I'm getting really sick of waiting for somebody to put an offer in on my place. Another offer actually, there has been one offer but it was ridiculously low and they wouldn't come up to the level I wanted them to. I'm sick of not being able to haul out project materials without having to put them all away the same day, or planning and getting all ready to haul everything out and getting a call about a scheduled showing so I can't pull everything out and work. This is a big pain in the ass.
You'd think that all this extra time I seemingly have would go to doing something productive, like fixing certain areas of the site, or getting back into a workout routine, or something, but I'm not. Having to constantly be ready at any moment for somebody to view my place is draining me. Most of my spare time goes to watching TV because I don't feel like I have enough energy to do anything else. I hate waiting for things to happen.

On a more positive note I've had a request from Nick to try to find some more $5 welding goggles for him. He sacrificed his pair to a friends Halloween costume. So I'll be heading down to Active Surplus this weekend to get some goggles. Hopefully they still have them as I want a new pair as well. I like Active Surplus, lots of cool stuff to rummage through, gets the wheels turning.

Well, time to get ready for work. If anybody would like to convince somebody in my company to give me a slight pay raise that would be much appreciated. An extra $10k or so should be sufficient.

posted by CityRat 0 comments

Discovering that metal strap yesterday gave me a few ideas to do with doors in my building, mostly the TV/telephone room door. -;)

So when I got home I emptied my pockets of anything jingly or too bulky (like my cell phone), put my flashlight in my pocket and went out to see what I could find.

My first stop was the TV/telephone room door. The hallway was fairly quiet so I slipped the latch quickly and opened it up. The room contains all the bix blocks for the floor and all the cable connections for the floor. This is where all the cable filters are put on the lines as well. And everything is nicely labeled with the unit numbers. I quickly located my cable lines and gave the filters a quick twist but they seemed on there pretty solid. Not wanting to hang around in the hallway with this door open so soon after work (while people are still coming home) I closed the door and went in search of anything else interesting.

Next I hit the stairwell, visiting each floor in turn. The only other door of interest on most of the floors is the electrical room. In all cases where I may have been able to slip the latch to these rooms somebody was home and roaming about in the unit directly opposite the hall, so if they looked out their peephole they'd be able to see me, so I left the electrical rooms for another day and continued on up the stairs.

12th floor, last elevator stop, very few units, and very quiet. I'd never been to the 12th floor before now, that's a lot of stairs. Anyway, assuming I'd just be seeing the same utility doors I was sweeping each floor fairly quickly. The 12th floor held a nice surprise though. Directly across from the elevators a lovely unmarked door with a latch I could most likely slip.

The latch slipped easily and I slowly pulled the door open. When it was opened about an inch I peeked in to the lighted room, and low and behold, to my utter surprise, another stairwell going up! So much for the top floor.

I quickly opened the door wider, bolted in, and quietly closed the door behind me (not before checking for cameras). I slowly made my way up the stairs, listening for sounds that anybody might be in there with me and watching for cameras. 2 short flights ended in a door. Seeing light from under the door I pressed my ear up against it and listened. I could hear some noises but I was unsure where they were coming from or if it was machinery or somebody doing something. This door had no lock, so I slowly and quietly turned the knob and opened the door.

The door lead into a small room, pipes with valves in one corner. I stuck my head in and took a look for cameras. No cameras, just a small set of steps up to another door of the same type. Ears straining for anything that may sound remotely human I entered the room and closed the door gently behind me. Up the steps, listening carefully at the door. I could hear similar noises as with the last door, only slightly louder. Still unsure as to whether the noises were caused by men or machinery I slowly turned the knob and pulled the door open.

I opened the door, peeked in and quickly swept the room for cameras. Short room, more stairs, and a door directly across from the one I was standing in labeled "boiler room". I entered the room and quietly closed the door. I figured I'd save the boiler room for later. I climbed the short set of steps and went around a corner. Another door, this one locked. I could hear what sounded like machinery behind the door. I broke out the metal strap and went to check out the door latch. This door opened in, it was going to be more difficult. I pushed on the door to see how much space it would give me between the door and the jam, not a hell of a lot but I figured I could get the strap in there. I started working the strap under the door jam towards the latch. After about 30 seconds there was a loud bang, followed by a series of smaller thumps. It sounded like somebody was coming to the door, shit!

I bolted down the steps and through the first door as quietly as I could. As I went through the next door I thought I heard the top door open, fuck! Down the stairs to the bottom door. I stopped, waiting, listening both to the 12th floor hallway beyond the door and above me for my unseen pursuer. The hallway sounded quiet, up the stairs did not. My heart in my ears and my stomach someplace I'm sure it shouldn't be I quickly opened the 12th floor door and bolted out into the hallway, closing the door as quickly and quietly as I could behind me. I punched the elevator button the turned down the hall to the stairwell door. Quietly entering the stairwell I took the stairs 2 at a time down to the 10th floor where I leaned against the wall, listening and catching my breath.

After resting a bit I started back down the stairs not really sure what to do next. As I hit the 4th floor landing I remembered that my building is connected to building next to it via the 4th floor. I went through the stairwell door and headed for the connector door. When I got to the connector door I stopped and listened. Nobody had seen me through this whole thing yet so I figured why start now. I didn't hear anything so I went through the door. Of course, just as I went through the door the elevator binged open and a woman came around the corner. She was hot though so that's ok. We shared a shy smile and said hi and kept on truckin. Once she was out of sight I hit the stairwell again and started up. If there was something at the top of my building there must be something at the top of the neighbouring building, the same or different it didn't much matter since I never go to see all of the top of my building. On my way up I stopped at every floor and ran a quick sweep for anything possibly interesting, but there was nothing. On to the 12th floor!

The 12th floor of this building is identical to my building...except exactly opposite. The unmarked door in the same place across from the elevators. A quick listen to the ambient goings on of the floor and a quick listen at the door and I went to work on it. It slipped fairly quickly and I was in and had the door closed in seconds. I was a little less cautious in this stairway since I figured that there were no cameras, the same as my building. Quickly up the 2 short flights of stairs to the first door. Listening at the door I heard similar noises to the first door at my building, but this time I realized what they were...the elevator. The elevator equipment must be up here, which is probably what was in that top door. I quietly opened the door, still being quiet just in case somebody was around and into the next room. Same small room, same type of pipes, same next door up a few steps. Up the steps and to the next door. Listening, same noise only louder, has to be the elevator, definite pattern going on there. Then I heard it, a similar pattern to the one I head when I thought somebody was coming to the door. Tensing to run I waited for the door beyond the one I was standing behind to open. No such door opening sound occurred. I relaxed slightly and thought about it for a second. All those noises, my unseen pursuer, must've been elevator noises simply amplified into something more by my nerves.

Feeling a little more at ease I quietly opened the door I was standing at.This room was similar to the room with the boiler room door in my building, except this door said generator on it and was propped open slightly by a stone. Ok, not a problem. Hearing was on high alert once again. Why was the door propped open? I entered the room and closed the door quietly behind me. I snuck up to the generator room door and peeked in.

The only thing I could see in the generator room was another door about 3 feet away. I listened but there were no strange sounds. I opened the door and stuck my head in. Turns out this was just the room before the generator room. There was a hot water tank at the opposite end of the room, I'm assuming an emergency backup tank as there's no way that tank could handle even 1 of these buildings. I checked out the other door in that room but it opened away from me and there was no give on the door to wedge anything under the latch, so I left it...for now. Out of the water tank room and into the previous room again. Up a few steps and around a corner I was once again faced with the door that I ran away from in my building. Darkness from beneath the door, but the gap was a good inch. I hunched down on the steps and got my flashlight out. Shining my light under the door showed a large, fairly empty room, some equipment in the center that I couldn't make out but it was mostlikely elevator equipment. I turned off my light and checked out the door. Pushing the door it didn't give much but some. Figuring I could probably slip the latch I checked the time. It was heading past 9, my girlfriend would be home soon, I should head back. I left the top door once again, this time at a more leisurely pace, back down the stairs, still quiet but far more at ease than when I was going up. Listening at the door to the 12th floor, talking, shit. I wait maybe 30 seconds and the elevator bings and opens. Luckily the people got on the elevator and more didn't get off. Elevator closes and I wait another 30 seconds, listening for any more people. I open the door and into the hallway, closing the door quietly behind me.

Back into the stairwell and down to the 10th floor. Onto the tenth floor and to the elevator, the stairs were getting to me. Down to the 4th floor to the connector door. Listening at the connector door I hear somebody, so I wait and listen. Then I hear somebody behind me, damn it. I turn and look, it's the pizza man, and he's looking at me funny, so I walk through the door. Person with a bike in the hallway beyond the door, damn it! 3 people have seen me now. Back into the stairwell I head down to the second floor and into my place.

At my place, just after 21:00. I still have some time. I head out again, into the stairwell, up to the 12th floor of my building. The floor is still quiet except for some loud talking from one suite. I listen for a second to make sure the elevator isn't coming up and that nobody is about to come out in the hallway. I go to the unmarked door, slip the latch and I'm in in seconds flat, this is getting easier and easier. I quietly close the door and bound up the stairs to the next door. I listen at the door, same noises as before. I open it and step through. Up to the next door. Again I listen at the door, same noises, just a bit louder. Everything is the same as last time. I carefully open this door and peek through, half expecting to see somebody standing there, but there's nobody there. I let out a breathe I didn't even know I was holding and swing open the door and step through. Again, the boiler room, a few steps, and the assumed elevator machinery room. Holding the door open I wait, standing very still and listening, paying very close attention to any noise from the next room. The sound pattern emerges and I breathe a sigh of relief, it was the elevator, nobody came after me. I slowly close the door I was holding open and turn to the boiler room door. I don't have time to make a try at the top door again. The boiler room door latch slips open after a few seconds of jiggling, the latch is sticky.

I pull open the boiler room door just enough to peek in, but it's very dark. I swing the door open all the way so the hallway light can shine in. The room is large, full of boiler room pipes and such. Electrical panel on the wall with large switches. I turn on my flashlight and take a step into the room. Still holding the door open I shine my light around the room. No time for this room, too much stuff to explore in here. Just before I turned offmy light and stepped out of the room I noticed a metal stair case at the back heading still further up. Stairs to the roof possibly? I'll have to find out later.

Backing out of the room I switch off my light and put it back in my pocket. I take one last look around the tiny room and open the door to head backdown the stairs. Quickly and quietly down the stairs, through each door in turn. Nothing chasing me this time, shadows or people, real or imagined. A quick listen at the 12th floor door tells me nobody is about. Quickly out the door, closing it quietly behind me. Still not wanting to take the elevator from the 12th for some reason I hit the stairs down to the 10th then hop the elevator to the 2nd.

The second floor is quiet. Who can resist, I head for the TV/telephone closet, I'll have more time this time. I slip open the closet latch and turn on my flashlight. The large cable filters attached to my line stick out right in the middle of the block. I grab one and try to turn it, no go. I hold on tighter and wretch it, nothing. I lean in and shine my light behind the filter to make sure there's no locking mechanism, doesn't look like it. Apparently this will require a wrench or a pair of pliers. A job for another day. I turn off my light, close the closet up, and head back to my unit. The events of the night fresh and still running through my head. Adrenaline still winding down. The voice in the back of my head suggesting, "Next, the basement".


posted by CityRat 0 comments

I just went exploring again on the second floor. Mainly to check out the doors to see what I might be able to use to get into them. I found 1 door unlocked (not the one by the hole in the wall). Actually it wasn't unlocked, somebody shoved paper into the latch so it wouldn't latch. So I went in there to check it out. On the floor I found a piece of some metal strapping about 6" long. It's fairly flexible but sturdy so I figured I may be able to open something with it. I got 2 room doors open with it as well as the utility closet/room doors. The first door I opened, while I was trying to open it I was pushing it into get some space between the door jam and the door (the door pushed in so I just had to get the strap behind the latch) the first couple times I pushed I heard this beep, and when I stopped pushing the beep stopped. I thought the door was alarmed or something at first. But why would there be an alarm on a door on a floor where nobody does business and is totally locked up tight....well, locked up anyway. -;) So I gave the door a couple more pushes to make sure the beep wasn't because I was pushing the door, and I didn't hear it anymore so I proceeded to slip the latch. I was right, no alarm, empty room. But there was a tense moment there for a sec when I was totally ready to bolt. -:) The rooms were empty save some garbage and dust. One utility room had a part spool of cat3, more than 4 pair but I didn't count it or look at it that closely. The stairwell doors into the floors are way easier to get open with this thing as well. In fact, that's how I got back into my floor without using the elevator, just slipped the stairwell door with this piece of strapping. Much easier to use than a key, that's for sure.


posted by CityRat 0 comments

*begin turkey voice* APOCALACALACALYPSE *end turkey voice*

posted by CityRat 0 comments

The second floor of the building I work in is closed. All stairwell doors are locked and the elevator won't stop there. Well, the elevator might stop there if you hit emerg stop but that's a little obvious. I've been checking out the stairwell door on and off for a while now. I knew I could open it I just never had anything with me that I could try. Well today I tried one of my bigger keys. Just shoved the key below the door catch and pulled, which pushed the catch back into the door and I was in. Of course there wasn't anything fantastic in there, but it was neat anyway. Kind of like the office building at night, except a lot more noise from the elevators and such. All the rooms on the floor were locked that I tried. The bathrooms were unlocked but there was nothing interesting in them. The only other room I could get into quickly was one that had a hole through the wall right beside the door that I could reach in and turn the knob from the inside. But that room was totally empty and just looked out into the parking lot.

There, that was my adventure in the last half hour

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