Recycling and the Mystery Drip

Our cardboard recycling. (Looks way more menacing in person.)

Since the beginning of August when Matt and I moved into our apartment, we have housed in the basement all the cardboard we've used on a day to day basis or had from our IKEA furniture. We have a nice sized storage unit there, and found it to be just the right place to put the cardboard until we figured out when it could go out for curbside pick-up. As we are rounding out the month of October, I thought it was long past due that we get it off our hands. So when I saw our neighbor, a shoe store, put out their cardboard, I went for it. I moved as quickly as possible as it's technically not our day to recycle cardboard. We have not been able to figure out our schedule because no one seemed to be recycling on our designated day.
It is a load off my mind that it is gone. Mostly because it is a reminder of the hours Matt and I spent preparing the cardboard for recycling. The rule here is that the cardboard must be cut down into manageable sizes and roped with string. When almost everything you own came out of a box from IKEA, you can imagine how the hours accumulated for this task.
They also make nice, orderly stacks for paper goods (newspapers, magazines, etc.) and have special days and bags for recycling textiles. There is no curbside pick up (at least here in the city) for plastics and bottles, so I walk it all over to the bins behind our grocery store. Regular garbage is picked up once a week and must be put out in designated bags you purchase at the grocery store for a couple bucks each.
In other domestic news, Matt and I are having a heck of a time with our building and management company. Last week, our hot water and heaters were out for about 36 hours. This week, we are waiting for our dishwasher to be inspected for a second time to determine why there is a leak coming from the ceiling of our neighbors below us. Our dishwashing and kitchen sink are on hiatus until this is checked out. Seems like the Swiss efficiency is limited to trains and not so much helping us out here on the homefront. It's been stressful at times trying to communicate with the language barrier.
After my meeting today with the dishwasher guy, I was a little down. But the hilarious birthday rap my cousin Danny left for me on "comments" section from the last entry had me laughing for a solid 10 minutes. Thanks Dan! I needed that :)