Pennytree Apartments SUCK!

I lived here for a year with my boyfriend. Let's start off with the apartment itself... The buildings are very old and the landlords aren't doing anything to maintain them. When we first moved in the front door had one screw in it at the top of the door so basically one hinge was on the door held by one screw. The cupboards had been painted over so many times they no longer closed. They were painted this weird white and they painted it unevenly. They also stuck and sometimes I couldn't open them. The ceiling had five leaks. One in the living room, two in the kitchen, one in the bedroom and one behind the bathroom sink. The one behind the bathroom sink got everything in the cupboard underneath it wet and it ruined everything we had under there. We constantly complained about it, they never fixed it. In fact when they did "fix it" it started two more leaks and never stopped the other ones. Our bath tub also wouldn't drain. It took us a week to get it fixed and we had to do all the working finding someone to fix it. The disposal to the sink was also broken, we had to call around to find someone to fix that too. The oven also did not work. It turned on but didn't turn off. I ran down to the office to let them know about it and they sent up a Mexican half an hour later who did not understand what the problem was because he didn't speak english. Finally, he turned the oven off, but didn't fix the problem. So we never used the oven again. Not to mention the one time we did it burnt our food because it was too hot. I even played with the knob trying to get it to work, still no. They never fixed that either.

The neighborhood is horrible. The kinds of people they rent the apartments out to... let's just say I don't know how they balanced their rent and their drug addictions. I never left the apartment alone no matter what time of day it was. We were completely in the wrong area that's for sure. Our neighbors fought a lot. One day while my boyfriend and I were outside of the apartment coming in the lady next door told us that she may have to call the cops because she is afraid of her boyfriend and scared that when he comes home he is going to hurt her. She showed us a huge bruise on her leg and missing teeth. She let us know he had dislocated her jaw and broke her ribs previously. I didn't really think anything of it, as I didn't care. But that night he was hurting her I guess and she was screaming help. I phoned the police and they came and took care of it. We wrote statements and later spent a year going to all the court dates. We told out landlord about the problem next door and how they were always so loud. She told us that there was nothing she could do about it. Later in the week the girls boyfriend who lived next door to us knocked on our door to apologize, my boyfriend told him it was no problem and they sat down to smoke a cigarette together. A month after that the neighbors left their door unlocked, with the keys inside. They only had one key to their door. They came over for a second to use our phone then went back to find their door locked. It took two hours until almost one in the morning to get the grounds keeper to open the door. He told us he didnt have the key, then went down to the shop on grounds and "made one" how do you make a copy of a key with out having the key to begin with? When he opened their door, their cigarettes, alcohol and game system were missing. Her keys were sitting on the kitchen table. We also found things missing when we were not home. One day I came home and my digital camera was missing. We came home another night and found papers on our bed that weren't there before we left. Their was a marriage certificate and a creepy letter. I have no idea who the people are in the letter or on the marriage certificate. I think that the grounds keeper came into our apartment with trash and forgot to take it with him when he left. The neighbors also were never evicted, one day they just left. The boyfriend was in jail for smashing another tenants head in with a cinder block and the girlfriend I have no idea where she went. The boyfriend also punched my boyfriend in the face twice because my boyfriend told him that he didnt want to go with him to the landlord to complain about their break in. Even after I told the landlord about that incident she still said she couldn't do anything about it. I called the cops about five times and the manager never said or did anything about our neighbors.

The grounds themselves were always messy. There was trash every where. There were stray cats that the landlord told us we were responsible for catching and taking to the pound. I didn't move in with a cat, I didn't have a cat that ran around impregnating everything. Why should I be responsible? The utility bill was included in the rent. How ever if the building went over the estimated amount we paid before, the excess was split up between the four units in the building and we each had to pay a fourth of it. This made me mad because I didn't run my a/c. My neighbor did, it was like Alaska at her house and the desert in mine. But because they decided to crank up the air, we had to pay about 40.00 extra dollars a month.

The parking there sucked, you parked on the street or paid a nonrefundable 25.00 for a remote to get in the gate where you could pick between the ten parking spots inside. There was no key pad or a pin code, and there was barely any parking.

BUGS!!! There were roaches, bedbugs and mosquitoes. We also weren't allowed to smoke on the apartment grounds at all or in our unit. If we got caught smoking we had to pay a 20.00 fine. So I have to leave my apartment complex every few hours when I need a cigarette? What?

HOMELESS PEOPLE! There were a ton of homeless people, and the apartment manager applauded one of them for going through our trash. He was in the dumpster going through everyone's trash and she clapped and talked to him like he was three years old saying "great job!" What?!?!?!

My over all experience here at Pennytree was completely ridiculous. The apartment I have now is so much nicer, cheaper and in a better community. Skip Pennytree and come to Sandal Ridge!

50 Shades of Grey

50 Shades of Grey 

By: EL James

This book is a dark reflection of several different people. The act of BDSM or S&M isn’t really just some kinky thing some people are just “into”. It goes much deeper than that, and this book is a perfect example. Those who do practice these sorts of things feel embarrassed or scared. The fear of other people’s reactions scare them and they worry they will not be accepted. This book brings this sort of thing into light.

A lot of uneducated people would say that these sorts of people are weird or worship Satan or whatever else they can conjure up. The fact of the matter is, they say these things because they do not understand it. In this story Christian Grey feels he needs to be dominant because of how he was brought up. Even though the book doesn’t tell us exactly what happened in his past; it is not difficult to guess. He was abused as a younger child, he was never able to do anything he wanted to do, and mostly he has hidden rage for his mother. The fact that he feels the need to “punish” women isn’t just a sexual act. It is hidden in his subconscious mind because his mother did something to him to make him hate her. We all hear that men marry their mom. This is true; mothers set the example for their sons. A definition of what a woman and a mother should be. Not knowing any different, they set out to find just that. In cases like Christian’s, the opposite happened. He is upset with his mother; he doesn’t want another woman to treat him like that. So, he in essence he punishes every woman he comes across because it makes him feel better.  

In the book Ana tells Christian that he is messed up in the head and that he needs to get his life straight. This is not entirely false. However, there are things in life that cannot be undone. He is attracted to women, but the first woman in his life left him in a fragile state. He is unsure of how a woman should be because he wasn’t given a good example of one. It’s all psychological. Things like this carry into his sex life. Does that make it wrong? No. Many people find the art of pain and pleasure to be the best feeling they have ever had. They should embrace it and if Christian feels he doesn’t want to live that life anymore, he should get help. There are ways to overcome it, but at Christian’s age it will be difficult.

This book brought into light what really goes on behind closed doors. Christian didn’t want to hurt Ana that was not the intent. The intent was to show dominance by instilling fear. This just happens to be a turn on for a ton of people including Ana, the idea of not knowing what’s going to happen next. Maintaining the trust with your partner sets aside the fear telling you that you are going to get hurt. With everyone’s emotions carefully in place, it can be an exhilarating feeling.  

I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next one!

The Second Amendment

“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

The second Amendment of the United States of America Constitution states Constitution is very clear. I believe that back in during the times of the Constitution that it was important to make such a law. In those times you worked on a farm mostly, everyone had kind of the wild west type life style. Life is a little bit different now, however I do believe that one should be able to bear arms. Even though I personally do not like guns, I think that it is important that the citizens of the US feel safe.

My mom told me once when I was young that, “those who carry guns are those who keep the kind of company around them to make them feel the need to carry one.” I believe this is somewhat true. The fact of the matter is, you never know what is going to happen all the time. You may walk in on a situation where you feel having a fire arm will make you feel better and give you the upper hand. I don’t feel unsafe when I see someone walking around with a gun in a holster strapped to their side. I wonder sometimes what that person does every day to make him carry the weapon.

Here are my opinions on the matter of carrying guns. I do not think that Obama or anyone for that matter should be able to tell someone whether or not they are or are not allowed to carry/own a gun. I think that the Sandyhook incident is a tragedy that could have been prevented. Everyone is saying we need to get rid of the gun that’s what did it. The fact is that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Is anyone looking at the parents? Why was the gun able to be accessed by the children? When I was growing up my parents had different kinds of guns. But, they also made sure it was safe. They owned and still do own a gun safe. My stepdad likes to go hunting, but he also has a gun at his disposal in case of an intruder. However he keeps the safety on and it is kept away.

I don’t think that guns should be banned. I think that there should be different precautions and safety standards. For instance, I think that if someone wants to own a gun they must take a class on proper use/handle of the gun. I think they must own a gun safe. There are millions of people who own guns. Most of those people use them in the matter in which they were intended for. It is not their fault someone cannot handle the right, so it is not fair to take it away. I believe you should have a special permit/license given to you in the same way you would obtain a driver’s license. Before you are able to purchase the weapon, you must have taken a class and passed. From there you should be given a permit or a license to carry the weapon. So, when you go to a store to purchase the fire arm you have the permit and that would be the only way you are able to obtain one.

The people of America would much rather have something like that, than be told your rights are being taken away. It isn’t the gun that’s the problem, it’s the user.

Week 76 100WC

100 Word Challenge Week 76

Word Count: 109

Prompt: "...beneath the surface..."

David is my best friend in the world, my lover, my equal and my other half. He has changed a lot since we first met. He is fairly built now, not as built as he was back in high school but still gorgeous all the same. He used to wear his hair long; his smooth curls almost covered the back of his neck.  His caramel skin stretched over his muscles. I remember how captivating he was it wasn't what was on the outside but what was beneath the surface. I used to avoid looking into his chocolate eyes afraid they would pull me in and lock me away forever.

30 Day Shred Day One

Measurements:

Body Type: Hour Glass

Left Arm: 10.5” Right Arm: 10.5”

Thighs: 24.5”

Waste: 31”

Hips: 37”

My first work out:

Let’s just say Jillian Michaels kicked my ass. I was excited when she said it was time for cool down. It was 25 minutes of exercises and no breaks were allowed…  I had to take a couple five second breaks to catch my breath. Over all I feel I have worked out my entire body and I am excited to see how the rest goes. Side note: I don’t have any weights so I didn’t use any this time. I did the moves just without the dumbbells. Time for a shower!!!

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred

Background: As you may or may not know, Jillian Michaels is the trainer on the T.V. show The Biggest Loser. She has constructed work outs that combined cardio and strength in one workout. This makes it so the workouts can be shorter but just as effective as a longer one that separates their cardio and strength. Her moves also target problem areas such as; stomach, thighs and arms.

How it works: It's actually pretty simple. There is one DVD composed of three different levels, one level for every ten days at 30 minutes a workout. However I have learned that you can stay on level one until you are ready to progress to level two. This work out can take longer than 30 days if you want it to. Also, if you consider yourself to be a beginner in working out, Jillian has two other women in her videos, one does the more advanced move and the other a modified move. This gives you the chance to work out at your level with the goal being to work up to the more advanced move.

Prices: The DVD runs between $6 and $14 and is available at locations such as Walmart, Target and Amazon. You can also purchase the download on your computer for $16.

Diet: To help your work out come along most effective and trim down tummy fat, you may decide to diet. There is no set food plan for this Shred so feel free to implement your own diet. If you are not going to be on a food plan try avoiding certain foods that you can find in my post about dieting. 

Step One: After obtaining your copy of the DVD it’s time to measure!!! I learned a long time ago that it is better to measure than to document your weight. Weight is flexible depending on the time of day and what you’re wearing. Also, because this video is based on building muscle, it is reshaping your body. Muscle does weigh more than fat. I found it’s easier to measure your key problem areas because that is the best way to see your results!!!

Okay here is where you will need to measure:

1.     Arms:  The thickest part of each arm.

2.     Thighs: The thickest part of each thigh.

3.     Lower Waist: All the way around your waist at your belly button.

4.    Hips: Biggest part of your hips.

Step Two: Everyday do your work out! In the video the girls use 5lb dumbbells. You can start with 3lb’s and work up to 5lbs if you need to. Also, it is important you do it every day for 30 minutes even if you are sore. It is important to keep consistent.

Step Three: At the end of your 30 Day Shred re-measure yourself. In my research I have found most people lose about 1-2 inches inches in each part of the body. You will look more toned and go down at least a dress size. After the 30 days you can do other simple work outs to keep your body toned and continue to lose inches.

Dieting Research

You may have read on my post about the 30 Day Shred about foods to avoid. Here is what I have learned by watching a video on The Trim Down Clubs website. Here is what to avoid:

•  Concentrated Orange Juice: Most concentrated fruit juices (like Cranberry and Apple) add to your waistline. When companies concentrate their juice they take out the fiber and nutritious elements. Talk about concentrating the wrong ingredients! Without the fiber you’re pretty much drinking sugar water spiking your blood sugar, making you tired and making your body store everything as fat!
• Excess Sugar: Sugar is actually found in a ton of food that is processed! But how do you know when reading the nutrition facts if the product contains a lot of sugar? Manufacturers use fancy words disguised as sugar. Avoid anything that says: high fructose corn syrup, dextran and dextrose. These kinds of sugars are found in concentrated fruit juice as well and are directly the cause of weight gain and even worse type 2 diabetes. Keep your blood sugar level balanced. When your blood sugar level gets too low, your body thinks its starving making it react in a way that causes your body to store everything you eat as fat rather than fuel to burn off.
• Margarine: a high fat storing food containing Trans Fat. Trans Fat is made when hydrogen’s are made into a solid this makes the food less likely to spoil. They, increase your LDL levels causing bad cholesterol because it lines your arteries with plaque. And then it reduces your good cholesterols. Trans Fats cause not only weight gain, but cardiovascular disease.  A better alternative is butter. While butter also has fat it has a different kind of fat called saturated fat. Your body uses this kind of fat as fuel and it doesn’t put any plaque in your arteries.
• Whole Wheat Bread and Pastas: Surprisingly enough whole wheat breads along with pastas make it nearly impossible to lose weight and stay healthy. Another word for these kinds of foods are “comfort foods” composed of high carbs such as apple pie, cake, muffins, beer, wine and pizza. Why do we crave these foods? Well, these foods also contain cortisol this is a hormone produced by adrenal glands giving you an adrenaline rush to cope with stressful situations both physically and mentally that sparks that sweet tooth for these comfort foods. This directly goes to the waist line. This doesn’t mean you have to remove these foods completely out of your diet. You just need to get the right ratio of carbs to proteins. Carbs aren’t totally bad for you, when combined with proteins it won’t sky rocket your blood sugar levels or cause your body to store it as fat. Low Carb foods would be vegetables and some fruits. High Carbs balanced with low carbs and proteins are better for you and your blood sugar level. Making simple changes like whole grain bread instead of wheat can put you in the right direction.
• Processed Soy: Soymilk, tofu and other soy proteins are not only foods that mean infertility but it can also increase allergies! Other problems caused by soy are breast cancer, thyroid disorders, kidney stones, immune system impairments and even fatal food allergies. Why does this happen? Well, it’s because of how soy beans are processed. Manufacturers take out the good nutrients and minerals and 90% of phytonutrient content. Phytonutrients are a medicine found in foods that are disease-fighting. These foods cause weight gain and health problems because it throws your hormone balance completely off track. They even have more grehlin, the more your body produces the hungrier you feel, increasing cravings. Eating things like snap peas, green beans and other legumes decrease the amount of grehlin your body takes in. This will balance out your metabolism. Proper metabolism is so important for your kidney, brain, heart and liver to function the way it’s meant to.
• Processed Corn: Genetically modified corn and other products that are genetically modified contributes to obesity and problems with your organs. Not just corn on the cob we’re talking about all genetically modified food such as gluten free corn cereal, corn puffs, flakes and honey coated oats. Those are just cereal’s, there are tons of other genetically modified food that are bad for you.
• Energy Bars: Some have as much sugar and saturated fat as a candy bar.
• Soda/ Soft Drinks: Not just because of the sugar content, but because of artificial sweeteners like aspritain. These sweeteners stimulate appetite, trigger weight gain through fat storage and increase your carb cravings. Even diet sodas are on the list. Each 20oz soda has 227 calories which is 1/10 of the amount women need to maintain to keep their healthy weight. Women who drink just two soft drinks or 500 calories of added sugars increase your LDL levels. Not to mention the caffeine is not good for you either.
• Canned Soup: Not only does it contain high sodium but it also contains MSG. This causes you to gain weight faster than eating a double fudge sundae.
• Microwave Popcorn: Containing very high amounts of trans fat and gives you “popcorn lung” This is a disease causing severe respiratory problems.
• Anything Labeled “Fat Free”: Most times the fat taken out by manufacturers is replaced by sugars and not to mention they take out the kind of fat that is good for you.