Updates all around again

It's midterms time! Let's hear the collective groan :( Ya, my major one is tomorrow, discussing critics like Derrida, Saussure, Marx, Nietzsche, Foucault- how some are similar and different than certain other ones.. It's a big test, that i'm not looking forward to at all. update on the roommate situation. We did have a good couple of days. Offhand, she broke up with her boyfriend, as predicted by more than one of us in the house. She's been giving me the cold shoulder for about two days now. Let me explain.

This past Friday, I was planning on sending her a text saying "we need to talk" but ended up not needing to, because when I got back from class, she was in the dorm's livingroom with our houseemate, Becca. Becca was dismantling the sweeper so it would work properly. We were able to talk about the room situation (the horsepiss smell). She said "I'm sorry" and "I'm trying," and it was let go. She then went on to accuse another housemate, Laina of using a product with bleach in it, which she has claimed for years now that she's allergic to. She said one thing to me, and then after she left for the barn, Becca told me that wasn't exactly what had happened, that Laina hadn't been knowingly using it. Later this past weekend, I'm coming upstairs with a snack. I had to put it down on the sink since my hands were full and I needed to unlock the door. As I went to pick my food back up, I noticed that her bottle of soap that was in question said Bleach Alternative, so Emma's accusations were false. I let Becca and Laina know, and when Emma came back Monday, I let her know as well, suggesting she apologize to Laina for falsely accusing her. She claimed to have already sent her an apology earlier in the weekend, however her story was backed up when I asked Laina later that evening. This weekend, I was able to get the room smelling good, I vacuumed and sprayed the carpet, aired out the room to get the smell out and it worked. However Monday evening, the stench was back when Emma returned with her barn "gear." Needless to say, I was peeved, and was spraying the room with air freshener at every turn. (It's smelly good febreeze called Brazilian Carnaval, smells a lot like kool aid) This possibly pissed her off. What has really pissed her off though, is what I sent her this morning. Below I've pasted the gist of the convo we've had. I was messaging her about possible solutions to remedy the barn smell in the room situation. Obviously, she didn't take it too well.

Allison March 3 at 10:13am

I am posing a possible solution for the barn odor in the room. Maybe, when you get back after a shift after working at the barn, there is a bag that can be sealed/closed or a place in your closet that the clothes can be put, to cut down on the odor getting into the carpets/room in general? It is just a suggestion, so this doesn't become a point of tension. Or maybe taking a change of clothes to the barn so after you get done with your shift there is something to change into that does not have muck from the stalls and horses on it.

As for the shoes and tracking it throughout both the room, upstairs and the rest of the house, there could be a bag or mat set up so that when you first come in the house you just take your shoes off there, so mud/barn clumps are not found everywhere.

The reasoning behind this is that what causes the oder in the horse urine is Ammonia, which can be harmful to people and animals alike. It is also what causes everyone to have a reaction to bleach, which is why they sy to rinse it very well when using a cleaner that has it in it and make sure it is not on contact with skin.

Pretty much this is clutter, odor and health issue. It is also slightly a money issue, because it is not all that cheap to have to go out and buy bottles of febreeze so the carpet/room can smell better only to have it have the barn odor back within a couple of hours. I am writing you about this issue so it can be resolved quickly and with as little conflict/tension as possible. To make sure you received this, I also sent this to your school email as well.

Sincerely,

Allison

Emily March 3 at 11:02am Report

either way I look at this u gonna bitch so do what makes u happy

Allison March 3 at 11:23am

Emma, this is not me bitching. I have come to you on more than one occasion about the barn smell, and all you would say is "i'm sorry" or "i'm trying," and nothing would ever really be done to remedy the situation. This is me trying to start a dialog with you. I sent you a text yesterday saying "hey we need to talk tonight when you get back." I recieved no reply from you, and when we were in the same room together, you gave me the cold shoulder or blared your ipod loud enough that it was impossible to try and start a conversation with you, so I am trying to start one this way. I am not trying to fight with you, I am just trying to find a solution to this issue in a calm way with the least amount of tension. If I come across as bitching at you, I apologize.

Emma March 3 at 11:40am Report

u give me the cold shoulder all the time so its whatever

Allison March 3 at 8:05pm

are you at least willing to try and come to agreement on this issue, or just keep it how it is, where I end up sweeping and spraying the carpet because mud/barn clumps have been tracked throughout the room leaving an odor in the carpet? Because that is definitely not okay with me, because I don't have the money to spend on carpet sprays/solutions to get rid of the smell. I am trying to work with you on this, but it seems like you are shutting down any attempt at a resolution.

Let me get your opinion on this. Do I sound like I am bitching at her on this? Or do I sound somewhat level headed, kinda calm? I know my last response definitely sounds like I'm at my wits end, which I am. I could have gone the catty route, saying I'm not her mother so I shouldn't have to clean up after her, or brought up other issues I have with her, such as the issue of her being really loud in the mornings and waking me up constantly. I feel like I came at this in a rational sense, giving a couple of suggestions to get the dialog between us going so we could come to an agreement and get rid of the growing tension over this issue before we have to get a mediator involved. I fear we might have to get the RA involved now though, since she is seeming to be unwilling to even talk about this issue with me. I just find her total disregard for tracking mud/barn through the house, (not only in just our room- she leaves it in the livingroom and on the stairs and in the bathroom) and for those living in it disrespectful to not only to the rest of us, but to her as well.

I am just hoping this can get resolved peacefully and with minimal yelling, but I have a feeling there might be yelling involved sadly.