Tempest in a Teapot
It wasn't that I was nervous really. I didn't for one moment entertain the thought that we would be evicted from this flat. But I did feel that our good name was at stake....I could just imagine the report mailed to the mission office for everyone to read: "Madsen flat in Oxford deemed uninhabitable due to extreme neglect."
At the very least, I imagined a person with white gloves and a magnifying glass sauntering from room to room, assiduously checking each item off the list, sniffing, tsking, and generally looking down his nose at these American tenants.
We waited until 10:00 for the person(s) to show up. Finally, feeling a strong need to get started on this evening's meal and also wanting to mail a package, I set out on foot to accomplish as much as I could, while SK stayed home to face the music, so to speak.
I got everything done that I could without him - SK being the one who carries the most groceries. I was in the grocery store when he called to tell me that the inspection was completed - over - done. He hurried over to the store, where I had placed a few more items in the cart knowing he would be there to help carry it all home.
I asked about the great and dreadful inspection and he laughed. "It lasted 2 minutes," he said.
He explained that the woman had come in, taken a quick look around, taken a picture of a bathroom wall and a wall in the living room (both have small cracks from floor to ceiling), pronounced a thank you and good bye - with a comment in passing, "This flat is immaculate!"
Well, that's that. Perhaps there will be another next year at this time, but I will not lose sleep over it. It's nice that she pronounced it clean, but I don't think she much cared if it was clean or not.
As an aside, FHE was a success. We had 21 here, and served hot dogs with chili and all the toppings, green salad, and ice cream and cookies for dessert. They played "Kahoot" a game everyone played on their telephones. It is like "Trivial Pursuit," but the television screen asks the question, keeps score and plays music in between. Everyone seemed to love it. SK didn't play the game on his phone, but whispered each answer to me, and later told me that he would have won! I love the way he loves to compete.
At the very least, I imagined a person with white gloves and a magnifying glass sauntering from room to room, assiduously checking each item off the list, sniffing, tsking, and generally looking down his nose at these American tenants.
We waited until 10:00 for the person(s) to show up. Finally, feeling a strong need to get started on this evening's meal and also wanting to mail a package, I set out on foot to accomplish as much as I could, while SK stayed home to face the music, so to speak.
I got everything done that I could without him - SK being the one who carries the most groceries. I was in the grocery store when he called to tell me that the inspection was completed - over - done. He hurried over to the store, where I had placed a few more items in the cart knowing he would be there to help carry it all home.
I asked about the great and dreadful inspection and he laughed. "It lasted 2 minutes," he said.
He explained that the woman had come in, taken a quick look around, taken a picture of a bathroom wall and a wall in the living room (both have small cracks from floor to ceiling), pronounced a thank you and good bye - with a comment in passing, "This flat is immaculate!"
Well, that's that. Perhaps there will be another next year at this time, but I will not lose sleep over it. It's nice that she pronounced it clean, but I don't think she much cared if it was clean or not.
As an aside, FHE was a success. We had 21 here, and served hot dogs with chili and all the toppings, green salad, and ice cream and cookies for dessert. They played "Kahoot" a game everyone played on their telephones. It is like "Trivial Pursuit," but the television screen asks the question, keeps score and plays music in between. Everyone seemed to love it. SK didn't play the game on his phone, but whispered each answer to me, and later told me that he would have won! I love the way he loves to compete.
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