Craigslist Drama and Other Fun Stuff
Ok, I know I’m a bad girl for not posting anything in almost a month, but shit happens! Life has been a very interesting ride these days discovering links to a lot of Simmi’s developmental problems. I wrote about it and posted a video on her site if anyone would like an update on her. It is exciting and it actually has me on Craigslist more than ever trying to get things we need to accommodate her vision needs.
I read through ads in the Free section, Furniture, Household goods, General and Materials looking for that special shiny object or piece of furniture that would benefit her. We also need to get some new appliances because our fridge is on its way out and the dishwasher is too loud. Actually both are really loud and it affects her negatively. Our stove needs to be replaced too. Well, some time back (we got a newer dishwasher on the free section of Craigslist) we replaced our broken dishwasher with a newer one and I saw this ad for free haul away of old appliances. The only problem was that every time I went to get this guy’s number, his ad had been flagged. After about a week of constantly searching for him, I finally was able to view his number before someone flagged him again. His name was Mike and like his ad said, he hauls away ANY type of appliance. It didn’t matter what condition it was in. So I gave him a call and told him that we had a leaky dishwasher and a very old appliance that had been sitting in our back yard for probably years. He said he would pick everything up…no problem. He was nice on the phone, came promptly, loaded the stuff and left. No big deal. BUT it was a big deal on Craigslist for some reason. I had seen someone post negative things about Mike before and how he was a scammer, bla bla bla, but when I read the latest post about Mike, I decided to finally speak up for him. I don’t know Mike beyond him coming and picking up the appliances, but I felt that this person obviously was pissed off at Mike for getting to the appliances before this “anonymous” person could. What a freaking coward too. I knew this guy was an appliance person, but when someone starts to accuse another of unsavory things and trying to ruin their business, that pisses me off. Here is what his ad said…I made sure to copy it just in case it got deleted or flagged. Actually the following are the messages between this guy and me:
PLEASE READ!!!!
Date: 2009-08-23, 12:55PM MDT
Reply to: sale-qx6cq-1338194310@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
THIS GUY MIKE, WHO OFFERS FREE APPLIANCE REMOVAL IS KNOWN IN THE APPLIANCE REPAIR WORLD AS A LOOSER, AND A LIAR WHO HARRASES WOMEN WHEN HE PICKS UP APPLIANCES. DO NOT CALL HIM!!! HE RE-SELLS APPLIANCES TO PEOPLE AND BURNS THEM IF SOMETHING DOES NOT WORK. HE OVERPOSTS AND NEEDS TO BE FLAGGED. HE IS A FLAKE AND A LIAR.
- it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 1338194310
Here is my response:
RE: PLEASE READ!!!!
Date: 2009-08-26, 3:49PM MDT
Reply to: sale-zwtd9-1343953755@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Here is what someone posted about Mike the guy that hauls away appliances for free:“THIS GUY MIKE, WHO OFFERS FREE APPLIANCE REMOVAL IS KNOWN IN THE APPLIANCE REPAIR WORLD AS A LOOSER, AND A LIAR WHO HARRASES WOMEN WHEN HE PICKS UP APPLIANCES. DO NOT CALL HIM!!! HE RE-SELLS APPLIANCES TO PEOPLE AND BURNS THEM IF SOMETHING DOES NOT WORK. HE OVERPOSTS AND NEEDS TO BE FLAGGED. HE IS A FLAKE AND A LIAR.”
Now…first of all Mike was extremely helpful in hauling away two appliances for me. One was functional and the other was in my back yard from previous tenants for YEARS. Mike came on time, picked up the stuff and was on his way. I AM A WOMAN and he NEVER harassed me in any way, shape or form.
So what if he picks up the stuff and re-sells it. Good for him. The economy sucks right now. What’s the difference between taking those same appliances that may or may not work down to the Salvation Army or Good Will and THEM selling it?
Get over yourself, especially if you’ve made it your full time job to flag him and anyone else on Craigslist. LOL
I wouldn’t put it past you to actually be one of those people you described Mike to be and your just pissed off because he beats you to the stuff.Oh, and I’m sure you’ll probably flag this too. LOL You know, Craigslist isn’t paying you to do that. Get a real job!
- it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
This is what this guy says back to me:
RE: RE: PLEASE READ!!!! (Alby. nm)
Date: 2009-08-28, 8:07AM MDT
Reply to: sale-xkuzg-1346599261@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Too funny!! I wouldn’t be surprised if you posted this ad yourself or got one of the ladies that you didn’t harass that you are probably trying to seduce to post this. Get a life! Nobody cares. We have a much more professional appliance business than you and we don’t lie about our real names and can spell and write English correctly!
- Location: Alby. nm
- it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
My response back to him…
RE:RE: RE: PLEASE READ!!!!
Date: 2009-08-28, 8:43AM MDT
Reply to: sale-gb2fb-1346658602@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
OMG! That is funny! I was right. Awesome. I can’t wait to write about it in my blog. I am TRULY all woman, and no Mike didn’t put me up to writing anything. I think you have increased his business by stating such horrible things about him. My next blog post will be quite amusing…would you like to name your APPLIANCE business? Here is my blog site if you’re curious:I have written other articles about Craigslist too, but this one will be very fun! Please don’t be so shy in not revealing who you are my dear! Mike gives his own number…how about you? I plan on featuring him on my next blog post, would you like to be featured too?
- it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Here is ANOTHER post this guy made about a repair man, LOL:
RE: appliance repair
Date: 2009-08-28, 10:36AM MDT
Reply to: sale-pfyet-1346887998@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
This guy is not very honest…Why? How could he claim to be more than 50% cheaper than any other repair company when he does not know what everyone charges. Sounds like this guy is a flake and a liar!! My motto is you get what you pay for. A cheap hotel room is usually pretty gross… A cheap repair man? probaly not a guy you want in your house. The truth will set you free!!
- it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 1346887998
Ok, so when does the drama end? Why do people feel the need to disparage another’s character just to get business for themselves? I was looking for Mike’s ad and number but I don’t think he is even posting on there anymore. Usually he gives his name and phone number and now it’s just a different phone number on the postings. I can’t find the number I had for him. I wanted to call him so I could feature him in this article. He didn’t deserve being slandered like that. Nobody does. If I do happen to find him on Craigslist again, I will ask him to come by so I can interview him and promote what he does. There have been other people that have responded to the negative ads put up and talked about how great it was that he came and took their stuff for free.
On to the fun stuff! Ok, time to go through the treasure trove that is Craigslist and bring up some beauties that are for sale (I did take out email address and phone numbers):
Maybe I’m out of my league with this one, but you tell me if you think it’s worth $1995.00!
round retro antique style 60s gold bed. - $1995 (los lunas)
Date: 2009-08-30, 10:31AM MDT
Reply to: sale-p7cc7-1349913074@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
round retro antique style 60s gold bed. this bed is fully referneshed with brand new mattres that has never been used. This bed has a 8 track in the moon shaped head board and it works great. it also has space for a tv to go into the moon shaped head board. removable end tables that make this bed look unique. going for $1,995 OBO very rare bed for more pictures and info just call ricarda at ******************** or email me @ ********* must sell moving out of state
- Location: los lunas
- it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 1349913074
From the Antique section…uh??? Am I missing something or is there something wrong with the ad and the pictures? Are they trying to “doll up” the photos with the stuffed animal and coverings on the arms or are they hiding something? I wonder if they spent way too much originally on these items. The asking price of $1800 seems a bit high to me especially since the stuff is covered up! P.S. I did not alter the spelling on this ad.
3 PICE SOFA & ARMCHAIRS IMPORTED FROM ITALY VICTORIAN - $1800 (SE ALB)
Date: 2009-08-28, 4:13PM MDT
Reply to: sale-cym8m-1347534489@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
IMPORTED FROM ITALY VICTORIAN SOFA & ARMCHAIRS 3 PICE
BUTAFIELL CARVED WOOD
I PIID 6.000.00 ABOUT 6 YEARS AGO THEY DO NEED SOME WORK
$ 1800 OBO ***-****
- Location: SE ALB
- it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 1347534489
And finally an ad from “Casual Encounters”…how fun!
Couple looking for a well hung atheltic male - mw4m - 40 (Albuquerque)
Date: 2009-08-30, 9:06AM MDT
- Location: Albuquerque
- it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
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PostingID: 1349795995
To close this article, I thought it would be appropriate to choose music that captured the essence that truly is “Craigslist” :
Weird Al Yankovic made a new video which was disabled for embedding! The video really sums it all up, so here is the link-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZqciuoiikw
What Does it Take to Make Things Better
August 6, 2009 by Angela
Filed under Family Life, Featured, Lifestyle
What lengths would you go to make your child’s life more comfortable? How about a child with a wide range of problems? Not just one thing like a food allergy or multiple food allergies, but walking problems, developmental issues, their speech is missing or even the ability to tell us simply what she needs, and now on top of that discovering vision problems? How far do you adjust your life and home to help that child learn and function as normal as possible?
Sometimes I am so completely drained I feel empty inside. Dom and I are worked to the bone trying to trouble shoot and make things more suitable here, but it just seems like an endless cycle of “lets add one more problem to the laundry list of issues we already deal with concerning Simmi.” Just as we’re adjusting and finding creative ways around the food issue, and finally getting the floors down in the house, up pops a problem that may be a link to some of the developmental problems she has been having. We’re detectives trying to find the missing puzzle piece of Simmi’s developmental delays. Knowing that she already has this long list of problems, we are wondering if vision problems are contributing to more of her issues. Is it possible?
She has low muscle tone and has had this for a long time. The physical therapist attributes her walking problems with having low muscle tone and Simmi is trying to compensate for this problem by developing a new gait. She also feels that it is the contributing factor of not wanting to get up and walk around or run. But how about when she goes outside and refuses to walk? Is that low muscle tone or is it her vision? These are the types of questions swimming around in our brains constantly. If we go out during the day and it’s very sunny out, she becomes agitated, upset and sometimes gets scared or wants to be held. Why? We know from experience that she does better in low light settings and she is wonderful in the evening hours…calm, peaceful and amiable. During the day, its a different story! As long as the house isn’t flooded with lots of light she does pretty well, but she is often irritable and at times even irrational. She doesn’t really nap anymore during the day which is making things even more hectic. She gets up during the night more than
ever as well. So, if bright sunlight is somehow blocking her ability to see, how do we remedy the situation? Blinds and curtains work wonders, and controlling the light that is in the house seems to help as well. But is that enough? What if the light and her vision is preventing her from learning? What if her central vision doesn’t work properly and that’s why she tends to look out of the corner of her eyes? She cocks her head in weird positions, not all the time but enough to see that there is something more to all of this. I have been doing some research here and there when we have a moment, to find out more about Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and one thing that I have found is that it is possible for children to regain more of their sight with the proper therapies. How much therapy does this child need? Yes, we can have a therapist here every day of the week for different things, but the therapy should continue even after the therapist leaves. This is where we take over. I need to take the lead with all of this, because the therapists in their field of work come for one hour per week each. Discovering this new problem with her vision helps us to focus in on techniques and approaches that will be more suitable to her therapy. At first glance, when a therapist is here, we might think that she has a VERY limited attention span. Is it her attention that is the problem, or is it the fact that she may not see very clearly what is being presented to her? She responds much better to bright bold colors, moving objects and shiny things. These are the types of things that will need to be incorporated into her therapy and into everyday life. But what does that mean for us as a family? There is no way I’m 
putting a disco ball up in the dining room, or streamers all over the house that glimmer and shine! There needs to be a “tasteful” way of incorporating shiny objects and special lighting into our home and the house look NORMAL! I’m learning about the properties and principles of multi-sensory therapy and taking those principles and looking for a functional design for our house.
In Simmi’s room we purchased some very cheap shiny stars to hang from her ceiling. What we discovered is that if objects and things seem effortless for her to focus on, she becomes less fatigued. The hanging stars in her room provide movement when there is air flow in the room through the central air/heating system, and when we carry her into her room to put her to bed or take her out of bed, it provides an opportunity to develop her eye-hand coordination because she always wants to touch them or hit them to make them swing or move. The more effortless it is for her to focus and see, (in my opinion) the more it strengthens her vision. It’s such a simple thing and yet she consistently is interested in reaching out for them and with that beautiful wonderment that children seem to have, says “WOW!” every time she enters the room…without fail.
Having a child with undiagnosed problems can be difficult. But it doesn’t have to be. We know our children better than any doctor or therapist, understanding what works and what doesn’t, and its important that we realize that their development is in our hands….not the doctor or therapists. A diagnosis would be nice for her, but what then? She doesn’t have any major organs affected that need to be assisted with the use of medication, so all I can do is trouble shoot and find the right combinations of things that can work for her. Getting to that point is the hard part. It means constantly watching and evaluating her. Its almost a clinical approach to parenting, yet maintaining the close relationship and trust that it takes to move her to the next level in her development. It means never giving up hope and always striving for the very best we can offer her.
We noticed that she looks uninterested in learning things, but is she uninterested or trying to get a better glimpse of what we are showing her by turning her head to the side? She seems to look away, but is she looking away or looking peripherally? She picks up things without looking at them, or is she just looking out of the corner of her eyes this whole time and we never noticed? Yesterday as we were walking out of my room, she walked full force into the molding on our door. She didn’t fall into the door jam, she just walked, thinking that she had clearance. She seems to have a high tolerance for pain, because she didn’t cry afterwards…she just sat on the floor and started to crawl instead. The worst part of all this is that it happens when you least expect it. Not realizing or even noticing these issues in the past makes me wonder if the reason she gets so confused is because she actually can’t see something. She’ll put her hand out and grunt for something, we’ll take her over to that object so she can have it and she will say no and get upset. Is she confused about what she wants? It seems like she can’t make up her mind! It can be very frustrating for us, but I now wonder if her reaching out and grunting is her way of saying “I can’t see this or that.”
We will be creating a Snoezelen room for her in her bedroom. Here is a picture of what we are aiming for when designing her room:
While Snoezelen rooms and equipment are extremely expensive, we can create a room like this with a little creativity. Did you notice the disco ball? Remember earlier I mentioned NOT having a disco ball in our dining room? Simmi is very attracted to arrays of light, prisms, movement, smell and sound, so to incorporate these types of things into the rest of our home (without making every room look like a Snoezelen room) we have decided to go with crystal chandeliers, mirrors and things that draw her eye to where we want her to go at different times during the day. It becomes a way of helping her focus and concentrate effortlessly.
Our bedroom, the dining room and living room are other areas that she is in often. I do deep pressure massages on her after her bath time and that happens on our bed. We have designed our room (although it is in the planning stages right now) to include a crystal chandelier over the bed, lots of mirrors, textures and patterns throughout. How do you have crystal prisms on nightstands and dressers, crystal lamps and vases, flowers and pictures WITHOUT a toddler grabbing them and braking them, potentially hurting themselves? In my design world, I will be mounting these objects to old furniture. The textiles I’ll be using are cut work velvets, silks and satins and furs, providing an endless source of things to touch and experience. Mounting objects to the furniture allows for her to touch the object without possible damage and it becomes the focal point that draws her eye to what ever object I want her to touch or experience in that moment. The design I came up with for our bedroom is not my style at all! Dom and I had planned for a very streamlined more
modern and clean look, very minimalistic. That plan went right out the door one morning after discovering that Simmi has vision problems. I realized I was going to have to go for an elegant shabby chic. I put my foot down though when it comes to lots of flower patterns! Not just that, but keeping things simple in terms of patterns is important for Simmi. I’m being stretched and pulled out of the comfort of my design world and into something that in the end will look absolutely beautiful, but totally not my style. The picture on the right is similar to a look I’ll be aiming for. Much more texture, but the intention is to include shiny objects coupled with lots of white. She does well with white in low lighting because it doesn’t fatigue her…everything kind of blends allowing for a more relaxed experience. Our room already has mirrored bi-fold closet doors, which at first we were going to get rid of, but now see the value of having them. Playing with the mirrored concept and use of crystal prisms can actually bring a large amount of sophistication to our room and at the same time be a constant source of therapy for Simmi.
So what can I say? How far do I go to make her life and ours more pleasant and relaxed? Is it worth the effort? Absolutely! I’m tired of waiting for that next opportunity with a therapist, or needing to bring out the objects for her to utilize. I want her to be strengthened each day effortlessly so we can get to the real business at hand…being normal.
How much does it cost to do all this stuff? A lot and nothing at all. If I were to purchase everything new, there would be no way I could afford it all. We have already collected a few items for free off of Freecycle, and I’m always amazed at what some people just get rid of. Usually it doesn’t fit their decor anymore, or its something that was passed down that has been just sitting in their garage. I can actually make the mirrored night stands if I want that look, and as far as bedding goes, I plan on creating my own with Dupioni silks, taffeta, velvets and other textiles. Where will I get these types of fabrics? On sale at Joann fabric or if someone happens to be giving away an old wedding gown. I’ve been on the look out for lots of wedding gowns. When no money is available, everything takes time to acquire. Some times things come in quickly, and at other times it seems like eternity waiting for that special little object. We already have an antique chandelier that someone was getting rid of, and I’m in the process of restoring it to its former beauty so we can hang it as soon as our bedroom is painted.
For anyone willing to go the extra million miles to make their child’s life better (and ours too), I highly recommend trouble shooting how your child responds to their environment. Is the child agitated during the day or evening? Does it make life almost unbearable because you can’t figure out what the hell is wrong with them and you are pulling your hair out because you’ve tried everything? Experiment! Try turning the lights down, or making it brighter. See if background noise like the refrigerator or washing machine aggravates the situation. There is background noise that we become used to but to a child with sensory problems, that sound may drive them crazy and they don’t even realize it. How about if more than one person is talking in a room? Does it drive them bananas and make them lash out? If the light or even background noise is too much for Simmi she begins to take a swipe at us. She will hit and kick, start pulling at her hair and maybe even just start screaming. The hair pulling we have been dealing with for a long time, and we knew it seemed to come in cycles, but now we notice that light and sound have something to do with her hair pulling. Its amazing when we’re willing to watch intently, we see a host of very fixable problems that can help her be more at ease. Being at ease means being more receptive to learning. I’m even considering wearing bright red lipstick during the day if it will help her focus on my mouth when I speak. Children learn to form words by watching others speak, but what happens if they don’t see your mouth clearly or how you form your words? How do they learn? I’m not a lipstick girl, but I’m willing to try it!
It has been quite the adventure, taxing for sure, but well worth the effort. Yesterday we had an Occupational therapist and Simmi’s service coordinator here, and I was thrilled that this particular OT will be helping in creating a plan for Simmi’s sensory issues. At one point during the session, as we were discussing Simmi’s vision, Simmi was able to comprehend what we were talking about and actually put her two cents in concerning her vision. I got a little teary eyed when I saw Simmi standing in front of her service coordinator and while covering one eye, kept looking at him and saying “see, see” and pointing. Then she would cover the other eye and say “see, see”. She understood what we were talking about and was babbling on about something concerning seeing. It was clear as crystal that she was explaining something, and she was so happy that we were catching on. At least that is how I interpret yesterday’s events. The language barrier is still there, but I feel she had her own personal break through yesterday. She understands far more than she can indicate and I am excited to give her the proper tools to make her world more vibrant, clear and comfortable.
