Showing posts with label neighbor issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neighbor issues. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Work smarter not harder...
Why, oh why, is my neighbor shoveling the sidewalks already? It hasn't stopped snowing yet. Dude also owns a snow blower so it's not like he needs to keep up with it or anything. I suppose at least he isn't using anything gas powered, which is his typical way to go about things. It's obviously distracting to me though or I wouldn't be updating my blog. I would be reading the second chapter of psych that I need to read before tomorrow's class. He's stopped. It's quiet again. Back to reading. Resume your normal activities.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Something's kind of bugging me...
Which may not be surprising to anyone that knows me. Ha. Anyway, yesterday was a primary election voting day. I researched the issues on the ballot. I voted even though it's not one of the "big" elections. I took my kids along because I feel it's important for them to see the process and it opens up dialogue about why I'm doing it. Anyway, since I became a registered voter, I've done my best to be an informed voter and to also use my power to vote.
So the issue...I am probably not liked by some of my neighbors because...well...sometimes, I can be a bit of a word that rhymes with witch. I have also snitched on my neighbors to the entire neighborhood listserv when they were using a cannon to make a big explosion noise...BETWEEN THE HOUSES...IN THE CITY!!!!! I digress, certain neighbors like to kind of schmooze with other neighbors (both on the block and throughout the neighborhood), not unlike politicians, and basically try to win a block, even neighborhood-wide, popularity contest. I don't necessarily need that sort of validation in my life. I know not everyone is going to like me. So to each his own.
Last night at the National Night Out block party our Alderman stopped in for a visit. The group of men I was standing with all said hello. A certain neighbor, we'll call him Schmoozy, made it a point to verify for everyone that he personally knows the Alderman. Then something happened that made me think. The Alderman saw my "I voted" sticker and said, "This lady's my friend. I'm Steve Conway your Alderman."
I said, "Yes, I know. I'm 'ME.' Nice to meet you. This is my husband 'Dirty.'"
He said, "I'm glad to see that you've been out to vote."
Schmoozy interjects to the Alderman, "Well, I didn't know that you were on the ballot. If I'd of known that, I would have voted today."
The Alderman, looking a little quizzical, and I say at the same time, "I/he wasn't on the ballot. That's not what this election was for." Schmoozy had to redirect after his faux pas and decided to highlight some tacos another neighbor made. I'm sure he felt (in a sing-songy voice) 'awkward.' The Alderman then said it was nice to meet me and went on to tell his son that there were carne asada tacos. So I guess the whole thing isn't bugging me as much as it's showing me that Schmoozy is a social climber that thinks knowing the right people, places him in a better station than the people he might not like and that he is above things...like the law (hence shooting off a cannon, three times, without a permit). Unfortunately, in trying to show his connections, he also showed his lack of intelligence on matters like the political process and the fact that he doesn't really feel that the right to vote is all that important. I'll take being unpopular and being a snitch.
So the issue...I am probably not liked by some of my neighbors because...well...sometimes, I can be a bit of a word that rhymes with witch. I have also snitched on my neighbors to the entire neighborhood listserv when they were using a cannon to make a big explosion noise...BETWEEN THE HOUSES...IN THE CITY!!!!! I digress, certain neighbors like to kind of schmooze with other neighbors (both on the block and throughout the neighborhood), not unlike politicians, and basically try to win a block, even neighborhood-wide, popularity contest. I don't necessarily need that sort of validation in my life. I know not everyone is going to like me. So to each his own.
Last night at the National Night Out block party our Alderman stopped in for a visit. The group of men I was standing with all said hello. A certain neighbor, we'll call him Schmoozy, made it a point to verify for everyone that he personally knows the Alderman. Then something happened that made me think. The Alderman saw my "I voted" sticker and said, "This lady's my friend. I'm Steve Conway your Alderman."
I said, "Yes, I know. I'm 'ME.' Nice to meet you. This is my husband 'Dirty.'"
He said, "I'm glad to see that you've been out to vote."
Schmoozy interjects to the Alderman, "Well, I didn't know that you were on the ballot. If I'd of known that, I would have voted today."
The Alderman, looking a little quizzical, and I say at the same time, "I/he wasn't on the ballot. That's not what this election was for." Schmoozy had to redirect after his faux pas and decided to highlight some tacos another neighbor made. I'm sure he felt (in a sing-songy voice) 'awkward.' The Alderman then said it was nice to meet me and went on to tell his son that there were carne asada tacos. So I guess the whole thing isn't bugging me as much as it's showing me that Schmoozy is a social climber that thinks knowing the right people, places him in a better station than the people he might not like and that he is above things...like the law (hence shooting off a cannon, three times, without a permit). Unfortunately, in trying to show his connections, he also showed his lack of intelligence on matters like the political process and the fact that he doesn't really feel that the right to vote is all that important. I'll take being unpopular and being a snitch.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Neighborly niceness...
(Note: This is a reconstruction. There may be some fiction involved.)
Lovely, young family of four walks down the alley to get to their car, which is parked on their parking pad. They've recently been parking here and walking around the block now that it is warmer. They realized that they can indeed park two cars on the parking pad and still have enough room to get into and out of the cars. They have come to enjoy this flexibility because their street has a high volume of cars that park on their end of the block. There is a car parked diagonally in the alley completely obstructing the roadway going east, but not causing the family any sort of problem. The couple settle their children into the car, open the windows, jokes around with a pair of walkie-talkies as the youngest son says, "Ignite engines." This tells the dad that he can start the car and begin driving because the son now has his seat belt on. Tap tap tap. "Hey neighbor."
It's the next door neighbor that has five cars total in the two person household. He parks all of his cars used or unused directly in front of his house and his neighbor's houses because this is the city after all. "Do you mind if I use your parking pad. I need to work on my car and I can't get it into the garage."
The fathers says, "Sure. We'll be gone this afternoon until about 2 for a birthday party. That shouldn't be a problem." The wife sits there steaming. She can't believe the gall of this neighbor who so inconsiderately parks so many cars on the street making it difficult for any of the other neighbors to park near their front doors, who rarely has anything to carry to the house unless it's a mini keg of beer, who has blatantly told the rest of us neighbors that getting to park in front of one's house is a chance that one has to take because it's "just part of living in the city" but leaves cones out on the street when it's snowed so that he and his wife have spots directly in front of their house, and who can't even park further down the block or on the not so far down cross street because he "just doesn't want to" making it just that much more cramped on our end of the block.
We've been using the parking pad since it got nice out. We're hoping to get the door put in on the parking pad so that we no longer have to walk around the block. It's really lovely to get home with a trunk full of groceries and to have a shorter walk to the kitchen once the back gate is open. It's nice that even though we have to walk around the corner to get to our front door, because at the moment we don't have a way into the yard, to not have to fret over getting a spot close to the front door when we have two boys and bags and crap to carry into the house. We have to walk further, but it's a guaranteed spot. It's also less stressful to not hold our neighbors in contempt when they have guests that park in the limited parking, especially when those guests take, and make, a space that could easily fit two cars into one spot because they are inept at parallel parking.
That is, until your neighbor with five cars asked to take one of those spaces in your parking pad, and now that you've written this post, you're starting to wonder if he's doing it for some sadistic I will make you give me reverence and take a bit of your newly, not really acquired but implemented, space because I get off on taking up as much public space around my private space as I can. Except, sir, that that parking pad is NOT public space. I WANT MY SPACE BACK. It's human nature to be territorial and if I have to, I'll go out there and pee all over the parking pad. It's still there, by the way, and it's almost seven. I'm going to go and jam out to P!nk's Sober now and get away for a little while.
Lovely, young family of four walks down the alley to get to their car, which is parked on their parking pad. They've recently been parking here and walking around the block now that it is warmer. They realized that they can indeed park two cars on the parking pad and still have enough room to get into and out of the cars. They have come to enjoy this flexibility because their street has a high volume of cars that park on their end of the block. There is a car parked diagonally in the alley completely obstructing the roadway going east, but not causing the family any sort of problem. The couple settle their children into the car, open the windows, jokes around with a pair of walkie-talkies as the youngest son says, "Ignite engines." This tells the dad that he can start the car and begin driving because the son now has his seat belt on. Tap tap tap. "Hey neighbor."
It's the next door neighbor that has five cars total in the two person household. He parks all of his cars used or unused directly in front of his house and his neighbor's houses because this is the city after all. "Do you mind if I use your parking pad. I need to work on my car and I can't get it into the garage."
The fathers says, "Sure. We'll be gone this afternoon until about 2 for a birthday party. That shouldn't be a problem." The wife sits there steaming. She can't believe the gall of this neighbor who so inconsiderately parks so many cars on the street making it difficult for any of the other neighbors to park near their front doors, who rarely has anything to carry to the house unless it's a mini keg of beer, who has blatantly told the rest of us neighbors that getting to park in front of one's house is a chance that one has to take because it's "just part of living in the city" but leaves cones out on the street when it's snowed so that he and his wife have spots directly in front of their house, and who can't even park further down the block or on the not so far down cross street because he "just doesn't want to" making it just that much more cramped on our end of the block.
We've been using the parking pad since it got nice out. We're hoping to get the door put in on the parking pad so that we no longer have to walk around the block. It's really lovely to get home with a trunk full of groceries and to have a shorter walk to the kitchen once the back gate is open. It's nice that even though we have to walk around the corner to get to our front door, because at the moment we don't have a way into the yard, to not have to fret over getting a spot close to the front door when we have two boys and bags and crap to carry into the house. We have to walk further, but it's a guaranteed spot. It's also less stressful to not hold our neighbors in contempt when they have guests that park in the limited parking, especially when those guests take, and make, a space that could easily fit two cars into one spot because they are inept at parallel parking.
That is, until your neighbor with five cars asked to take one of those spaces in your parking pad, and now that you've written this post, you're starting to wonder if he's doing it for some sadistic I will make you give me reverence and take a bit of your newly, not really acquired but implemented, space because I get off on taking up as much public space around my private space as I can. Except, sir, that that parking pad is NOT public space. I WANT MY SPACE BACK. It's human nature to be territorial and if I have to, I'll go out there and pee all over the parking pad. It's still there, by the way, and it's almost seven. I'm going to go and jam out to P!nk's Sober now and get away for a little while.
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