Now you hear it, now you don't

Tuesday, I went to apply for a job. Afterward, I stopped by a Future Shop to get CD-RWs and a cable, so I can transfer all the phone messages I've recorded on audio tape.

Now, before you go thinking what a techie I am, I'd only been to a Future Shop once before. Yet, I've gone there several times, recently, to look at accessories to help my situation.

I came back around 5:00pm. Tried using a little adapter I have from about 10 years ago that can record phone conversations onto cassette tape (I used this for interviews). Plugged it into the computer: presto -- it works! Now I can record messages directly from my phone onto my computer.


But, today, I came home, and couldn't record. I sense something may have been switched or sabotaged - and this wouldn't be the first time. I was able to record before, and had been speaking to a Radio Shack salesperson by phone the night before, and confirmed the fact that I'm able to record.

I happened to say to someone just today how things go missing from my apartment, how many problems I've had with trespassing and other harassment, etc.

Then, I get home, and the line-in (for sound recording) on the computer doesn't work, but it did yesterday. I also found my slow cooker on -- this is the third time it's been 'left on,' which is driving up my utilities bill. I hadn't even been using the darn thing. Plus, my bedside clock isn't working (low battery).

One could say: 'It's just a low battery -- it happens!'

First, that's three things gone wrong in the same day. Second, my landlords have been known to trespass into my apartment, as well as other people's places. I've even been home, when they were trying to enter -- not just once, but TWICE. Third, I've had almost every single electrical or battery-operated thing in my place go kaputz on me (including my phone) at very specific times.

Here I am trying desperately to record my weird phone calls onto computer. Next day, three things go wrong: computer's audio line-in doesn't work; my clock's battery is suddenly almost dead (it's fairly new), and the time shows 3:15pm, which is when I was out today; plus, surprise, my slow cooker is on. Haven't used it recently, and I KNOW I had turned it off. This is the third time this has happened, and it's a turn dial - not something one could switch on by mistake.

Why, you ask, WHY would they bother playing such mindless pranks?

My landlord has a history of doing these kinds of things. I believe the surveillers have learned from them just how powerless people can be - even in the most mundane of situations.

You'd also have to know that I'm unemployed and struggling. I won't go into all my personal and emotional difficulties, but the fact is, I'm being partly supported by my mother. All these little *breakdowns* are important -- they wear both of us down financially.

The first time the slow cooker had been left on, I didn't notice for several weeks: my hydro bill nearly doubled.

Once I get some tools, I'll be better able to show some of the problems...