The hood

When I first bought my home I had visions of warm, welcoming neighbors showing up at my front door with casseroles or jello molds (not that I'm particularly fond of casseroles or jello molds, but it's the thought here, people!)

Well, that little daydream quickly proved itself wrong. I'd like to chuck it up to the fact that I moved in in the dead of winter... no one wants to trek outside in 2ft of snow to bring the welcome wagon. Or maybe it's because many of my neighbors are of the blue-haired variety, and their little electric scooters are in the shop getting repaired? 

First there was the escaped convict that was apparently roaming through our streets on Friday night, causing cops to put us on lockdown.  Thankfully I learned he was just a crazy divorcee, not some serial killer.

Then there was a little newspaper incident early on that had me seriously considering the area I moved into... but then a few months later once Scott became buddybuddy with the little klepto and I had no choice but to forgive her for what happened and move on. 

Then there was the time that I had a few friends over for a bonfire one night and my across-the-street neighbors tried to like 'outdo' us by turning their music up super loud and hootin & hollerin (note: they aren't young... they're like 40s with multiple kids). They are driveway sitters, and make me uncomfortable to be in my front yard. or driveway. or anywhere within plain view of them. Every evening they drag all their lawn chairs into the driveway and all 12 of them sit around chatting or something?

I have a cattycorner neighbor behind me with a with an old basset hound that looovvvesss to sit and whimper on the back porch. To which she replies in a sickeningly sweet tone "Olive... I am right here, you are fine Olive.... Aahhhhh-live you're fine sweetie, it's ok AaaahhhhhLIVE" 

And then there's the house behind me,  with the hyperactive jack russell, which prods the neverending 'Mya... myyyyyUH. MYUHHHH' as the mutt darts off through the neighbors yard. Every. single. day.

But I think my favorite neighbor has become the cattycorner across the street (dang maybe I need a diagram!) We will call him Mr. Excitable. Mr. Excitable is colored (newspaper thief pointed this out to me, and specifically said that she invited him to my housewarming party because -and I quote - "he is black and she did not want him to feel left out"), and has a wife and from what I can tell an awfully cute little mixed babygirl. I call him Mr. Excitable because anytime he see's me outside he frantically waves. I can't help but laugh, I'm not sure if he realizes it...but he always makes it a point to shout HI! and wave, and always seems so. dang. excited. Sometimes if I notice he's outside I will purposely go get something out of my garage so I can get that OH,OH,OH! HIIIII! wave from him



Neighbors are funny creatures.