Thursday, April 23, 2009

Personal Story

Okay, so I was asked by my lawyer if I would let his son have a vacation in Piso Madrid for a coupla weeks. The son was living somewhere in France and was ending his stay there. My lawyer wanted to give the son and his fiancé a vacation in Madrid. What am I going to do? I don’t really like to let people stay in Piso Madrid but gotta keep the lawyer happy, I may need him.

I don't really like having anyone over who I don't know - well. But I have to get over it, so I said, "Sure". I know this does not sound like a big deal, but I stressed out about it. There are several things that could go wrong (in my mind at least). I imagined the worse case scenarios, like the calefaccion breaking down and everyone dying from carbon monoxide poisoning. I realize this is ridiculous and paranoid, but there it is.

So, they came and went - and I guess they liked it (although not much was said about if they enjoyed it, etc.) The fact is they can't really appreciate 20 years of planning and work - culminating in the stupid Piso in the center of Madrid. They hung out and went to Semana Santa processions and then they returned back to the states – or France or where ever. But what pissed me off is the keys. Namely, they were mailed back to me in a flimsy “airmail” envelope. The really thin kind to save weight. Now let me explain Piso Madrid keys to the uninitiated. I have a “puerta blindada” and the key to this kind of door is a major-league, big-ass key, along with the key to the door to the street. You can’t put those keys in flimsy "airmail" envelope and expect them to arrive in one piece. Well, they did not arrive. I got a very nice envelope - empty - ripped open - and no keys.

Sorry, but that pisses me off. I’ll get over it. End of personal story. Now I have to send my friend Fernando over there to make sure the water in the tub was not left running.

4 comments:

Midnight Golfer said...

At least nobody suffocated to death.

Gotta look on the bright side, right?

Carl said...

Yes, that would have been bad.

I feel better. I'm done overreacting now.

Voices en Español said...

Carl,
This really sucks. Don't you just hate it when you're initial instincts were right?

In any case, did everything work out? I mean was your apartment in good shape and did you get the lawyer to reimburse you for the replacement cost of those keys?

Although it's illegal to discriminate in this way, I've heard that in NYC some landlords and co-ops won't rent/sublet to lawyers. Concerned about what might happen when the lawyer becomes dissatisfied and turns litigious.

Anyway, hope everything was fine in the end. Next time, request a security deposit. They'll think twice about returning the keys in a flimsy envelope then.

Carl said...

My friend Fernando went to check out the place and gave me a laundry list of things he didn't like - nothing serious though. They left the window open in one bedroom for example, things not turned off properly, etc.

I know exactly what you mean about having to worry about lawyers. This lawyer is a good guy though - it's the kids that are a little bratty.