an open letter to dittmar co.

Dear Dittmar Co.,

The D.C. area is known for some pretty extreme temperatures -- and loads of humidity. But, there are times in the spring and fall when the climate is just about perfect. And so normally I enjoy a good long fall or drawn out spring. Not this year.

Let me say, before things get personal, that we really do feel very fortunate to be living in our apartment complex. After living in Arlington during our dating days we frantically found ourselves searching for less costly living arrangement once we married (going from three roommates to one isn't easy on the wallet in this area). Luckily, some good friends suggested Edlandria Apartments to us, owned by the Dittmar Company. Not only did we find a clean, two-bedroom apartment that felt like home for a fair price, we also stumbled upon fabulous neighbors and an excellent management staff. And, on top of all that, utilities were included in our monthly rent. What's not to love, right?

Well, we soon discovered that the problem with utilities being included is that our entire apartment complex switches from a/c to heat or heat to a/c at the same time. Now, we know we can still adjust the thermostat in our apartment, but once the a/c is shut off and the heat is turned on for the winter months, there's no going back.

And herein lies the problem: with winter holding off, we are roasting in the sunshine during the day and sweating in stickiness by night. These past few weekends have been downright miserable. The breezes are few and far between and even with fans on in every room, we are uncomfortably hot. The evenings aren't much better. While the temperature does tend to drop a bit, it's usually stuffy and and sweltering. Even as I type this I feel my back sticking to my shirt. And opening windows in the evenings is tough because the lights in the parking lot come right through our windows.

Sorry to complain, Dittmar Co., but it had to come out sometime. We've come to appreciate so many things about living in Edlandria Apartments, but the a/c issue is not one of them. It's turned on too late in the spring and turned off too early in the fall. If we could make an adjustment to that, we'd sure appreciate it. Especially since the temperature over the next few days will be back in the 70s with a fair share of humidity.

Oh, and while I'm on my soapbox giving suggestions, we could sure use some overnight guest parking around here.

Thanks for listening,
Your sweaty tenants in #146