How Are Your Neighbors?

[MRD]

Well I've posted before about my dreaded neighbors. Now for the next chapter.

Hubby and I were sitting outside a few evenings ago. The way the houses are staggered, we can see the front of their house from our back patio.
We had Waldo and Bogie outside. We never let our dogs outside alone.

The neighbor opens her door and puts out her fairly new puppy and goes back in. She never stays out with her dogs. The puppy immediately sees Bogie and Waldo and makes a beeline over here. He is a silky long haired dauchsand and sooooo cute. Well Bogie and Waldo sniff him and decide he's not worth their notice and go off sniffing other areas of the yard. The puppy comes to where we're sitting and is so happy his whole body is wagging. We pet him, talk to him and play with him for a minute.
I then pick him up and walk over to take him back. The 5 year old comes out the door and I call to him, he gives me a nasty look and goes on towards their car. As I approach the door, the 16 year old comes out sees me and walks over. I hand him the puppy and he says thank you for bringing him back.
Very nice and pleasant young man. I tell him, he's so cute and reach over and give him one last head pat (the puppy, not the 16 year old boy). At this point the dreaded neighbor sticks her head out the door with a sour, pinched look and says: "I'm SO sorry". Only she sounded like she was anything but sorry. I could also tell she was a bit embarrassed after yelling at my husband about our dogs in her yard and now hers has come into mine. She repeats herself and I give her the big smile and say: "Oh, that's alright, he's really cute and we LOVE dogs, so we didn't mind at all". Well the look on her face was priceless and she ducks back in the house and slams the door. I haven't seen her since. Nor the dogs.
It's all fine to yell at us, but when the shoe (or in this case the dog is in the other yard) is on the other foot, its a different story. But at least I was nice and pleasant and didn't stoop to her level. The puppy was adorable and I do love dogs, so it wasn't a problem for us.

Oh and we woke up the other morning to find a hanging mess of toilet paper in their yard. Someone had TP'ed them in the night. I found it quite humerous that someone else harbors ill will at them as well. But I'm old enough not to act on mine.

[Coorah]

I love my neighbors. The only thing that I don't like about them is that every single family on our street is filled with little kids. I'm one of the, maybe 5, teenagers living in our large neighborhood.

The neighbors to my left and right, though... One set of them recently moved to Colorado to live with their kids. They were an older man and an older woman and they were basically like the third set of grandparents to my little brother, sister, and I. They would buy us birthday presents, spoil us with little random gifts every once in awhile, and invite us over to eat tons and tons of cookies that they had just fresh baked. They were two of the sweetest people that I've met in awhile.

On the other side of us is a woman, in her mid-20's, living in her parent's house since her dad is in the army and he and his wife travel around. She's a really sweet person and all the kids on our street love going over to her house and hanging out with her (as well as off of her, with their arms wrapped around her neck). A few months ago, she had a close friend and his son move in because they needed a place to stay. The son is my age and the two of them brought a HUGE dog upon moving in. The boys are nice. The dog is gross. My dad had to complain several times due to the fact that their pet was leaving very large surprises in our yard, and my brother and sister and their friends were constantly stepping in it and dragging it around with them. It got to a point where I had to go and actually shovel the waste back into their yard one day. All of them are moving out within the next week, though. She's going into the army and the boys are moving back to their old city where the son's school is.

I'll be neighborless.

[Rattus]

My neighbours, on the whole, are really quite delightful. Intelligent, pleasant, nice to have a few glasses of wine with. However, there is one house across the road from us that isn't quite up to snuff. We're not sure if it's a rooming house, or divided into apartments, but we only see random people wandering in and out. Anyway, I go out to pick up the paper this morning and see a couple of cop cars sitting out front, and I think lovely, there's been some sort of brawl and someone's been arrested. A little later I head out for a bike ride and come back to find both CBC and CTV vehicles out front. I ask one of the guys sitting in a car outside my house what's going on, but he said he couldn't tell me, but suffice to say, the neighbourhood is now a lot safer. So I go online to check the local news site only to discover that the city letter bomber has been arrested, and he lived across the street from us. That really gives credence to that whole you-never-know-your-neighbours cliche.

[ScoutMom]

Wow! That's a little disturbing to think that people like that live so close to you. On the other hand, I guess you didn't have to worry about them setting off any letter bombs in your neighborhood! It's true that you never know what's going on in someone else's house. I guess that's why some people don't like to socialize with their neighbors.

[canuckinchile]

Wow, Rattus...that's scary. However, maybe it's like one comedian remarked, "The best place to live is next to a serial killer since they don't kill their neighbours. The neighbours only remark on what a quiet guy he was..." Seriously, it's a good thing they got the guy off the streets.

[AJane]

Rattus, my parents lived next door to the same family for 30+ years, though they were never friendly (my mom and the other mom never got along). A few years ago the other mom got arrested for killing her husband's long-time mistress. Apparently he'd been having an affair for years - they were both in their 60's when the murder occurred - and she snapped and beat the woman to death with a baseball bat. This isn't really funny, but my mom was completely freaked out on one hand, because Gertie turned out to be a murderer, but on the other hand, she sympathized with her because of the cheating husband.

I was watching the national news this morning but didn't catch that the letter bomber had been caught. Very scary to know that he was living so close to you. I'm glad they got him - it was just random attacks, wasn't it? I saw footage of the guy in Guelph who received one of his letters - frightening.

[dagwood]

Oh my goodness, Rattus, how scary.

[Rattus]

Addendum to the "they caught my letter bombing neighbour story". I just had the dubious pleasure of being interviewed, on camera, by every news organization in the city. Unfortunately, I've been sewing all day, I'm wearing a tank top (just the right apparel to show off my bat wing arms), my hair tied back in the elastic from around a file folder, and my ugly at-home glasses. The only way I could have looked worse is that it could have been yesterday, before I dyed the grey out of my hair, and I could have been wearing leggings and a sports bra (not out of the question when I'm hanging around in the house). I have everything crossed that I can possibly cross that they won't air any of the useless footage I've given them.

And oh yeah, apparently he still had three bombs in the trunk of his car. Everybody keeps asking me if I'm scared - I'm not, and it's kind of bugging me that they're trying to get "terrified neighbour" quotes from me.

[katgib13]

Addendum to the "they caught my letter bombing neighbour story". I just had the dubious pleasure of being interviewed, on camera, by every news organization in the city. Unfortunately, I've been sewing all day, I'm wearing a tank top (just the right apparel to show off my bat wing arms), my hair tied back in the elastic from around a file folder, and my ugly at-home glasses. The only way I could have looked worse is that it could have been yesterday, before I dyed the grey out of my hair, and I could have been wearing leggings and a sports bra (not out of the question when I'm hanging around in the house). I have everything crossed that I can possibly cross that they won't air any of the useless footage I've given them.

And oh yeah, apparently he still had three bombs in the trunk of his car. Everybody keeps asking me if I'm scared - I'm not, and it's kind of bugging me that they're trying to get "terrified neighbour" quotes from me.

Why would you be scared if he's been caught? LOL..

Isn't that the way it always works? They shove a camera in your face when you look your absolute worst. Why can't they ever say "I'll give you an hour to fix yourself up and come back to interview you."? The UPS man, the yard guy..the cable guy...they never knock on my door when I'm all put together. They always catch me in my pj's, hair sticking up, no bra on....it's embarrassing.

[snarkattack]

And you thought I had issues my neighbors are N-U-T-S. Some are very Jerry Springer and Dr. Philish. I live in an apartment complex and I know everyones business I really don't know where to begin.

The dude across from me has OCD, but he is really off his rocker. A few weeks ago he came to up and said someone is stalking him and if I see them call the police. He has also told me about about his AIDS worries, and problems with women. His problem aren't women, he is MENTAL. I usually don't lose it, but after he told me about his last batch of worries. I left a VERY NASTY NOTE under his door. I said I have my own problems, I don't have time for yours! Do NOT tell me them. I said I have TOO many of my own issues. And I said if you ever see me in the hall, never talk to me again. He saw me in the hall about a week ago, he got the message.


My other neighbor down the hall is really a sad story. At this point I feel sorry for her. She is/was a drunk and I talked with one of my other neighbors and they told me she is now doing coke. I really think she gave up one addiction for the other. I would guess she was a size 16 before, and very big chested and I would say within the the last 6- 8weeks she has gone down to a size 6 I really think its the cocaine(can't resist, good diet program) I actually wrote her a 2 page note a few weeks ago discussing how I was worried about her and she looked really sad(that probably didn't make her feel to great either, though). I guess I am naive because when I told someone I wrote this, they said she probably isn't well enough to read it. No addiction is good, but in some ways when she was drinking, she seemed happier. I dunno, if she is drinking and doing drugs or just doing drugs now, but she has the saddest look on her face. I think she works at Mcdonalds part time(trust me, you don't want her making your McGriddles in the morning), and I really don't know how she is even able to work. I heard her over talking to someone and she said she is quitting soon. She looks very dirty & greasy and doesn't look like she has showered in weeks. Just from hearing other people talk they have told me she has slept with hundreds of men. I once went running at 5-5:30am in the morning and she was coming back from the night before. It looked like it was a guy that she met at a bar. I actually think of her almost everyday, but its probably best that I stay away from her. Over the last few years I have tried helping her a little, as I am sure others have, but she has decided to let drugs/drinking rule her life.

A few years ago, my apartment door was ajar and she came in at 3:00am. I now dead bolt my door at night.

Then there is a lady on the 3rd floor. I only know this(don't even try it Prhoshay) because we have had several different apartment managers over the years. They have all told me she has a private room with handcuffs, harnesses etc etc. I mean if I heard this from somone else I would think they are lying, but she is actually in her late 70's. She has had a ton of work done all over her face and body. They have nicknamed her the "vintage barbie" in my complex. She is VERY SNOBBY TOO. I keep thinking what does she have to be arrogant about?? She spanks people for a living. Its probably a decent business though, I would bet mostly CASH.

I kind of would like to know her name, because she might be on the imdb. Wouldn't be surprised if she has been in some porn flicks.

Its sad when I am the poster boy for good mental health.

There are a ton of other wackos in my building, but too lazy to write about them. I live in a nice area too. Wackos are everywhere.

I am starting to like wackos, they are my people