Apartment Life #425

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that have gone on in and around my apartment complex and in my neighborhood in the past 27 years that I've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 27 years here in a weekly blog post.

Life Update: 

My doctor did a bunch of tests and he told me that I had Myoglobin in my urine which could mean I damaged a muscle. Well, duh! So even though my back is still hurting he thinks it's just going to take some more time for it to heal because of a muscle injury. I'm taking muscle relaxers and something for the sciatica pain. I am getting around a little better though. Unfortunately, over the last 5 months I gained 50lbs back, after losing 80lbs last year. I've always been a yoyo dieter, but stress just makes my eating habits worse.  But this month I went back on my diet and lost 25lbs so far. So, I just need to lose another 25lbs to get back where I ended last year. I am just under 300lbs right now, but I am determined to try and eat healthier again and lose more weight. I'm still a big woman and I have a lot to still lose but I'm getting there.

My cholesterol is normal and my A1c is 6.5 which is great, especially since when I first found out I was diabetic my A1c was 11.1, which is high as heck. So at least there's that.

My daughter is doing better after her first infusion over a week ago. The referrals are slowly coming and doctor appointments have been made. It's just a wait and see now to start getting all the results from testing. 

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On Sunday the Fire Department ambulance and Fire truck both showed up for someone across the street. 

My daughter got a better picture for me because all you can see on mine is the glare from the lights. lol  The fire engine left soon after but the ambulance stayed for over an hour for some reason. 

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On Monday the police stopped 2 homeless guys who have been hanging out around my apartment complex ever since they were evicted a couple of weeks ago. They've been sleeping on the steps next to the office and I see them in the morning sleeping there when I take Falcor out. They have been hanging out in the alley and just hanging around the complex. Someone must have called the police to come check them out. One of the guys told my daughter that they are just waiting for their new apartment in another complex to become ready so they can move in there. It must be in the area since they are hanging around here so much. The police left and neither of them were arrested. 

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At 2 AM on Tuesday my daughter was woken up by the police helicopter flying really low over our apartment complex. So, she went outside to see what was going on and she took these 2 very quick videos. The police had Antwon and Screamer Lady at the front of their cars and were questioning them. My daughter came back in and went back to sleep, so she didn't see what happened or why the police were here. 

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This month I signed a new lease. I asked for a 15 month lease and they gave it to me. I know I'm not moving anytime soon so it gives me more time before I have to sign another lease. The rent didn't increase so I'm still paying $935 for this 1 BDRM apartment. Most other 1 BDRM apartments that I've looked at started at $1200 a month or more, so while it's not a great neighborhood, it's not that bad for the price. 

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I've talked about the tunnels and how the homeless people frequently live in them. There are several tunnel entrances in my neighborhood and all over Las Vegas. I saw a couple of pictures from the Las Vegas Fire Dept on FB and this is what is said if you can't read it. 

" Newborn Delivered in Las Vegas Flood Channel Tunnel

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue crews responded on June 17, 2026, after reports of a woman in labor inside a flood channel tunnel in Las Vegas.

Upon arrival, firefighters found a newborn baby wrapped in a sweatshirt. Crews cared for both the mother and baby, clamped and cut the umbilical cord, and transported them to a local hospital in stable condition.

Engine 44 and Rescue 103 handled the call. The incident occurred on Wednesday, June 17.

📷 Credit: Las Vegas Firefighters Local 1285"

"Las Vegas firefighters (Engine 44 and Rescue 103) helped to safely deliver a baby after a woman went into labor inside a flood tunnel yesterday.

For context: an estimated 1,000 people live in those tunnels. The city and county are aware."

I have to wonder if CPS (Child Protective Services) is going to get involved since the mother is probably homeless. 

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Friday evening my daughter got a call that a friend and neighbor had just been beaten up and attacked with a machete in our apartment complex. So my daughter went down to his apartment because her friends from our courtyard were already down there helping Marshall who had been attacked. The police got called and they helped to clean Marshall up. He has a gash over his forehead and in his arm from the machete and he was bleeding and needed stitches pretty obviously. But after they got him settled and made sure he was going to be ok, my daughter stepped outside his apartment door and was surrounded by police who had their weapons drawn. One cop took her aside to speak with her and Marshall came outside to let them know she had nothing to do with it she was just a friend. The police had thought the attacker was still inside so that's why they acted like that. 

My daughter was questioned; her friends were questioned. My daughter was able to come home but her friends who saw more of what went on were told to stay down there in their car for a while which ended up being more than 3 hours. 

Police tape was put up, more police showed up, detectives showed up and they questioned a lot of people. Finally, a witness came forward and someone in Marshalls courtyard came forward with some video from with window camera and when they found out who the attacker was, the police went across the street and arrested him the same night. Marshall will be fine thankfully.

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And here I thought this week might be a quiet one. I guess not.

The high this week was 109F/42C

The low this week was 75F/23C

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Freebie Friday!

 

Welcome to another weekly Freebie Friday post, where I tell you what free samples and full-sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things.  I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received: 

Pedigree Tasty Biscuits from SheSpeaks. 

A Salonpas pain patch. 

A sample of Loreal Facial serum. 

My friend Ro sent me the sunflower and note. I've had a bad month and this cheered me up. That was sweet of her to think of me.

My friend Lynn sent me the card and the 4-Leaf Clover she found in her garden, hoping it would give me some good luck. That was so sweet.

Unfortunately, Falcor didn't like the dog treats. He completely turned his nose up at them. lol So I gave them to a neighbor for their dog. 

I've been using the Salonpas pain patches on my back for the last 2 months and they have been helping so I was glad to get another free one. 

The Loreal facial serum made my skin soft but that's about it. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Book Review: Branded In Love by Silvana Sanchez

 

Book Description

When fate joins the Bear Shifter King with his destined human mate, a choice between fate and duty ensues.

Good kings make the rules. Great kings rise above them.

The King of the Ursa Clan never takes a holiday. But for the first time in almost a decade, Gavriil Alexeev allows himself some respite.

The powerful warlock bear shifter flees from the tragedies that haunt him and seeks refuge in Rome. Little does he know he’ll come across his fated mate.

She’s not a shifter, nor a witch. And as the king, his clan will take no other match, especially not one that unleashes an unprecedented feud between vampires and bear shifters.

Good things come to those who wait. Great things come to those who chase them.

Luciana Marino is ready to pack her heart along with the many antiques she sells in her shop near the Villa Borghese. Not even hunky runway model, Trent, has been able to make her fall head over heels.

But when Gavriil Alexeev enters the picture, all of her certainties are shaken. And before Luciana realizes it, magic, danger, and true love wrap her in an unstoppable whirlwind.

Prepare for a spellbinding journey where passion and magic unite, and where true love proves its strength against all odds. Join Gavriil and Luciana as they embark on an adventure that will leave you breathless and yearning for more!

***** Branded in Love is a steamy fated mates, enemies to lovers, grumpy and sunshine new adult shifter romance, and is recommended for +18. It's the first installment in the Bad Boy Shifters series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but all stories take place in the same world, and reading along the Unnatural Brethren series is also highly recommended! *******

My Review

Gavriil comes across Luciana when he is seeking out the vampire that is stalking Luciana. She has no idea that the guy is a vampire until the vampire thinks someone is going to steal Luciana away from him, then he shows his true colors. He only wants her for her blood that smells really good to him and even the shifters. There's something different about her blood so Gavriil steps in, kills the vampire and tells Luciana that he'll keep her safe from the other vampires that will inevitably come for her. 

First thing they do is visit a witch for a potion to mask the scent of her blood. That helps keep Gavriil's bear in check as well because he wants to mark her as his mate. But he's the King of his clan and he's not sure that his people will accept a human as his mate so he has to push her away for both their sakes. 

The fight scenes against the vampires was good. I liked that when Gavriil needed more help, his people came through for him even if some of them seemed a little strange. But we never did find out what was so different about Luciana's blood or why the vampires wanted it so bad. I did like the romance between Gavriil and Luciana though. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Favorite Picture of the Week

Since I was feeling better this week, I thought I would change my bedroom up a little bit with the help of my daughter and her best friend, Tia who lives in my courtyard. They helped me hang up a few tapestries and move some things around the walls. I have 2 salt lamps and a bunch of different lights all over my bedroom. 

Tia made this butterfly diamond art picture for me for Christmas. I moved it over to this wall with the shelf and flowers. 

Then they hung up this heart and butterfly tapestry that Tia gave me and I had them hang some green and purple flowers around it. 

Pay no attention to the walls or the spots that the paint has peeled off. 🤣🤪 I've lived in this apartment for 27 years and while I've washed the walls, they've never been re-painted in that time. It's still the 'eggshell yellow' that it was when I moved it. I could paint it but that would be an undertaking that I'm not ready for anytime soon. 

More butterflies.

I put together these purple flower bunches and arranged them in a vase that sits on top of my jewelry box.

My daughter got me this butterfly tapestry that we hung on the wall behind the door. I have several tapestries covering the awful eggshell yellow walls. 

More butterflies and a tiny jar of Falcor's hair.

A bouquet of black flowers and black and silver skulls, because of course I do. 

Book Review: Kieran by N.J. Walters

 

Book Description

From New York Times bestselling author N.J. Walters comes the tale of Death’s third son…in this gripping, paranormal small-town romance where love defies fate—and even Death himself.

Love her. Defy Death. Lose everything.

Kieran Blackwell has always done everything right.

While his brothers rebelled against their father—the Grim Reaper himself—Kieran followed the rules. Reaped souls without question. Buried every shred of emotion that might make him weak. As Death’s most loyal son, he thought he’d earned his place at his father’s side.

He was wrong.

Now his brothers have fallen—choosing love over immortality—and Kieran has been sent to the small town of Redemption to clean up their mess. One final assignment. One impossible task.

Reap the soul of a woman destined to die.

It should’ve been simple. Find her. Do the job. Walk away.

Then he meets Georgia Baker. She’s warm, stubborn, and far too good for a creature like him. A small-town baker with a fierce heart and a dangerous past, she sees something in Kieran he thought he’d buried long ago.

And for the first time in centuries…he feels.

But Georgia isn’t just anyone. She’s his assignment.

And this time, failure doesn’t mean punishment. It means exile…or worse—losing the only woman who’s ever made him want to live.

Each book in the Blackwell Brothers Redemption series is STANDALONE:

* Samael

* Alexiares

* Kieran

My Review

Kieran's brothers, Sam and Alex are already in Redemption with the women they chose to give up their reaper abilities for. Now Death has sent his 3rd son to Redemption to talk his brothers out of staying and coming back into the fold and resuming their duties as reapers. Kieran also has a mission to reap Georgia's soul when she dies, which by all accounts, should be soon. If Kieran fails in this mission, there are going to be really bad consequences for him. 

Georgia is the human whose soul he has to reap but once he finds her, gets a job at her bakery and gets to know her, he doesn't want to extinguish her light. In fact, when accidents start happening around her, he saves her twice which is weird for him because he's not known for getting involved or interfering in human's lives. 

Georgia has no idea that Kieran is a reaper or that his brothers used to be reapers. All she knows is that she enjoys having him around her bakery and working for her. When the lust they feel for each other gets to be too much and they act on their feelings, things change between them. Kieran is having a hard time thinking that he'll have to move on with his life without her, even though that's what he's supposed to do. 

When Georgia's ex comes back into her life, it's all Kieran can do not to knock him out because of the way this guy is treating her, but she holds her own against the guy for the most part. She just has no idea how desperate her ex is and what lengths he'll go to get what he wants. The danger for her really amps up with the ex-boyfriend poking around. 

Georgia was really easy to like and Kieran along with his brothers are all such alpha males but great guys so that makes them very likable. I was happy to see them trying to get along together after a while. 

The surprise for me was Death and how this story ended. I love when a book can surprise me and this one did. I cannot recommend this series enough. I would read anything this author writes. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an e-ARC of this book but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

 

*All pictures this week are courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #424

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that have gone on in and around my apartment complex and in my neighborhood in the past 27 years that I've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 27 years here in a weekly blog post.

Life Update: 

My daughter had her first infusion on the 11th. They got her in earlier than expected which is great. She's doing better. Still more doctor visits coming up, but her primary care doctor told her she has stage 1 Kidney disease too. But they are treating her to keep it from getting worse.

I'm getting better. First thing in the morning I can barely move but as the day goes on, I'm in less pain and am trying to walk a little more.

This week I saw 2 police cars in front of my complex. There was a domestic fight going on in one of the apartments in that courtyard. Didn't look like anyone went to jail though. 

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Friday afternoon I spotted the police had pulled a car over and gave the driver a ticket. I wasn't out there when he got pulled over so I don't know what he did wrong.

After the driver pulled away, the cops stayed there talking to each other for a while.

The high this week was 107F/41C

The low this week was 82F/27C

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Book Review: Billionaire Wolf Needs A Nanny by Drusilla Swan

 

Book Description

Lacey has bigger dreams than being a nanny for the Discreet Talent Connections Agency, but rent needs to be paid and desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, the job is only supposed to last one year, and the financial reward will make it possible for her to fulfill her dream of publishing her novel. The little girl she is in charge of is wild, but sweet. The child's uncle, and guardian, on the other hand is a grumpy bachelor wolf shifter who both infuriates her and ignites her senses on fire.

Blake Wulfthorn is on the cusp of landing the biggest acquisition of his life. But being the sole guardian of his orphaned niece threatens to derail his plans, unless he finds a nanny who can handle an energetic wolf pup. The last person he expected the employment agency to send, was a woman with sharp eyes behind heavy glasses, and curves in all the right places. A human woman is only another distraction from his role as CEO and his duties to his wolf pack. She fits in his family and his life perfectly in almost every way except one. She was human, and his employee, and 100% off limits. Is he willing to risk it all for the one who could be his mate?

My Review

Blake is the guardian of his niece after his sister passed away. Because he and his niece are wolf shifters, the little 4-year-old is fast and smart. Keeping up with the kid is a full-time job and since he runs a huge company, he needs a nanny. So, he puts the job on the Discreet Talent Agency. 

Lacey meets Blake in a chance meeting when she goes to pick up food and they run into each other, literally. She found Blake intimidating and gorgeous, but their encounter lasted but a moment before Blake got the heck out of there because he found the human interesting and he doesn't have time for an interesting human right now. 

So when the agency informs him that they found a suitable nanny for him, he's not expecting to see Lacey walk into his office. Neither of them can believe that they are face to face again. But the interview and test to get his niece to eat her food goes off well and he gives her a chance to be the nanny. 

Of course, they have to spend a lot of time together and because of that, Blake is having a hard time keeping his thoughts pure about Lacey. He thinks she smells really good and his wolf is telling him she's, his mate. If you've read any shifter romances then you already know when a shifter finds their mate, it's almost impossible for them to ignore the pull to them. But Blake does try to keep her at arm's length because he's afraid he'll hurt or scare her during the mating process. 

Good thing that Lacey won't let him get away. 

These two are great together. But Blake irritated me a little bit. I thought that he asked a little too much of Lacey during their first sexual encounter. She went along with it but it seemed like a lot to me. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

"Searching the internet for donut recipes."

*All pictures this week are courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #423

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that have gone on in and around my apartment complex and in my neighborhood in the past 27 years that I've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 27 years here in a weekly blog post.

Life update: 

My daughter was supposed to have her infusion last Friday but the office called last minute and cancelled because the person doing it had an emergency. So they rescheduled it for the 15th. My daughter is also going in for a mammogram and ultrasound at the end of this month, because while she was in the hospital they found a lump in her breast when she had a CT scan. I'm really hoping she won't have to deal with breast cancer on top of everything else.

I'm getting better. Still using the crutch outside but I can now walk around the apartment without it. My back is getting better. 

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We had a 3.8 earthquake on Thursday. At first they thought it was a 4.1 but then changed it. Just jolted my apartment building really hard for a second. That's enough to wake you up in the morning. 🤣  I've only felt about 5 earthquakes here in Las Vegas in the last 35 years.

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It was a quiet week.

The high this week was 105F/40C

The low this week was 77F/25C

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.