another annoying message from my landlord

So tonight I came home to yet another message (left on my home phone) from the landlord about the state of the master bedroom. Apparently, now the "brokers" are complaining that its not organized enough to show it off as well as they'd like ("they're concerned that its not showing well"). Well, tough! This is not a model home, I live here...and I work full time. It takes time to box everything up. And there's no way I can box EVERYTHING up to be out of site. I've got projects I'm in the middle of (including stuff for committees I'm on) and research for classes I'm committed to teach in a couple of months - so I've got deadlines.

And his suggestion that the items I box up (to create more open room in the master bedroom, in order to show it off better) are stored in the downstairs closet is laughable.
        1) The key doesn't always work - there have been periods of time (*months* at a time) when I could *not* get the key to turn in the keyhole of the doorknob in order to open the door. I've come to think its some weird fluke of the weather affecting it, cause other times it works so easily its like night & day. (And yes, I'm using the SAME key each time. Not grabbing the wrong key and trying it in the lock. Trust me. I double & triple checked :).
        2) We already store things down there...so there's no room to add up to 10 additional boxes (he left 10 empty boxes). Also I don't store things in cardboard boxes down there for a reason (see next item for reason).
         3) We've had rodents in the complex, and they have specifically gotten into that storage closet. There's rodent droppings and dried urine over most of our items down there (one reason I don't access stuff in there much) and the few things I haven't stored in heavy duty plastic/rubber bins have been chewed through and I had to toss. So I'm having to store things off site, which means trips to take said boxes elsewhere. (Yes, I have a lot of stuff, but I also have a lot of hobbies & interests...which means I have to cram them all into my room. Its a bedroom, office, & sewing room all combined into one.)

I realize that brokers recommend a place be pretty much in 'model-home' condition in order to show off the place in the best possible light to potential buyers. But c'mon! Be realistic! The only *real* way to achieve that look is for there to be no tenant at all! Its one thing to do when you're motivated to sell your own place - but as we all know, this is NOT my place and I live here. So, yet another reason for me to pack up as much as possible while I try to look for a new place to live.

And before anyone suggests to me just give him my 30 day notice - Not yet. 1, that would be unfair to my roommate to do w/o discussing with her first. And 2, I want as much time to find a place as possible...and time to pack so I don't have to take days off of work. So for now I guess I just get to suffer through things a bit more (and cancel appearing at some of my previously scheduled engagements/events) so I can focus on packing & finding a place to live.

Whew. Rant over. :) No back to your regularly scheduled evening. (And I'm back to packing :).