, confused and, frankly, nearly sick over what I’m seeing happening to my home.

I am deeply concerned with some things done by the new ownership at my Colton apartment complex. Let me be clear, I have lived in this complex for more than 10 years. I've enjoyed it and want desperately to stay but it's becoming very clear that we are in for a bumpy ride with the new owners.

1) We were advised there would be painting done and directed to clear our patios less than a year after we endured painting and directed to clear our patios by previous ownership.

2) For reasons never made clear to me, screens were added on top of our original window screens obscuring a clear view of the outside.






After the addition of the new screens.







Before the screens.

3) On a more amusing note, our complex was renamed “The Tides at Grand Terrace” despite that we are nowhere near a body of water.

4) The apartment complex is in the city of Colton, not in the more affluent city of Grand Terrace.

5) Notification for changes and construction is slow to come, ex. I found out Monday night at 5:55 p.m. that I was unable to use the gym because the hours had changed. The gym was no longer going to be open until 11 p.m. as it has been for years. This despite that their website - which they are quick to change in other ways - still lists the fitness center is available 24 hours.

This leads me to No. 6) Few people here seem to have answers anymore. I gave the gentleman, who stood his ground as he let me know I was intruding on the new hours of the gym, a stern comment about not getting notice. His response is similar to those we’ve received with others, he didn’t know much because he had just started two weeks prior. Perhaps a notice was sent, perhaps it wasn’t.

All that said, and at the risk of airing out too much “dirty laundry,” I should also mention that a month or so ago, the water to several buildings within the complex was shut off without notice. My husband called to advise the front office that notice would have been appreciated as I was in the middle of cooking. He was told the shut off was the work of the city and not the doing of The Tides administrators. My husband, taking a proactive approach, emailed the city’s water department asking for an explanation. Their response was that water department officials were asked to turn off the water by Tides management. Any construction that took place was conducted by The Tides group. Someone needs to check their information here. I can’t speak to all tenants but since the shut off our water pressure has slowed.

The water pressure is not an impactful issue for my family, but a serious lack of communication is. If something has been changed, notification would be appreciated. The changes to the water system may have been for the good of the environment, but I cannot say for sure. I haven’t been informed what in fact happened.

All this is wrapped up in my strong suspicion that the new ownership is attempting to gentrify (for lack of a better phrase) the complex. For example, changes include gearing the amenities that cater more for adult renters rather than family units. Despite the fact that the complex is less than 5 minutes from an elementary school and 10 minutes away from a middle school, the ownership removed a large playground which had been a gathering place for dozens of children in the past now have one choice, to use a tiny playground near the back of the complex.

Rents have gone up impressively. It is their prerogative as owners/managers to implement any rules for occupancy. I must and do respect that. But I also think it’s not unreasonable to detect an underlying message, the proverbial dire warning, in a notification we did get advising us that any occupants who are in any way late submitting their rent run a high risk of eviction, "no exceptions." The note outlined days when rents were due. The language was grim and stoic. We’ve received blanket notices on this topic before. And we have been blessed and fortunate that we have never been late with the rent, thank the Lord! Yet that note made me feel fearful. Honestly, at this point, I fear for our ability to stay here as my family as we may not fit into the future plans of The Tides ownership.

My only consolation is that California law will not allow the owners to raise my rent to the $1,600 plus that they are now beginning to charge. For now, my memory of that new employee standing stoically and unmoved before me, is burned into my memory.

Be Very, Very Quiet...

Good morning. I'm writing this at 2:30 a.m. on January 2, 2020. I have insomnia.

It's a problem.

Fortunately, I am on vacation until next week when I return to work. For those of you still trying to shake off a New Year's hangover, you are not imagining things, I have been gone from this blog for a very long time. But I have yet to give up on it. I have a lot of stuff I have to do tomorrow so I will not write long. I need sleep ... I think I am repeating myself ... yes, I definitely am.

I hope that I can keep up with the blog and write a few things about this year to sort of document how the year goes.

Like so many of us, I have changed and evolved. There is much to write about. We'll see how it goes.

Goodnight/Good morning for now.