5 posts tagged “neighbors”

My heart pounded as I watched a lone two year old boy, diaper sagging and scraggly dog in tow, make his way down the driveway and into the street. Jon and I stopped the car right away and turned around to check on the child. I got out, walked over to him, he looked up and met my eyes with a smile. He had a band aid on his left cheek and he reached towards me and said "hi". With a sigh, I took his hand and looked up and down the street for any sign of family. I walked him over to the sidewalk, away from the traffic and then I heard her. I had expected a young mother in hysterics to come running out of the house in tears and panic, instead I got a 300 pound woman in a mumu bitching indifferently as she hobbled her way down towards us. She seemed more upset by the fact that she had to leave the house to come and get the child. She thanked me under her breath while she complained about having to add a lock to the gate but not once did she seem to love or care for the child or his well being.

It's been a few hours and I still see his face when I close my eyes. I was there by chance to be the helping hand he needed but I can't be there for him again and it breaks my heart.

So the plan was to drop off the anonymous dear neighbor letter in the dark of the early morning. I had worked up such nerve and was waiting patiently for the cover of night but the girl brought the dogs inside last night and I ended up sleeping like a baby. When it came time to do the deed, I couldn't, I felt guilty for yelling at her when everything seemed fine. I'm hoping that her bringing the pups inside last night will be a regular thing and maybe another neighbor had already complained. I still kept the letter and if it starts up again in the early morning hours, I'll go over, pj's and all and slip that letter under the door. Only time will tell, but I sure slept good last night.

In bigger news... my DH, Jon, has started the application process to attend UK and finish his degree in architecture. We've been waiting many months to be able to apply, its a long process, he has four months to create a portfolio of designs to their specs which is due in February. Then we wait.. out of 300 applicants only 70 are accepted for the program. If he gets in then he would start in Fall of 2008 a whole year away. This is the beginning of something big...

I've had it. I've had enough of that yippy dog across the street and its owner who even when at home lets it bark at all hours of the night and day. Last night it started barking at 11... an hour and a half later, with earplugs and two pillows over my head I was still fighting to go to sleep. I got out of bed at 12 and was heading towards the closet to get dressed, I was going to march over there and ring her goddamn doorbell, bed hair, slippers and everything. I looked out the windows and her car was gone. Useless. I'm not usually one to complain but when I have to wake up at 6am for work, two hours of missed sleep is precious time... this morning I look and feel like hell. I thought about calling the police but that sort of thing should be a last resort... so I've written her a letter:

Dear Neighbor,

You may not realize that your dog is barking all night and day while you're gone. He/she may be bored, scared and lonely.

We understand that it is in a dogs nature to bark and a few yips every once in a while would never be an issue. The problem occurs mostly at night, when you are away; last night for instance he/she woke my family up at 11pm and continued to bark until 12:30am, an hour an a half of barking at that time of night isn’t acceptable.

Possible ideas for solutions:

• Bring the pup inside while you are away.
• Add vinyl privacy slats to your front fence, so that he cannot see the street.
• Try a Citronella bark collar
• Get puppy training

All of us in the neighborhood would appreciate your attention to this.

Another Dog Lover

Of course, we are the new neighbors and I don't want to burn any bridges, we've only been living here for a month now. So the letter is as nice and as cordial as I could make it.. while still getting my point across. I hope she takes this seriously and at least puts the dog inside at night.

I'm home from vacation! - Watch for back-dated entries.

I came home today from eight days spent in a cabin in the mountains of northern Georgia. Relaxing as it all was; I came home to my apartment in the city, a small space, noise from rude neighbors and and overall coldness of society. I came home to a temporary living situation (only 30 days left) and craving for the solidarity of a house in a quiet neighborhood.

Example: I'm sitting in my living room... quietly tapping away at this entry, when I hear "whooooooo, that stinks! Thats what eating white-castle does to your ass." This conversation is coming from directly below my living room in the garage of one of my neighbors who frequently invites frat boys to come over, drink beer, and play cornhole.

I'm not sure If I've mentioned... how much I despise communal living.