住了八年的房客常有遲交房租，到六月份時實在無力交，我們決定最壞的計劃。到七月初時，開始eviction，把寫好的文件掛號寄走，第二天又把文件當麵給房客, 終於同意月底搬。eviction 也就沒有正式到法庭。
開始找新房客，在Zillow上有好多人有意租房，LP以為section 8挺好，一個女人帶三孩子；有年夫婦入五十萬的，覺得一人沒工作，支付房租應急不會有太多問題；那天在路上收到一個408區號的電話，免強接了，聽不太清楚，車子在路上，我答應過一個小時回電話。LP在醫院做化療，吃好中飯，緩了口氣才想起來回電話。那人是H R幫新員工找住處，下禮拜回日本，很想看房子。
舊房客 Jae
Jae是黑人帶女兒，就母女倆住，二千多尺的房子，奢侈的。不怎麽麻煩人，熱水器壞了，籬笆倒了，屋頂漏水，就記得那麽幾次。這次沒工作了，一個月四千多的租金，一般家庭都撐不了幾個多，搬到便宜小些的房子是對的。估計被逼的，教會裏有人讓出一個mobile house, 讓她搬過去。交接的那一天，她的母親一位七八十歲的黑人老婦人與成年的渾身肌肉的兒子都來了，大件估計是請人搬走，零碎的搬了一車，第二天繼續。晚上黑咕隆冬，母女倆仍堅持把院子掃幹淨走人，老母說，這是我教的，到一個地方愛人愛物，真是好人。我是相信宗教信仰的人是有神力的，那一天我在開進出後院的門，Jae從樓上下來，我起身跟她打招呼，兩眼本來有的飛蚊，布滿了黑星點。這與朱皇帝回皇覺寺，眼睛瞎了，似乎有相似處，隻不過他是皇帝，我是小地主之幾分之一。
房子裏裏外外搬空了，基本沒有什麽要大修的，patio門好幾年沒有開了，一個人能容忍繞著從車庫邊門走到後院，多走一百步，可見她多麽不想打攏房東。看了幾個視頻，以為自己拆過車鎖門，換過好多鎖，想來不會太難。門有個提上按下的按鈕手把，記不得動與不動，門是鎖死的。試著用w40, 試著拆鎖，螺絲緊帖門縫，沒有工具伸得進去。從外麵無從下來，從裏邊也無處下手。想起多年前，有鄰居的門也是這樣卡住的，最後懇定請人開的。難不成把整個門都拆了。這時Jae下樓，我起身，兩眼墨黑。簡單交流幾分鍾，我繼續試著開門。與外麵比，裏邊沿著門落地的滑動槽，還是有縫，把螺絲刀伸進去，門還是可以往上提小半寸，大喜，再用力往上提，門就開了。幾年沒有開的後院門，開了，裏邊有鐵鏽，噴了些w40, 關，鎖，開，門鎖沒有卡。
另外幾處壞的，主臥房的廁所水箱會過一會衝水，過道廁所的燈開關鬆動像牙齒活動。其它就沒什麽了。Jae留下了好多她裝的與一些家具，我私下跟她講，給我一個數字。結果到臨走時也沒有提，我私下裏塞給她一個信封，示意她不要聲張。第二天她見到我，她說看到信封裏錢，I was shocked. 人都有不如意時，我慶幸沒有走eviction, 給個信封，以示人性裏的一點溫情。
Takuma 新房客
那天中介帶了他來看房子。就他急的，因為要趕回國。硬是讓jae同意提前看房子。三十歲出頭，其實英文挺好，溝通沒有太多問題。他是很喜歡這個房子，有種入住的衝動，與日本時差多的，呼了老婆，沒應。自己跑上跑下，裏裏外外看著，拍照拍視頻，喜歡院子裏的水果樹，采了一個檸檬。後來中介說，可以加點房租，希望有家具，有後院打掃。LP樂了，我將成為園丁。
訂好一號交接，說是要在日本做按排，推到24號。到23號，我在啃哧啃哧剪籬笆， 看到中介來電郵說，孩子到機場時生病，取消來美國。 希望他們一家入住，快樂地工作生活。
修複清單
LP指揮我洗地毯，洗地磚，補幾打的釘子留下來的洞。去了兩次，明白她要的幹淨是一絲不染，顯微鏡照出的塵埃要清除。我說，拜托，我看不見，所以沒法淸除。油刷要找原漆，找了兩個鄰居，到Lowes配了一份flat的。刷了，有印痕，再刷仍有，時間一天天過，我白天上班，要照顧她一日三餐，走兩次路，吃過飯，到出租房七點多了，弄到十點多也就三個時辰。光清洗油刷，沒完沒了。然後發現第一次油的是semi gross, 忽然記起讀過帖子說，再刷十遍，印子仍在。用打磨紙磨掉亮的那層漆，再涮flat， 就看不出來了。把幾處明顯亮點打磨上flat，天下太平了。主臥的一麵牆，貼了masking tape, 滾簡幾遍，回家露一下照片，應過關。 總以為房子是給人住的，住的人除了房子本身，取決於幸福不會是某個油漆沒上好，某塊地方有灰塵。有事再說吧。
然而水電smoke detector, 院子除草，我見到要修要查的，她全然不在乎。
女人沒有男人的視角，在光鮮背後到處是漏的，不工作的。
明處的漏水，把三個廁所的水箱接水的全部換了，仍漏水。把聯接水箱與坐便器的部件全換了，水消停了。說容易，配件找好久，裝上去，零件沒裝合適，水仍然會漏的。順便說一下坐墊，洗不掉尿黃色，建議油漆噴。換掉了鏽的螺絲，上了噴漆，LP才沒挑刺。都是金屁股，你媽，自己阿不出，怪馬桶髒。俺地上挖個洞，一分鍾搞定，人不一樣的。
八年沒有男人的房子我隨便撿出兩打要修複的，有的幾分鍾，有的大半天。慶幸不要我翻新廚房，廁所，像Vegas那樣的trashed。這樣的修補化時間的，自己老了，太累。
這是第三個出租屋，俗稱白玉房，LP經營，我維修。那樣的無縫連接除了辛苦，她算計準與狠的。也許她不這樣計較，放鬆一下時間與$$$，也許晚上會高枕無憂。我跟在她後麵，苦的。大雨滂沱，我坐在那屋簷下，或者國慶時，我看那旗在黑夜裏隨風飄揚，我心是安樂的。不喜歡與房客計較，不要太離譜，自己慢慢修複，人住下來，快樂有保障，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.
