Here we go again...

My long-neglected blog. :D 2011 has been a craptastic "maybe we should quit this" type of year. It's been too depressing to keep the blog updated, AND we had another kid. Amazing how much time those things take up. Anyway, quick year in review - we finished the renovations on Spadina 2, we are currently gutting and fixing the big apartment at Lottridge, and we've enjoyed some friendly banter with the city bylaw officers. 2011 also included another new roof, my first ever "pro" tenant (and eviction), and all the usual hiccups. Currently our war is with garbage. The city has a "one container per household" bylaw, which is fine. Except if you can't meet the limit, or don't get your garbage out in time, or it's too heavy and they leave it behind, etc etc etc, there is no alternative but to take it to the dump yourself (OR, the preferred option in this fine neighborhood), dump it illegally on someone else's property under cover of night). We have been taking load after load of trash to the dump every freaking week. It's driving us bonkers. My favourite is at Spadina 2. The guy doing the dumping is the one we long suspected - he has a "junk removal" business and his racket is to "wander by" when you're clearing up and offering you a flyer for his business. Effing pisses me off. One of the neighbors spotted him at it last night. Rob might kill him, honestly. We also had to convert one of the triplexes back to a duplex, which is not a huge problem. But it IS a pain in ass, and means a loss of about $400 a month for us. Yay. Rents are going up, though, so that's good.