I really hope that 2015 does not turn out to be the Year of the Wake. Tomorrow will be the second in two weeks. My neighbor died a couple of weeks ago, she was 86 and in frail health. Yesterday, a former colleague from the Statehouse died. As you get older I guess you meet more people and the chances of them dying increase. No one said this is what happens when you age. I've family and friends struggling with all kinds of diseases right now. Me? I'm just tired from lack of sleep and have a kid that stays in his shell and we can't get him out of it.
Today we found out that Harper Lee will be publishing a new book later this year. This news was received with a lot of positivity, especially from the book industry who can use a new blockbuster. After a bit of time more than a few recent articles about Lee and her health were released and rehashed. Not much of it good. I just hope that this book is being issued with Lee's full consent and knowledge and she was not forced or tricked into it due to her age.
Still trying to figure out what the Hell Pete Carroll was thinking when he sent in that pass play that led to an interception to end a very dramatic Super Bowl on Sunday. I get that he may want to pass, but what the heck was the slant pass over the middle at the one all about. Call a fade to one of your receivers. Throw over the middle to the tight end in the back of the end zone. But it went into traffic and the New England defensive back picked it off. Then again, Carroll will always have at least one more Super Bowl ring than me, so what do I know?
Saturday is another Super Bowl as Everton take on their arch nemesis, Liverpool. The Toffees have been struggling this year and are languishing in the lower parts of the table while Liverpool are doing a bit better. I hope it's better than last Sunday's match between Celtic and the club that may still be known as Rangers (but now have a bit of Newcastle in them). That match was a horror show of poor soccer and a crappy pitch.
The new Belle and Sebastian is great to listen to, as is the Sleater Kinney. We're seeing B&S here in June and are excited about that. The Dylan is, um, his Christmas album of Sinatra covers. I'll leave it there.
Showing posts with label neighbors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neighbors. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Monday, September 23, 2013
Cranky in Columbus
The last few weeks, months even, have been a struggle. You can tell my the decreased number of posts here. Schedules have changed, then changed again and it's been frustrating to redevelop any sense of flow. So I'm tired and may be a bit burnt out.
I'm still trying to process one of the neighbor's adult children who noticed the door to my shed open and told me he was going to have to shoot that person before he realized it was me in there. A late afternoon stand someone else's ground west side shooting would have been a blast to cover.
At least I have finally made the calls to get some bids on pruning the tree in the yard that has branches going over their roof, and mine.
After falling asleep about 10:30 last night my son decided to get up at 3AM and stay awake until about six. I was not pleased by his random babblings, humming and various uses of Dora the Explorer dialogue. Ended up having to call into work, again, because of his sleep habits. It's very frustrating, has been for years. I've learned to not go into work sleep deprived because I'm a real pain in the ass to deal with. Might be easier in my current job, but not when I worked the circulation desk in the morning.
Did manage to get him on the bus then fell asleep for a couple of hours. Headed downtown to get some lunch, still in a mean mood but this beer at The Jury Room helped me out a bit.
Downtown looked good on an early autumn day. Columbus made me sit in the Commons and forced some Jeni's down my throat too, I hate when that happens.
I'm still trying to process one of the neighbor's adult children who noticed the door to my shed open and told me he was going to have to shoot that person before he realized it was me in there. A late afternoon stand someone else's ground west side shooting would have been a blast to cover.
At least I have finally made the calls to get some bids on pruning the tree in the yard that has branches going over their roof, and mine.
After falling asleep about 10:30 last night my son decided to get up at 3AM and stay awake until about six. I was not pleased by his random babblings, humming and various uses of Dora the Explorer dialogue. Ended up having to call into work, again, because of his sleep habits. It's very frustrating, has been for years. I've learned to not go into work sleep deprived because I'm a real pain in the ass to deal with. Might be easier in my current job, but not when I worked the circulation desk in the morning.
Did manage to get him on the bus then fell asleep for a couple of hours. Headed downtown to get some lunch, still in a mean mood but this beer at The Jury Room helped me out a bit.
Downtown looked good on an early autumn day. Columbus made me sit in the Commons and forced some Jeni's down my throat too, I hate when that happens.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Things that are annoying me as the month comes to an end
The toilet that's been leaking for months, we've been waiting on someone to fix it because we'd rather give him the money than someone else.
The electric outlet below the toilet that recently went out, see above.
The starlings that are living under the eaves, I think there are squirrels in there now. Called a pest control service, they'll be here Monday.
My son's doctor called regarding the feeding clinic. She did not leave a return number. I called the number listed in the hospital and got the voice mail of another doctor. We already have an appointment with her next Thursday. Does she not know or remember this?
My son's in a messed up sleep pattern, again. He's a random noise generator which is rather uninspiring at 3AM. Also, getting him to listen to me and fall asleep is a futile effort.
The Mets suck. Their relief pitching is pathetic. Their ability to score runs is non-existant. I feel sorry for Matt Harvey, the next Jerry Koosman. I'd also feel bad for David Wright if the checks start bouncing.
The lawn mower was repaired nicely, but I put the wrong mixture of gas and oil in. Now it takes awhile to start and has little power when it does. The smoke is fun, too.
I have written very little this month, and what I have written is crap. The way to get out there is to do good work, it's not happening here.
Paging and notes for a special fiction collection.
My neighbor's tree is pushing against my fence, causing a disturbing gap. They also leave their puppy and other dogs out late. They bark. It is sad. I have no idea how many dogs they have, or if they, too, keep them chained up in the basement. Other tenants there have done this.
I do not feel like I exist. This is wrong, but it's a feeling I cannot shake as May begins.
The electric outlet below the toilet that recently went out, see above.
The starlings that are living under the eaves, I think there are squirrels in there now. Called a pest control service, they'll be here Monday.
My son's doctor called regarding the feeding clinic. She did not leave a return number. I called the number listed in the hospital and got the voice mail of another doctor. We already have an appointment with her next Thursday. Does she not know or remember this?
My son's in a messed up sleep pattern, again. He's a random noise generator which is rather uninspiring at 3AM. Also, getting him to listen to me and fall asleep is a futile effort.
The Mets suck. Their relief pitching is pathetic. Their ability to score runs is non-existant. I feel sorry for Matt Harvey, the next Jerry Koosman. I'd also feel bad for David Wright if the checks start bouncing.
The lawn mower was repaired nicely, but I put the wrong mixture of gas and oil in. Now it takes awhile to start and has little power when it does. The smoke is fun, too.
I have written very little this month, and what I have written is crap. The way to get out there is to do good work, it's not happening here.
Paging and notes for a special fiction collection.
My neighbor's tree is pushing against my fence, causing a disturbing gap. They also leave their puppy and other dogs out late. They bark. It is sad. I have no idea how many dogs they have, or if they, too, keep them chained up in the basement. Other tenants there have done this.
I do not feel like I exist. This is wrong, but it's a feeling I cannot shake as May begins.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tough times on the west side
In the ten years since we've lived on the west side, the house next door has had a slew of tenants. Some of them leave after a month or two quietly. Others have had plenty of backyard drama with a lot of yelling and weapons being discharged. Who knows what else has gone on in there? Hydroponics and basement lights that were on 24/7? Various sizes of dogs sadly chained and penned up.
The most recent tenants had three kids. And they were kids who played a lot in the yard, made kid noise with balls going into our yard that I threw back because I always vowed to not be that neighbor, the ball keeper. One afternoon one of the urchins rigged up a skateboard as a swing in a tree. Trouble was, the tree is in my yard and having been a kid, that contraption would end with something breaking - and I'm not going to pay for that. Went over and met the mother of at least one of the kids, a fearful, once pretty young woman who may be in an overwhelming situation. She was quite apologetic when I went over and said my case, and the dangerous object was taken off my tree.
The last few weeks were tough. There was more yelling than usual and the police were on the front porch at least once. The backyard was a mess, with the kids using tires and an old crib we threw out that became co-opted as some form of fort. You have to give them credit for being creative.
Sometime during the day yesterday they were evicted.
Checked for court cases on the county website and confirmed that they were, in fact, evicted.
Really not keen with what was left behind for everyone to see though. Hope the kids are ok. You can find out a lot of sad, unfortunate things from the Clerk of Courts website.
This is the part I really do not like. The house has been trashed, gutted and who knows what is on the lawn. I heard some people out there earlier, throwing some of the crap into a pickup truck. If this is not cleaned up by Monday I will be calling the city to get the landlord to clean up this mess.
The most recent tenants had three kids. And they were kids who played a lot in the yard, made kid noise with balls going into our yard that I threw back because I always vowed to not be that neighbor, the ball keeper. One afternoon one of the urchins rigged up a skateboard as a swing in a tree. Trouble was, the tree is in my yard and having been a kid, that contraption would end with something breaking - and I'm not going to pay for that. Went over and met the mother of at least one of the kids, a fearful, once pretty young woman who may be in an overwhelming situation. She was quite apologetic when I went over and said my case, and the dangerous object was taken off my tree.
The last few weeks were tough. There was more yelling than usual and the police were on the front porch at least once. The backyard was a mess, with the kids using tires and an old crib we threw out that became co-opted as some form of fort. You have to give them credit for being creative.
Sometime during the day yesterday they were evicted.
Checked for court cases on the county website and confirmed that they were, in fact, evicted.
Really not keen with what was left behind for everyone to see though. Hope the kids are ok. You can find out a lot of sad, unfortunate things from the Clerk of Courts website.
This is the part I really do not like. The house has been trashed, gutted and who knows what is on the lawn. I heard some people out there earlier, throwing some of the crap into a pickup truck. If this is not cleaned up by Monday I will be calling the city to get the landlord to clean up this mess.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Hey Mister, can we have our ball back?
Oh to live on the west side, where your neighbor's buddy brings over his car which has a stereo that rattles the upstairs furniture around. This happened several times yesterday afternoon. Classy, like the new overweight patriarch standing on the back patio, talking on his cell, wearing only boxers.
I'm talking bets on when the inflatable pool makes its annual appearance.
Then again, they're not the ones with 3/4 of a crappy Sauder computer desk sitting in the backyard.
There are at least three kids who live there. Last week my wife was doing some gardening and they all came up to the fence to talk to her. She had an audience.
The other day one of the asked me why I locked my car door. Yes, it happened again.
For my wife, and for me as well, it's a bit odd being asked questions by a child. We're not used to it. I'm certainly not. Nine years in and my own son still does not ask questions.
I was reading in the back room a couple of days ago when he came in, stood by the back door, said, "Outside."
I told him he could go out if he put his shoes on. He leaves. A couple of minutes later he shows up, shoes on the right feet, velcro not quite tight enough. He got to go out.
The neighbor's kids keep asking about him. What do we say? They know he's different.
They also keep throwing their balls over our fence, which does not bother me. When I was around their age we had asshole neighbors behind us who were total dicks when we asked to get a ball that went into their yard. I vowed to not be like them.
In other news I'm doing a short feature at 10:30 on Friday night at Kafe Kerouac to benefit the Writers' Block Poetry Slam team. Admission is free.
I'm talking bets on when the inflatable pool makes its annual appearance.
Then again, they're not the ones with 3/4 of a crappy Sauder computer desk sitting in the backyard.
There are at least three kids who live there. Last week my wife was doing some gardening and they all came up to the fence to talk to her. She had an audience.
The other day one of the asked me why I locked my car door. Yes, it happened again.
For my wife, and for me as well, it's a bit odd being asked questions by a child. We're not used to it. I'm certainly not. Nine years in and my own son still does not ask questions.
I was reading in the back room a couple of days ago when he came in, stood by the back door, said, "Outside."
I told him he could go out if he put his shoes on. He leaves. A couple of minutes later he shows up, shoes on the right feet, velcro not quite tight enough. He got to go out.
The neighbor's kids keep asking about him. What do we say? They know he's different.
They also keep throwing their balls over our fence, which does not bother me. When I was around their age we had asshole neighbors behind us who were total dicks when we asked to get a ball that went into their yard. I vowed to not be like them.
In other news I'm doing a short feature at 10:30 on Friday night at Kafe Kerouac to benefit the Writers' Block Poetry Slam team. Admission is free.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Dysfunctional Furnishings
Over the course of living in my house for almost nine years, the neighbor to our west has been constant, the other house residents, to the east, has been transient, at best.
When we moved in, the house was owned by a guy who would travel to Kentucky, I think, rather frequently. He was rarely there, and the condition of his house showed that.
Then, his little shed in the backyard, trailer, or whatever he called it was robbed and he got all ticked off and sold the house. Of course people are going to steal from you if you’re not there, or leave your stuff unguarded for weeks at a time.
It sold very cheap, from what I saw on the county auditor’s site, and was empty for a few months. The new owner started on the process of fixing up the house. One of the people he hired showed me around the inside before it was done. The layout is more or less the same as our house.
The owner rented out the house to a series of people, most of them would only be there for a few months at a time. Many had dogs. I know that one of the renters chained their dogs in the basement and they left a horrible mess. Some would have some rather spirited conversation at odd hours. Others liked firing off weapons after midnight.
One group were probably involved in some commercial enterprise out of their home, resulting in their ‘friends’ borrowing some of their electronic furnishings while they were out after some of the merchandise was not delivered as planned.
Then there were the people who put an above ground pool in the yard, cut down a couple of small trees for no reason and left the cuttings by the trash bin in the alley. Never cleaned it up, refilled the pool about three or four times in a summer. I wonder who was paying the water bill?
The latest clan I swear they must have had about six couches in the house.
We have one couch and it barely fits in the living room. They left one couch sitting by the trash bin, it’s still there. They moved at least three out of the house, there’s one still in the backyard and there are pieces of a sectional by another neighbor’s bin.
What the hell did they need so many couches for and how many couches will the new tenants have?
When we moved in, the house was owned by a guy who would travel to Kentucky, I think, rather frequently. He was rarely there, and the condition of his house showed that.
Then, his little shed in the backyard, trailer, or whatever he called it was robbed and he got all ticked off and sold the house. Of course people are going to steal from you if you’re not there, or leave your stuff unguarded for weeks at a time.
It sold very cheap, from what I saw on the county auditor’s site, and was empty for a few months. The new owner started on the process of fixing up the house. One of the people he hired showed me around the inside before it was done. The layout is more or less the same as our house.
The owner rented out the house to a series of people, most of them would only be there for a few months at a time. Many had dogs. I know that one of the renters chained their dogs in the basement and they left a horrible mess. Some would have some rather spirited conversation at odd hours. Others liked firing off weapons after midnight.
One group were probably involved in some commercial enterprise out of their home, resulting in their ‘friends’ borrowing some of their electronic furnishings while they were out after some of the merchandise was not delivered as planned.
Then there were the people who put an above ground pool in the yard, cut down a couple of small trees for no reason and left the cuttings by the trash bin in the alley. Never cleaned it up, refilled the pool about three or four times in a summer. I wonder who was paying the water bill?
The latest clan I swear they must have had about six couches in the house.
We have one couch and it barely fits in the living room. They left one couch sitting by the trash bin, it’s still there. They moved at least three out of the house, there’s one still in the backyard and there are pieces of a sectional by another neighbor’s bin.
What the hell did they need so many couches for and how many couches will the new tenants have?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
I Guess They Like the Water
It's not that I do not get along with my eastern neighbors, it's that so few tenants are around long enough to even say hello to. In nearly eight years of living here, few have ever lived there longer than three months. The latest tenants moved in last month, one of them frightening me with obesity, no shirt and a lower outfit that showed more than it covered.
They also installed one of those inflatable water slides and left the fan on for it 24/7. Over the past couple of days they have taken down a couple of small trees that border the property and put up what appears to be an 18' by 12' above ground oval pool. Also embedded in the ground are several tiki type torches. May they live there long enough to enjoy them this summer.
In other news my ex adopted a dog from the city shelter. He's a three year old beagle who, when I met, seemed quite friendly and curious - or maybe he was happy to see anyone after being let out of jail. She got him as a companion for our son, and I honestly hope my son and the dog can bond. I've read about therapy dogs and autistic children and it can really improve everyone's quality of life. The real thing is a bit expensive so I'm hoping she made the right choice in dog temperament. I'm optimistic. They meet for the first extended visit after camp today.
They also installed one of those inflatable water slides and left the fan on for it 24/7. Over the past couple of days they have taken down a couple of small trees that border the property and put up what appears to be an 18' by 12' above ground oval pool. Also embedded in the ground are several tiki type torches. May they live there long enough to enjoy them this summer.
In other news my ex adopted a dog from the city shelter. He's a three year old beagle who, when I met, seemed quite friendly and curious - or maybe he was happy to see anyone after being let out of jail. She got him as a companion for our son, and I honestly hope my son and the dog can bond. I've read about therapy dogs and autistic children and it can really improve everyone's quality of life. The real thing is a bit expensive so I'm hoping she made the right choice in dog temperament. I'm optimistic. They meet for the first extended visit after camp today.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Peeking where you do not want to see
Any ideas what my neighbor was doing up with his garden hose at 6:30 this morning? I heard the spray running but it was too dark to see what was going on.
They're a strange bunch. A lot of yelling about putting the other person in jail. Last week one of their cars were broken into so we were subjected to a lot of yelling at 1AM. The police were not called, and that brings up more questions. Some of which you may not want answered.
The house is a rental and there have been many people moving in and out of there in the past few years, some barely last a couple of weeks. I liked the previous tenants that lived there. They did a lot of yard work and seemed friendly enough, even their rottweiler stopped growling at me when I got home from work. It's not that I was afraid of the dog or anything, he was tied up, but it reminded me of my first marriage.
They're a strange bunch. A lot of yelling about putting the other person in jail. Last week one of their cars were broken into so we were subjected to a lot of yelling at 1AM. The police were not called, and that brings up more questions. Some of which you may not want answered.
The house is a rental and there have been many people moving in and out of there in the past few years, some barely last a couple of weeks. I liked the previous tenants that lived there. They did a lot of yard work and seemed friendly enough, even their rottweiler stopped growling at me when I got home from work. It's not that I was afraid of the dog or anything, he was tied up, but it reminded me of my first marriage.
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