出租屋无缝交接

住了八年的房客常有迟交房租，到六月份时实在无力交，我们决定最坏的计划。到七月初时，开始eviction，把写好的文件挂号寄走，第二天又把文件当面给房客, 终于同意月底搬。eviction 也就没有正式到法庭。
开始找新房客，在Zillow上有好多人有意租房，LP以为section 8挺好，一个女人带三孩子；有年夫妇入五十万的，觉得一人没工作，支付房租应急不会有太多问题；那天在路上收到一个408区号的电话，免强接了，听不太清楚，车子在路上，我答应过一个小时回电话。LP在医院做化疗，吃好中饭，缓了口气才想起来回电话。那人是H R帮新员工找住处，下礼拜回日本，很想看房子。

旧房客 Jae
Jae是黑人带女儿，就母女俩住，二千多尺的房子，奢侈的。不怎么麻烦人，热水器坏了，篱笆倒了，屋顶漏水，就记得那么几次。这次没工作了，一个月四千多的租金，一般家庭都撑不了几个多，搬到便宜小些的房子是对的。估计被逼的，教会里有人让出一个mobile house, 让她搬过去。交接的那一天，她的母亲一位七八十岁的黑人老妇人与成年的浑身肌肉的儿子都来了，大件估计是请人搬走，零碎的搬了一车，第二天继续。晚上黑咕隆冬，母女俩仍坚持把院子扫干净走人，老母说，这是我教的，到一个地方爱人爱物，真是好人。我是相信宗教信仰的人是有神力的，那一天我在开进出后院的门，Jae从楼上下来，我起身跟她打招呼，两眼本来有的飞蚊，布满了黑星点。这与朱皇帝回皇觉寺，眼睛瞎了，似乎有相似处，只不过他是皇帝，我是小地主之几分之一。

房子里里外外搬空了，基本没有什么要大修的，patio门好几年没有开了，一个人能容忍绕着从车库边门走到后院，多走一百步，可见她多么不想打拢房东。看了几个视频，以为自己拆过车锁门，换过好多锁，想来不会太难。门有个提上按下的按钮手把，记不得动与不动，门是锁死的。试着用w40, 试着拆锁，螺丝紧帖门缝，没有工具伸得进去。从外面无从下来，从里边也无处下手。想起多年前，有邻居的门也是这样卡住的，最后恳定请人开的。难不成把整个门都拆了。这时Jae下楼，我起身，两眼墨黑。简单交流几分钟，我继续试着开门。与外面比，里边沿着门落地的滑动槽，还是有缝，把螺丝刀伸进去，门还是可以往上提小半寸，大喜，再用力往上提，门就开了。几年没有开的后院门，开了，里边有铁锈，喷了些w40, 关，锁，开，门锁没有卡。
另外几处坏的，主卧房的厕所水箱会过一会冲水，过道厕所的灯开关松动像牙齿活动。其它就没什么了。Jae留下了好多她装的与一些家具，我私下跟她讲，给我一个数字。结果到临走时也没有提，我私下里塞给她一个信封，示意她不要声张。第二天她见到我，她说看到信封里钱，I was shocked. 人都有不如意时，我庆幸没有走eviction, 给个信封，以示人性里的一点温情。

Takuma 新房客
那天中介带了他来看房子。就他急的，因为要赶回国。硬是让jae同意提前看房子。三十岁出头，其实英文挺好，沟通没有太多问题。他是很喜欢这个房子，有种入住的冲动，与日本时差多的，呼了老婆，没应。自己跑上跑下，里里外外看着，拍照拍视频，喜欢院子里的水果树，采了一个柠檬。后来中介说，可以加点房租，希望有家具，有后院打扫。LP乐了，我将成为园丁。
订好一号交接，说是要在日本做按排，推到24号。到23号，我在啃哧啃哧剪篱笆， 看到中介来电邮说，孩子到机场时生病，取消来美国。 希望他们一家入住，快乐地工作生活。

修复清单
LP指挥我洗地毯，洗地砖，补几打的钉子留下来的洞。去了两次，明白她要的干净是一丝不染，显微镜照出的尘埃要清除。我说，拜托，我看不见，所以没法淸除。油刷要找原漆，找了两个邻居，到Lowes配了一份flat的。刷了，有印痕，再刷仍有，时间一天天过，我白天上班，要照顾她一日三餐，走两次路，吃过饭，到出租房七点多了，弄到十点多也就三个时辰。光清洗油刷，没完没了。然后发现第一次油的是semi gross, 忽然记起读过帖子说，再刷十遍，印子仍在。用打磨纸磨掉亮的那层漆，再涮flat， 就看不出来了。把几处明显亮点打磨上flat，天下太平了。主臥的一面墙，贴了masking tape, 滚简几遍，回家露一下照片，应过关。 总以为房子是给人住的，住的人除了房子本身，取决于幸福不会是某个油漆没上好，某块地方有灰尘。有事再说吧。
然而水电smoke detector, 院子除草，我见到要修要查的，她全然不在乎。
女人没有男人的视角，在光鲜背后到处是漏的，不工作的。
明处的漏水，把三个厕所的水箱接水的全部换了，仍漏水。把联接水箱与坐便器的部件全换了，水消停了。说容易，配件找好久，装上去，零件没装合适，水仍然会漏的。顺便说一下坐垫，洗不掉尿黄色，建议油漆喷。换掉了锈的螺丝，上了喷漆，LP才没挑刺。都是金屁股，你妈，自己阿不出，怪马桶脏。俺地上挖个洞，一分钟搞定，人不一样的。
八年没有男人的房子我随便捡出两打要修复的，有的几分钟，有的大半天。庆幸不要我翻新厨房，厕所，像Vegas那样的trashed。这样的修补化时间的，自己老了，太累。

这是第三个出租屋，俗称白玉房，LP经营，我维修。那样的无缝连接除了辛苦，她算计准与狠的。也许她不这样计较，放松一下时间与$$$，也许晚上会高枕无忧。我跟在她后面，苦的。大雨滂沱，我坐在那屋檐下，或者国庆时，我看那旗在黑夜里随风飘扬，我心是安乐的。不喜欢与房客计较，不要太离谱，自己慢慢修复，人住下来，快乐有保障，但不是必然。

tenants and family moved in last week of August.  The list of repair does not stop then: missing window shade pull down knob, one fan remote does not work, one of the keys does not work, and the dishwasher is leaking. 

Attempt to fix the water leak was difficult, as water puddles the sink bottom.  The leak came from the air gap, crooked, and water just leaking down thr the hole.   I replaced the air gap judging the base was taped; I found the hose to the drain was stiff, the air gap thing was a thin piece of plastic, no strength in holding in place under the granite counter top.  so there came a longer and softer hose, finger crossed, turning on dishwasher, water still coming down, though in smaller amount as the hole was tightly sealed.  LP has been waiting in car for hours, and I was exhausted with two trips to Lowes, had to quit for the day.  The next morning, I was back and was prepared with a list of items for the job, head light, Milwaukee socket driver, grease for the hose ( we were using seasame oil to lube the tubing last night, we laughed), and most of all, knowing that the line is probably plugged due to infrequent use.  There I checked the connection from hose to drain, and no hole, for the drainage working, the notch has to be removed.  We laughed and it all came to make sense, no water can drain thus the only exit is via the air gap, and thus the leak.  This also explains as for the past 12 years, I used once and still remember puddle of water foaking near the dishwasher opening and floor near by; the previous tenant obviously never used the dishwasher as she rarely cooks.   The whole dishwasher was installed with one fatal mistake, that the installer forgot to knock off the notch on the garbage disposal.  There is also a good chance that the garbage disposal was a replacement that previous tenant had someone installed.   Tenants were happy after I knocked off the opening, and putting back the hose, no more leak.

The light bulbs were funny as it does takes more than a regular home guy to just replace a bulb.  There were CFL light bulb, with what I learned CA banned them; bought via eBay for the kitchen light bulbs as they have odd locking tip, that no where I can find.  The front porch light bulbs were replaced, so were the masterbrm ceiling light bulbs, only learned next day, 3 out of 5 were not light up.  GE brand and made in USA, I started to question if the wiring was fault, as instable voltage could damage the bulb, so called blast.  taking the multimeter, meaure the voltage from the four connecting pin, and I can't read the voltage, not even close to 110v.  we just replaced the bulbs.  One of the high ceiling light bulbs was probably 16 ft from the staircase landing, I was able to climb my telescopic ladder to 10 ft and barely getting to the bulb, I was wobbling a bit, and glad no fall.  

Tenant also reported the dryer did not dry clothes, it stopps when clothes were still not dry.  Parts ordered and yet to be installed and testing if the moisture sensor is indeed the culprit.  

Tenants did not like the sofa set, was able to call the garbage company for a free pickup.

End of the repair, cost of materials was around $1,100.