Khoomii.

Tyler spoke to the code enforcer guy on the phone yesterday. The guy was still as rude as ever. I'm so glad I didn't answer the door the other day when he knocked!

I understand that they are just trying to do their jobs. That would be fine with me if only they knew how to DO that job correctly.

Why do they not know their own laws and limitations? Why is there no better system for dealing with repeated (false) complaints other than to waste the city's time and our time by showing up at my house over and over and over?

You'd think if they actually intended to accurately investigate and deal with these complaints then they would at least train their officers to know the difference between ducks and swans and game birds. They should also know how to be polite...

Anyway, on the phone the guy told Tyler that there was a complaint saying our chickens were out.

Tyler told him we had pens set up which were covered on all four sides and also the top. He told him that he wasn't supposed to come to our property without calling first, as we had agreed with the supervisor last year, because it's stressful to have them knocking on the door ALL the time when we haven't done anything.

Then the guy told Tyler he went in our backyard and there were birds out in our yard. (Yes, I let out my ducks and three chickens that can't get over the fence because they have clipped wings and no toes...remember the frost bite incident? And we had been out there with them, until I ran in to nurse the baby and saw that officer pull up.) There's nothing wrong with having chickens out in my own yard.

This is my favorite part though--it is against the law for them to come into your yard without your permission! Further confirmed by the no trespassing signs the police told us to hang up.

Tyler informed him that it was against the law for him to go back there and Tyler was really angry. The officer tried to argue with him! He didn't even know his own rules. They can't come onto your property, at least not past the front door, without your permission or a search warrant. Asshat had neither, but seems to be on a constant power trip.

This was the same problem we had last year--we would be in the yard playing and they would just come in the gate without warning, sending the dogs into a scary frenzy and catching me off guard, scaring Rosie, etc.

Tyler told him that next time it happened he would call the real police. (HAHAHA too bad we couldn't see his face over the phone!) So Asshat responded that he would instead just fine us the $25 instead of investigating the complaint.

Sure...I guess he can fine us...but we won't pay it unless he provides actual evidence. That would require him to either get permission to go in our yard, or for the anonymous complainer to take a picture of the invisible chickens on their property therefore revealing who they are. (Either that or someone else has chickens that I don't know of and they are getting out and someone is blaming it on me. That would be hilarious wouldn't it?)

The thing is, they are welcome to see our chicken set up. They have seen it before and photographed it without my permission. Asshat even went in the neighbor's yard without permission and photographed it from there one day last year, narrowly missing a run-in with their 130 pound basset hound/st. bernard mix. But they are so rude about it, and they refuse to do anything about the false complaints or even follow basic laws.

Just...ugh. I wish there was someone to file a formal complaint with beyond their supervisor. (We already talked to him at length.)

Enough of that, though.

Have you ever heard of Mongolian throat singing? I was watching PBS last night and Globe Trekker was about Mongolia.

These throat singers blew my mind.

Maybe this is proof that we are really descended from aliens? (Just kidding.)

You have to watch it, it's so strange and kind of amazing. The different sounds they have for each geographical region, that's really cool.

Oh great, the baby just pooped on the bed. Oops!

Yesterday I went to the health department to show proof of my pregnancy and live birth in order to get Ada's birth certificate. The woman who approves your proof is apparently very strict, so I was nervous I wouldn't have enough proof. I took that picture with the blurred out lady bits, the one that kept getting deleted from Facebook. I also took ultrasound photos. Apparently the lady was in a good mood yesterday because that was enough proof! I just have to get Tyler to go in and sign the papers, he has trouble getting there because of his work hours. He's not allowed to take any time off or he'll be fired no matter what he needs the time off for. (If he's sick he has to be dismissed by the health clinic at the Toyota plant, and even that isn't good...it still counts against him and can lead to him being laid off first if they do lay offs again, or not hired on as permanent.)

I have to get up and go do something while struggling with a squirmy baby. My dishes are out of control, I've got two loads of laundry to fold plus one in the wash and one in the dryer and the last load to go in. My bathroom needs to be scrubbed in the worst way.I also promised Rosie we'd clean up the yard today (dog poop and Tyler's tools) so that she could have her friend from down the street over to play. We got a tiller yesterday, finally, so I have got to till up my garden area, rake it, and get stuff planted before it's absolutely too late in the season.

I feel like I go in circles--by the time I get a chance to clean up something, then some other area of the house is destroyed by pets or Rosie and Tyler. It's so frustrating!

I keep trying to remind myself that in just a few months it will get much easier, as Ada is able to play and entertain herself more and won't need so much constant attention. Just have to survive until then!

Ada didn't sleep well last night at all. I didn't fall asleep until 6 this morning and Rosie got up at 8:30. I could really use a very long nap. :-(