Friday, October 22, 2010

The Skunk State: And an Update

Now that that last post is out of the way I'll post my Smoke Situation Update:

I have some (hopefully) good news. I took Sadie to the doctor today to get some answers and learned more than I had expected to. First off, the doctor isn't certain that Sadie has asthma. She thinks that the breathing problem could be entirely due to an allergy to pot. She said if it is a straight allergy it will happen every single time Sadie is exposed to pot smoke, but that it should also stop pretty quickly when Sadie is taken away from it.

She also had a good suggestion on how the pot smoke is coming into Sadie's room and the downstairs bathroom. She said in cases like this it is almost always through the area around water pipes. At first I was confused as to how it could be coming into Sadie's room if that was the case, although that would explain the downstairs bathroom (the wall that backs up to our neighbors house has our washer and dryer hookups).

Then we realized that there is a water hookup in Sadie's room. The closet to the right of her clothes closet is the water heater. So we think that that heater likely backs up to the heater in the other room. And we've also learned that the bathroom vent probably sucks air from the attic, which would be shared with the neighbors attic, which would have exasperated the problem, pumping even more smoke into the apartment if we happened to turn it on when he was smoking.

The solution, according to the doctor who's dealt with this before said that the solution is (thankfully) pretty easy. She said to ask the manager to take foam insulation and insulate the areas around the pipes, which can be done by simply spraying the foam into the space that exists next to the pipes. So we're going to be asking the manager if that can be done in both apartments to insulate against the smoke (I imagine he'd be happy with this solution too since it would mean he wouldn't be bothered by the sheriff being called every time he smokes). And we're cautiously optimistic that this might keep Sadie's room and the rest of the apartment smoke free.

That's all we know for now, but it's much better news than I'd even hoped for when I made Sadie's appointment (I definitely wouldn't have expected advice on how to fix the building!).

I am more certain than ever, however, that laws need to be put in place to protect children from this drug. If prop 19 passes the entire situation will stink (quite literally). California could go by a new name: The Skunk State (if you've smelled "harvest time" you know what I mean!).

4 comments:

  1. Ewwwwwww. I think it smells worse than skunks. Then again when I smell it I smell dead fish on top of it because the first time I remember smelling it was in Amsterdam.

    Anyways, glad its an easy fix & hope it gets done quickly!

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  2. So glad to hear you little one is doing better, and that there is such an easy fix that will work for both you and your neighbor.

    I do hope you will not be biased against your neighbor because of this- after all, he was using a drug inside his own home, with no knowledge that it was leaking into your house, or that your daughter would be so affected. Please remember the love you are called to feel for your neighbor. He is a human, and his use of marijuana does not automatically mean he is irrational or unintelligent. (I tell you this because it was a bias that I, too, have struggled with in my life, and this biased has been challenged by my knowing and respecting those who do occasionally use marijuana.) I am sure that if Christ were around today, he would have potheads among his disciples.

    -P.B. Cookie Lady

    P.S. If it makes a difference, I have never had marijuana, nor have I any desire to try it. I just think your home life will be happier if you can approach your neighbors with an open hand, rather than a closed fist. I will step out of your business now. Peace and happiness in your life.

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  3. Hi Cookie Lady-

    I definitely don't feel anger towards our neighbor, because as you pointed out, he didn't know. My anger in this situation was towards the deputy, who refused to come out and inform our neighbor and issue a warning (now if he did it again after the warning, I would be upset and would want to see him prosecuted for child endangerment). Hopefully the apartment will be fixed today and it looks like the sheriff's department is going to go by and let him know about the situation. I'm hoping he's going to agree to have his side insulated too so that the chance of it happening again is even lower!

    I think that if Christ was around there would very likely be former potheads among his disciples. I don't anyone who was honored to spend time in his presence would need an additional high!

    God Bless!

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  4. I'm pretty sure that if Jesus were around today he would say to his pothead followers "Fat, dumb and drunk is no way to go through life, son."

    ~Thomist

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