FORT Koffee Klatch

[Lois Lane]

OK, I hate to be the Betty Crocker of this board ( I can barely cook!), but we've had quite a turnover of neighbors recently and guess who made cookies and brought them over to the new neighbors as they moved inl? Me! I figure, if they're strong enough to stomach my baking, then by golly maybe we can be friends!

Of course, after the fact, there are some neighbors who never really make an effort to be "friends," but that's fine. As long as they're neighborly! (They may just be trying to salvage their stomachs from another round of my cooking!)

[Rattus]

I learned something about myself on the way home from work today. I've always sneered when I've heard news stories about the "horrified onlookers" when someone was having some form of violence perpetrated upon them. Not me, I've said, I'd step in and do something. Mr. Rattus and others have always claimed that you don't know what you'll do until the circumstance arises. Well, anyway, as I was pedalling semi-merrily along, a dog (indeterminate mixed breed, definitely had some lab in him) jumps out of the open window of a moving car, crosses two lanes of oncoming rush hour traffic, and attacks a Boston terrier that was being walked on leash. Without even thinking about it, I dropped my bike, grabbed my bag and let loose on the attacker. Since I jumped in to protect a wee doggie from violent attack without even thinking about, I'm pretty sure that my bag and I would have something to say to a guy with a knife or a pair of overactive fists. Hopefully I would stop and think if a gun were involved.

[ArchieComic Fan]

Oh Rattus! I'm glad you weren't hurt! Did the Boston Terrier come out okay? My BIL has three of them. How odd that a dog would go to that much trouble to attack another dog. What happened with the owners of the dogs? See now, you can't just tell part of a superhero story and then not finish it!

[Rattus]

Sorry . The little terrier (and I love them) was terrified, but he got loose and took off running down King Street screaming all the way. He was chased and caught by the doorman outside the King Edward Hotel (I think that someone further down the street grabbed his leash). The owner of the attacker jumped out of his SUV and grabbed up his dog, carried him back to his vehicle where he had to hold onto him while he closed all the windows. I yelled at the owner "why the hell isn't he on a leash" because I hadn't noticed that he'd jumped out of a car, whereupon the owner told me that, well, he'd jumped out of a car. So I yelled "why the hell isn't the window closed". Anyway, the dog owners appeared to be in conference while I explained to a group of women a bit further up the road what had happened.

And let me just say, attacking a marauding dog is quite the adrenaline rush.

[MRD]

Oh Rattus, how brave of you because dog fights can be dangerous to humans who interfere, but that bag of yours must really pack a wallop.

Good for you for yelling at the owner of the attacker too. I'm glad neither dog was run over or got away or anything too.


Well so far all has been EXTREMELY quiet in hummerland. The mustang was gone when we got up this morning and it hasn't been home all day and its now 8:30 p.m. so I don't know what happened. I haven't seen either one of them and there are no lights on in the house. Hmmm.

Well I didn't expect a party with balloons and confetti and performing clowns (except for us probably), but I did expect at least a hello and perhaps an introduction. I mean, they ALL came out in their yards on Mon and today is Thur. and no one has peeked out of the houses since Mon. And its just weird as I have always gone out of my way to take something to new neighbors and we had neighbors do that for us where we used to live and I have listened to other Greenvillians say how friendly their neighbors were when they moved in and how great Southern Hospitality is, etc., so its just been weird that we were apparantly inspected and found lacking in some way. I joined a SC moms email group back in June and they have been awesome helping me long distance about schools and other info etc. and have been calling me to find out if I needed anything since we got here and several have offered to come this weekend and give us a hand and they are just as shocked as we are that this street has been so unfriendly.
I mean, it's really starting to feel weird you know? And as I smoke, I'm outside several times a day so I've seen neighbors going in and out of houses and some of them smoke, so I couldn't have turned them off because I smoke. It's not like I'm hibernating in my house. We've also sat out on the patio every evening because, its nice out and yet, we sit there in full view of half the street and no one even waves. Oh well, their loss I guess because they don't know what great parties I throw or how good a cook I am and they will be missing out.

Lois and Archie, good for you for thinking of your neighbors. You know it really does help because moving is so stressful and being new is hard and just having someone say: here's some cookies, welcome to the neighborhood can make a ton of difference.

My daughter went to high school today. First day of school. She had on cute leggings under a mini skirt, a David Bowie vintage tee, ballet flats and looked really cute. she has short hair that is cut in a shag like style and is black with blonde streaks. She looks cute and is not out of the ordinary where we used to live. I picked her up today and she says: "mom, every single girl looks EXACTLY the same, they have the same hair, they wear the same clothes and shoes and the boys are the same too. It's like the Stepford wives go to school". Well guess what, they are all preppy and as I looked around, I saw she was right. Not a single kid stood out from any other except my daughter. So she was miserable as the ONLY person that befriended her today was a boy that came up, told her he liked her nose piercing, he had one too and "by the way, I'm gay". Which she didn't care one way or the other, but it was like the 2 that were "different" made friends because no one else would talk to either of them. So you can guess how miserable she is. Not to mention that her schedule is so screwed up she's mega upset about that. She's got classes she's already had and classes she needs prerequisites for she has not had and they told her today that she won't be able to talk to the guidence counselor for a week. So she will be a week behind in her 3 classes that need to be changed. I plan on being there at 7:30 in the morning and I'm NOT leaving until I talk to someone about her schedule. They also told her that since she will be riding the bus, she starts school at 9 a.m., but I drove her today as the bus thing has not been worked out either, so her schedule has her classes starting at 8 a.m. not 9, so she was an hour late this morning. So I have to find out what's up with that as I intend to be working soon and will not be able to drive her to school so she needs the bus and if the bus doesn't get there until 9, then what is she supposed to do?

ARGH! The only bad thing about moving is getting all your ducks in a row and it takes a few weeks to get it all sorted out and settled. Other than that, we are in a BEAUTIFUL city with lots of cool stuff, great parks and so far wonderful weather. I'm sure it will all work out, but did I mention that hubby is in Florida for a few days? So I am left to do it all myself and frankly I am not good at calming down distraught teenagers. I am not the one she wants comfort from. I am trying, but dad is the better voice of calm and reassurance in our household. And dammit, I needed that from him today too as apparantly the stepford children all come from the stepford wives as I haven't met anyone who isn't the preppy "soccer mom" type yet and I swear the boxes are multiplying instead of decreasing. I am so over this packing/unpacking crap. I want to relax and I can't even find the tequila. Found the margarita mix, but can't put anything into it to make it worth drinking!

[misskitty]

Welcome back myrosiedog!! Glad you're in your new home. Sounds like you won't be short of stories!

Although Hummerguy just looks and acts like a Richard Cranium anyway. If you don't know what that means, PM me. I'm not sure the mods would let me put the actual word on here.

I just got it! I may use that line, if you don't mind!

..And let me just say, attacking a marauding dog is quite the adrenaline rush.

I like to get my adrenaline rush in other ways! But I'm sure glad you stepped in. What a hero! Now, about my marauding coyotes ....

myroseidog: It's too bad your neighbors haven't so much as waved Hello! At least mine did that after a bit. No cookies or baking delivered but an acknowledgement is always appreciated. I'd have to agree with you though; they are missing out on one cool lady and her parties (from what I hear).

[Lois Lane]

myrosiedog, that's such a shame about the Stepford children at your daughter's school. It's always difficult being the new kid...hopefully when they get to know her better, they'll be less icy. I'm glad that one boy introduced himself though. At least there's someone there she can talk to.

Your neighbors are weirdos. If nothing else, I'd think they'd want to stop by to say "hi" just to nosy around your place! It's not such a big deal to do so! Whenever the hubby and I go to introduce ourselves, the new neighbors are always so nice. I'm always really careful about reintroducing myself to them for the next few times that I see them again, 'cause I figure with all the things on their minds--and all the new people they're meeting--they may not remember my name.

I'm glad that your new city is so beautiful, though. I'm sure that as you make new friends there, you'll notice your aloof neighbors less. And once they see people heading to your place for one of your fabulous parites, they'll be sorry!

[nlmcp]

when we moved in, we didn't get cookies or anything but several people stopped by to say "hi", I've done the same to our new neighbors, dropped over and said "hello, oh by the way, trash pick up is Tuesday by 7:30am so get it out early and a skunk walks across your back yard on a regular basis."


As for the school, that is tough. It's hard being the new kid but it's really hard when you aren't clearly the same style as everyone. I'm sure she'll start finding people who more like her taste, but it takes time.

[MRD]

Richard Cranium


I just got it! I may use that line, if you don't mind!


myroseidog: It's too bad your neighbors haven't so much as waved Hello! At least mine did that after a bit. No cookies or baking delivered but an acknowledgement is always appreciated. I'd have to agree with you though; they are missing out on one cool lady and her parties (from what I hear).

Miss Kitty, feel free to use Richard Cranium. I picked that up from someone years ago and its perfect to say what you really feel when you can't really say what you want!

Well, come visit and I'll throw you a party that will make the neighbors green with envy!

I'm sure it will all work out. It's just weird that they all turned out the first day and haven't been seen since except for hummerguy and his antics the other night.

I think I forgot to mention that on Mon whe they were all working in their yards and watching (which by the way, the one neighorbors worked so hard in their yard, but have left all the yard trash in a black plastic garbage bag on the side of their house for 4 days and the yard looks like its never been worked in before so it has become pretty obvious they were only out for one reason) we were unloading the really heavy furniture. So here's my husband and me and my daughter trying to manhandle heavy stuff down a uhaul ramp on a dolly and try to keep it from falling and us from falling and there were times when we were really struggling and they all just watched. Now my husband said: Man, if that were them, I'd have helped seeing they were struggling.
I know I'm obsessing. I have nothing else to obsess about right now, so the neighbors are it.

[angelic_one2002]

myrosiedog - I think that's terrible how people anymore cannot be friendly..especially to NEW neighbors! Just a cordial "hello"..or a wave from yard to yard. Maybe they still will in time. Give it a day or two. I sure hope they do, because it makes for a much friendlier neighborhood. I agree with your husband though. I would have definitely offered you guys help with the way you guys were struggling moving that heavy furniture. Perfect chance to get to your know your new neighbor.