i had just 15 census cases today. they were all repeats, including about half a dozen cases on banks street that had disappeared but was now back on my radar. there was also a few addresses at the trash house on irving, a place they keep on sending me, even though the owner hates the census and said just as much when i first encountered him weeks ago. i already had half the cases solved before i even left the door by calling property managers and apartment rental brokers. as for the other addresses, i had contacts ready to call if i couldn't enumerate.

i wasn't expecting to work a full 8 hours today, regardless of how much i milked the clock. i figured 4 hours at most, and was planning on a later start. i woke up early anyway, around 8am, and set out for OSJL to look for some seeds to plant for the autumn season. i went a new way via ball square, supposedly faster than my typical route which goes up winter hill and by foss park. they hardly had any seeds, but i left with some clothesline cord and some snacks. i got some gas at the stop & shop gas station before returning home by around 10am.

i was back early enough that i decided to set out for work at 11am, my usual time. it meant i could come home early, or simply give me more time to milk the clock if i was so inclined.

having done some research on each address before heading out was like taking a test and knowing all the answers, far different from the typical enumeration, where you have no idea what's going on until you get there. i was closing every single case i touched, i couldn't believe it. even the ones where i had to call a property manager, they all provided the answers i needed, everyone was very helpful. i also got lucky, running into the owner of an upland road address; she wasn't very helpful at first, but after she had time to calm down, came out to tell me her husband was going to do the census online. i got a head count for her and managed to enumerate the case anyway, just in case they don't do the census (they had more than half the year to do so already, so i'm not optimistic). i stopped for a 30 minute break after finishing all the cases near me.

i then headed out again, just had 3 more addresses, though a few were multi-units, including the dreaded irving street address. they were all done except for the irving street ones, and that one i spoke with the son would told me his father would be home around 5-6pm, so i told him i'd come back. i walked as far as 1.3 miles to banks street to enumerate a few units there before walking back home. i passed by harvard square and saw michael in his store; i wanted to say hello but he was with a customer so i went home instead. i decided to take another pass at the oxford street house. once again i got lucky, saw a person walking into the house. turns out it was a friend, but she went inside and managed to get the owner to come out who acted as a proxy to finally close this long lingering case.

i was back at home by 3:30pm. my father had stopped by earlier to deliver some food, and also to take a few things i left for him, including a cheap bottle of red wine i got at OSJL. i'd already done 4-1/2 hours of census work, and figured i'd go out in the evening to enumerate that irving street address again, adding another 1/2 hour of work. i decided to go out sometime after 6pm.

after a shower, lounging on the couch, i grew sleepy and decided to take a nap, waking up at 5:45pm. i didn't go out until almost 6:30pm. i was hoping for a positive outcome, finish these irving street cases so i can close all of my cases for the day, which i've never done before.

when i knocked at the house, the father came out. when i told him i was with the census, he said, "no, i'm not answering any questions. you guys have been here 10 times already. don't come back. don't you ever ring my doorbell again or i'm going to be pissed." i kept peppering him with questions with the hopes that he'll tell me something at least, but he wouldn't answer anything. when i told him he'd know the answer more than anyone else because he was the owner, he asked me how did i know that. he seemed surprised that i knew his name, which i pulled from the property database. he said if i wanted to know who lived at the adjoining units, i should ring the doorbells myself.

there was a neighbor outside washing his car who witnessed the whole angry confrontation. i figured he'd be sympathetic to the cause and shed some lights on the address in question, but when i asked him if i could ask him some questions, he was just as angry as his neighbors. "you guys have knocked on my door three time already, i told you guys, i don't know anything. just leave, just leave!" i went across the street and stood there for half an hour filing my reports while he continued to wash his car, it was an awkward encounter. if any neighbors saw the angry exchanges, nobody came to help, everyone just minded their own business.

taking the father's advice, i rang all the doorbells again, knowing that at least a few rang the owner's house as well. there was no response. however, on the doorstep was a package for a person who's name was also on the doorbell, so at least i knew he currently lived there. i wrote down the name and went home.

a day that was so full of promise - nearly finishing all my cases! - ended on a real downnote where i got yelled at and threatened by two different people. i tried to forget about what happened but it just gnawed at me. when i got home i searched online for the name of the tenant. it was unique enough that i managed to find a match. i kept searching and even found a phone number, which i called on a whim, not expecting much from it. to my surprise, the tenant actually answered the phone! i told him i was with the census, he seemed confused, and said i had the wrong number, but i dropped the name of his landlord, so he was caught off guard, and answered my questions. are you living at this address now? yes. did you live there on april 1st? yes. did anybody else live at the house. other than the owners and his family, no. once he said that i knew i solved this case. i thanked him for his time. of the multi units, only was was occupied. i had the tenant's name, his phone number, his age, and even his ethnicity, all thanks to the web.

i closed out the case and finished my evening with a perfect completion record, a first. not only that, the extra work i did extended my work hours so i ended up added 1-1/2 hours on top of the 4-1/2 hours i worked earlier, for a total of 6 hours working these 15 cases.

i'm not sure what's going to happen tomorrow. i closed all my cases, does that mean my work is over? but there's also some cases that were on my case list in the past that mysteriously disappeared. will those cases now come back again? i kind of wish that i don't get any work tomorrow, so i can have a free day. it heard it's going to be rainy anyway, so a good day to stay home. if i do get cases, i don't expect a lot, maybe another dozen at most. that means i still have most of the day free.

tonight was game 6 between the raptors and the celtics. it was a close match between two great teams that ended up going into double overtime. boston lost but only because toronto made more miracle plays. for those who love basketball, a game 7 to for all the marbles seem a fitting ending for both teams. i heated up my dinner during halftime.

i finally took down my air conditioner, but only brought it inside, didn't move it to the basement yet. i took it down from the window because it's going to rain tomorrow and i don't want the AC to get wet and then have to wait for it to dry before i can remove it.