Small Claims Court and Stupid Lies

I truly believe in Karma.  What goes around comes around.  In this case it did.  There are always consequences for your actions.

Ben and I created a full proof packet of a chronological timeline of everything that had happened since she moved in April 2017.

I wanted to settle this stupid thing today.  We went to court not because we wanted to but because we had to.  It was mostly the principle of it and to get our money she owed us.  I still can't comprehend why she thought it was okay to not finish paying what she owed us and why we were at court.  The reason why we were at court in the first place were because of her previous behaviors and actions which they led us here.  This problem was very simple to conclude but she wanted to make it difficult by asking advice from friends.  This went on for almost four months when it could have been done and over with and kept out of the court room if she would have just cooperated.

Ben and I dress appropriately for court, he dressed in his suit and I dressed in my nice slacks, sweater and a pea coat.  We had our two copies of our documentation in our hands and Josh was on hand just in case we needed him as a witness.  We got to the court house and it was difficult trying to find a parking spot even thought we gave ourselves plenty of time.

We saw her car in the parking area and it was full of people...why?  She wasn't even driving it herself.  When they parked and got out it was like a car full of clowns coming out.   I hope she realized that all of those people would be useless in mediation and there was no point in bringing them with her.  None of them dressed nicely, jeans and oversized sweatshirts, no one would take any of them seriously if spoken to.

We went inside and looked at the board to see which court room we were going to be in.  We went inside and waited in the back.  We ignored that they sat in front of us.

Judge came in promptly at 9 a.m. and discussed how the proceedings went.  He explained everything thoroughly especially for the people who have not been exposed to how this works.  He basically said your best interest is going through mediation rather than having an actual court session with him because he does not care why you're here, he does not care what your problem is, he does not care about if you owe someone money or that someone owes you money, he does not care about how you feel, he only cares about the facts in a professional manner.  I found his explanation hilarious.

Her clown posse was dismissed because they had no direct part in this matter so they left the room to sit in the waiting room until we came to agreement.  Yes it was two on one and I didn't care.

He allowed us to get together with our defendants to see if we could talk out the problem.  One group did not want to mediate so they went directly into trial.  Ben and I sat down with her and I let Ben do the talking because I just wanted to put her in physical pain.  He explained what we were after, that we had paperwork, documentation and that this will be awful if she didn't cooperate.  She came with nothing except a notebook and the letters we sent her certified mail.  He also added that she had signed a contract with us, that meant she was responsible for her actions, the actions had consequences, we had pictures, signatures, text messages, etc.  He went on by saying that we were here for the following reasons:

1. Vet Bill (claims she never asked us to take our cat to the vet and we should have kept him home and monitor him without the proper medical supplies, so we were just going to hope for the best after he ate some of her poisonous plant she left on the floor?)  She agreed to pay me before the end of the year and stopped paying me but claimed the checks were in the mail and I never received them.  I had proof on my bank records that I never deposited them nor did I get them in the mail if they were certified.  This is where it stopped making sense in our messages to her over the phone.  We did this so we had a record of what she was telling us.

2. Wall Damage (while moving out her and her friends put a hole in our wall, lied about it and then finally admitted today that they did in fact do damage to the wall) she requested that we get an invoice from ReMax and we did.  She wasn't happy with the results so decided she wasn't going to pay that either.  You asked for the invoice and you got the invoice, don't be dumb!

3. The Cleaning Fee (again, tried denying the conversation with Erika ever happened and threw Erika under the bus, even though we had the screen shot from Erika's phone) She didn't want to pay this even though it was on the lease that she signed.  Ben even went over this two days before she moved out and agreed to it!  If you don't want to be held accountable for your actions then don't say you understand and then sign it!

She showed up not wanting to pay (she thought what she had paid in the past was good enough) and gave us a sob story of why she didn't want to pay to get what she wanted.  She tried to get out of everything and we had a factual documented reason why just not wanting to do it at every excuse she threw at us.  I sat there listening to this train wreck.  She kept backing herself into a corner every time she spoke.  We had to explain our situation three different times to each of the mediators (which wasted time) and did not come to an agreement.  I spoke up that we wanted to use more of our time with mediation so we could get this done today.  They arranged it.

We left the court room and went into a different room to where we could talk with the mediators.  We were hoping to use our evidence but the mediators didn't care about the facts.  They wanted us to settle whether she back down, we backed down or came to an agreement.  They considered feelings more than explanations, she almost cried when I interrupted her.  I only interrupted her because her statement was untrue.  I got yelled at my the mediator for interrupting.  I told her the reason why we were here was because of her.  These things happened because of her, I told her this problem is simple and wanted to settle.  She continued to lie to the mediators and it disgusted us.

We had to drop the late fees for us to get anywhere (I HATE being the bigger person in these situations) we put those in there just to see if we could get it, basically a bonus, a starting point to barter with (start high, see where it goes.)  So instead of the $600+ we went with the 500+.  She didn't want to pay the invoice (even though she was the one who requested it) and tried arguing about the conversation with ReMax that never happened.  She finally settled for $410.  Ben didn't want her to go scot free with the cleaning fee that she ignored so I took it upon myself to try for $450 instead just because.  She bought into it and agreed to that amount.

We basically ate $102 but it wasn't a total loss because we were trying to get more out of her than the actual cost of the wall anyway just to see if we could.

We also agreed that this would be paid to us in one lump sum (her tax return) before March 20th via certified mail.  She had the guts to ask if we wanted to pay the $10 for the certified mail, we said no because we've sent several certified mail to her since December.  If we did not receive it, she defaults, we garnish her wages.  We get her money anyway.  She was advised to just pay it as soon as she could by the mediators.  We wrote up the paperwork and we each signed it and got a copy of it for our records.

We went to IHOP with Josh and had victory pancakes.  We shared with Josh how the mediation went and he wasn't surprised on how it went down.

We expected to get the money before the actual due date and we were totally kidding ourselves.  She texted me the tracking number so I could see where it was and when it would get here.  I feverishly checked it multiple times a day.  It should have gotten here around the 10th.  It didn't.  We literally received our payment on March 20th at 5:30 p.m.  She had to have her friend hand deliver it to my house.  I had to sign the card to make sure I received it.  Then she asked me to check my address to see if it was right and it was.  Weird...

I found out through the tracking stuff after the fact that there was a problem with the address (of course there was) and it had to be sent back and forth between the post offices and the delivery drivers.  Not sure what happened or it just added to the stupidness of this whole mess.  Since I got it so late in the day I couldn't go cash it so I had to wait until the next day.

IT...WAS...FINALLY...OVER!!

Next Adventure:  New Mattress

Ben's Birthday Party

I was constantly asking Ben what he wanted to do for is birthday and he said, I don't know.   I knew what he wanted to do for his birthday but because of the time of year, the unfortunate series of events that have occurred in the last year or so and the fact that we had to be careful with what we do with our money until he finds something that pays more.  He wanted to rent out a cabin in one of the mountain ranges with some buddies and spend the entire weekend snowboarding.  He knew we couldn't do it this year but it is something he would like to do at some point when we have the means to do so.

We planned a fun yet conservative weekend mostly because of the things that were occurring in our lives.  The car accident really put a damper on some stuff as well as waiting for our court date with our ex-roommate because she decided that she didn't want to pay us what she owed us.  The first two months out of the year were stressful to say the least.

Ben and Josh got to talking and decided on Dave and Buster's, a fun center that just opened in Auburn, for Saturday.  We looked at the food menu and ended up looking at another option just because the food was expensive.  We found something in Puyallup so people could meet us halfway.  We knew Nicole was visiting Del this weekend so we invited them out to dinner.  Josh and Heather met us there and so did Trish and Amy.

Ben and I got there a little earlier than everyone else so we looked on our app to find the closest geocache in the area.  Paved Paradise (GC5KVX3) was less than a couple hundred feet away from the RAM.  We, of course, parked the furthest away and walked to it.  When we got there we literally could have parked at the RAM and walked behind the building.  Lame.  We found it magnetically attached to the roof of the outbuilding near the power box.  We signed out names and put it back.

We walked back to the car which was around the corner by Dick's Sporting Goods.  I can't believe we went the long way around.  We got in the car and drove the short distance to the RAM.  We went inside and the waitress took us to our table where we waited for our guests to arrive.  Josh and Heather would be coming late and told us not to wait for them. Nicole and Del arrived first and we chatted with them until Trish and Amy showed up.  We all ordered food together.  I expected to pay for my food but because it was Ben's birthday and I was included in that Trish paid for my food as well.  I thanked her.

Josh and Heather got there just as we were in the middle of eating. They ordered as soon as they sat down.  We chatted and carried on.  Ben had his birthday beer and some of the staff came over and sang to him.  They gave him a complementary piece of birthday cake.  Our waiter was pretty awesome except he was a huge Husky fan.  He was a pretty accommodating waiter so we tipped him well.

Nicole and Del went home while the rest of us headed to Auburn.  Parking was a nightmare!  Dave and Buster's was insane!  I had no idea what to expect since I've only seen commercials of it on television.  There were people everywhere and trying to figure out game cards so we could play the games.  We paid and later on we found out they double charged us.  Lame.  Ben got that fixed as soon as he could.  We were set free to wander around playing arcade and carnival like games for a few hours.

I enjoyed the carnival games like the basketball, football, beer pong, skee ball, the skills games like dropping coins onto slats and balls falling into containers.  I earned quite a few points the couple hours we were there.  I was getting tired and wondered how long we were going to stay there.  It was about 11 p.m. and I met Trish and Amy over at the prize area to figure out how to use our points.  You have to get a crap ton of points to get the really cool stuff.  I have enough for a decal and a Seahawks football so that's what I got.  Trish and Amy also got a Seahawks football and Ben decided to keep his points for a next time.  We thanked Josh and Heather for coming and gave out hugs to Trish and Amy and headed out to our vehicles.  Ben and I went inside the Walmart for some drinks and a snack.

We got home just after midnight and we were both exhausted.  It was nice to changed into comfy clothes and snuggle in bed.  I hope we are able to do something better next year for his birthday.

Next Adventure:  Small Claims Court and Stupid Lies

Remembering Cristi Jo Heitschmidt

When I was in middle school I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Heitschmidt, our health sciences teacher and volleyball coach (that's what I knew her as, she taught and coached different levels of sports and classes throughout the years) and I got to know her.  Being in a small school I believe you are able to do that more.  My first class with her was Home Ec.  We learned how to cook food and how to sew.

My first impression of her was that she was very anal about stuff, bipolar, a little crazy and very intense.  Intense is the one word I would describe her if someone asked me.  I didn't really know that much about her except she was married (Joel worked at RHS for a while and we got to know him) and was from Minnesota.  She did a great job of keeping her personal life out of school because I was very surprised to hear about her life at the celebration in Centralia.

The next time I worked with her was during my Freshman year when I was one of the volleyball managers (I did this for two seasons) and I got to see her intensity even more.  We were at a JV volleyball tournament in Oakville and we were in the midst of subbing players, she wanted to know what the score was (I don't know why she didn't just look at the scoreboard) but she really wanted to know and I was trying to keep up on the scorebook (volleyball scoring was different back in 1998 than it is now) so I didn't get behind, she actually hit me because she wanted to know right then and there and the game was close.  The thought crossed my mind, "oh my God, a teacher just hit me!  Why did she hit me?  It was weird and I kept it to myself.

I had her again for health class my sophomore year and that's when she started every class with, "okay all you healthy people!" in her Minnesotan accent.  She said it so much I actually remember what it sounds like in my head and will continue to for the rest of my life.

I don't know what compelled me but my senior year I was her TA.  I can't explain it but for some reason I needed to be her TA.  To this day I still can't explain it.  Throughout that semester I learned that she was very organized, knew what she wanted and loved teaching.  She was very specific when she handed out projects that needed to be done.  Every holiday or season her classroom would be decorated in that theme, there were always student's projects on the walls and it was very homey.

After I graduated I saw her off an on while I came back to Rainier for my brother and sister and their high school activities.  I heard she took a job at Centralia College and her and Joel were expecting their first and only child, Keaton.  Then I didn't see her very much at all and I heard Joel went back to Capital High School.

Life got busy but I heard good things through other people's Facebook accounts about Cristi and Joel, their son and their jobs.  Then unexpectedly I heard the news a few months ago that Cristi had a rare form of cancer and it was terminal.  Unfortunately it was just a matter of time until we heard the bad news. 

Cristi Jo lost her battle with cancer on February 1, 2018.

On February 2, I saw a post by Janet Aschenbrenner, one of the ladies that worked at the school while I attended Rainier, she said, 

"Hello former RHS students.  I have some sad news this morning.  Cristi Jo Heitschmidt passed away yesterday.  She lived a beautiful life, true to her faith...and always living the healthy life.  Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.  She fought the hard fight against cancer."

I was shocked but I did know it was going to happen.  I felt horrible for Joel and Keaton.  I couldn't imagine losing my significant other or mom like that.  I kept a look out for a memorial service or a celebration of life because I needed to attend it.  I felt that there was a reason why Cristi was in my life, as a teacher, even if it was for a short amount of time but I needed to be there.  She touched many of our lives in one way or another and she became a teacher for a reason and came to our school and we were lucky to have had her at Rainier during those years.

I saw another post from Janet about the memorial service set for February 11 at Centralia College.  I told Ben I had to go.  I knew he didn't know her but if he wanted to go as well he could.

We got up that morning, got our nicer clothes on and headed down to Centralia.  On the way there I wondered who all would be coming that I knew.  I reflected on the memories I had with Cristi and shared them with Ben.  I wanted to paint a picture for him of how I remembered her.  We got there way earlier than I anticipated.  We found a nearby parking spot (at the time I didn't realize it was in front of her building she worked in) and walked to the auditorium.  We sat down and waited to see if anyone I knew showed up early.

The back and front of program

Joel did make eye contact with me and walked over to talk to us.  He introduced himself and then had a realization that I was familiar.  He said not to tell him, he was trying to remember my name and he did get it right but couldn't remember the last name.  I gave him kudos because it's been probably over a decade since I saw him last.  I told him a little bit about what I've been doing since high school and he thanked us for coming and showing support.  I told him it was important that I come.  We sat down and watched the auditorium fill up.

I did notice a few people that I knew come in and sit down.  When it began, there was a lot of hymns played by a band from their church.  That was one thing I didn't know about them, they were very religious and kept it on the down low at school.  I was impressed and had no idea.  Friends and family took turns remembering her and her life and how she enhanced theirs when she was in it.  Lots of stories were shared as well as tears.  I was very impressed with how Keaton handled everything including his eulogy of his mom.  Joel handled it with humor and stories.  His stories were hilarious and the way he told them you thought you were also in the story watching it.  My favorite part was listening to how Joel met Cristi at college.  It was so awkward yet satisfying the way he told their story.  I've always wanted to hear how they met. 

There were more of her favorite hymns and prayers.  The celebration ended with a video of Cristi thanking us for coming and being a part of her life.  It was very sad and hard to see her like that and the fact that she planned her whole service.  It made you rethink your life and the relationships with people you've come across in your lifetime.

Inside of program

I saw a few people I knew and chatted with them for a while.  I wrote out a memory on a notecard and stuck it to the wall of many others.  Ben grabbed some snacks while I used the restroom before we left.  We walked back to the Escape and headed home.  I reflected on the ceremony and how hard it must have been to go up there in front of everyone and talk about someone that you will miss so much it physically hurts you.  It was probably a little different knowing while she was dying rather than it happening all of a sudden without any warning because you can prepare for it rather than by surprise.  It was eloquent yet hit you square in the feels.

I was happy I got to meet Cristi even if it was only for a short amount of time.  I will remember all of her quirky classroom phrases, her accent and her love for teaching.

Next adventure:  Ben's Birthday Party

February Game Night - Comfort Food

It was our turn to host game night once again.  Ben and I got onto our Facebook group and asked everyone when they could come over the weekend of the 10th or the weekend of the 24th because we were going to be gone all weekend during Ben's birthday weekend.  Everyone like the sound of the 10th better so that's what we went with.

A few weeks before I asked Ben what kinds of food he would like everyone to bring.  We usually have some sort of theme or holiday to cater our food around.  Ben wanted some sort of comfort food theme.  We made a list of what that would look like.

Pulled pork
Slider buns
Slider buns (gluten free)
Beans
Coleslaw
Mac n cheese (gluten free)
Corn bread (do they make gluten free corn bread?)
Ribs
Corn

And some sort of dessert that goes with the them which was Oreos and peanut butter ice cream.

I assigned everyone something and if they wanted to add it to the list by all means.  Ben and I provided the pulled pork and corn.

We bought the hunk of pork the night before and spent all day slow cooking it in the crock pot.  It smelled delicious.

People started to arrive and brought their dishes they made into the kitchen.  I had to put some stuff into the oven to warm it up.  We dished up and ate the deliciously awesome food we all made.  It really hit the spot. 

We talked about the various things going on in everyone's lives including Justin and Lindsay's upcoming wedding in July.  We still haven't decided on what dress Nicole and I would be wearing.  Heather and Josh came as well but Heather had just had surgery and was not doing too well but she came anyway.  They ended up leaving early as well as Celeste and Isaac.

We moved into games.  Nicole brought over some new games to try out.  Cash N' Guns and another one where we filled in a piece of paper and tried to figure out who wrote what, I forget what it was called.  We did have a funny quote of the night from Ben, "I Chinese food all the time!" It was suppose to be "I eat Chinese food all the time!" Hahaha!

Around 11ish everyone decided it was time to head out.  I thanked everyone for coming and gave out some hugs.  Ben and I took about an hour to wash the dishes and put everything away.  I didn't like leaving a mess for the next day.

We would be having out next gathering at Lindsay and Justin's house for St. Patrieaster's Day.  There will be an evening egg hunt, green and someone might be wearing a bunny costume.

Next Adventure:  Remembering Christi Jo Heitschmidt