You say tomato...

I say bite me!

Yes, it has been a semantic circle jerk today. Today was the day that I got to spend time on the phone with multiple Departments in the City of Chicago to settle building issues... First I got to chat with the Chief plumbing inspector about my dimwitted neighbors, the Schmitts... While I am legally required to install the gutters and downspouts, the Chief Inspector was doubtful that his deploying resources to try to explain the obvious need for these instruments to the bottom of the gene pool would accomplish much. Sadly, I had to agree. Since reasonableness is not really part of their overall makeup. Of course, neither is basic cleanliness, or a sense neighborliness. So I guess that is part and parcel with what I am dealing with. The good news that I received from this call is that the City will not withhold my occupancy permit over this stupidity..

This sadly is the highlight of my day.

From my last contact with the Building Department, I learned that the problems with my driveway are insurmountable... I have been sucked into the hole of bullshit and can not get out. It turns out that even though I call that concrete pad that has run along the east side of my house since for the nearly 17 years that I have lived in my house a driveway, the chick in charge of driveway permits says that I am not entitled to call it that. As far as she is concerned, I am just driving over the grass. Prior non-conforming structures do not exist in the driveway world.

The good news is that if rebuild my garage AND repave my driveway, I MIGHT be able to get a permit.

The bad news is that I am rebuilding my house... and NOW they want me to rebuild my garage AND repave my driveway to MAYBE get my driveway.

Oh, and the ticket that I got for not having a driveway permit? SCREWED is what I am.

I am in the midst of a meltdown over this... I got ditched by my Alderman's office on this. They didn't have the balls to tell me to my face that I was fucked... They sent me out to find out for myself.

And as the final insult, when I asked Fun Daddy for some moral support when I have to go back to court... And for the final insult... "Sorry, I am going to be out of town that day... I have to WORK for a living". That is right. As if it is not sucking enough, I get the final squishing into the muck that I deserve. Even the shit that I am responsible for... I suck at.