Neighbors...

I just read about the most crazy neighbors a person possibly could have...poor Snarky Mom at Postcards from Insanity, you've gotta go read about her *neighbors* real quick, I'll wait...

Fortunately our neighbors are all pretty cool. We consider ourselves lucky because the street just isn't the same as it was when I bought this house back in 1997. The ones closest to us are all older, have grandkids and aren't usually a problem. There was an adjustment period when our one neighbor moved in. She's not bad at all, but at the time she had her husband, daughter, daughter's boyfriend, and four grandkids with her. It was a bit, um, too much. Especially the oldest granddaughter who was 16 and not attending school like she should (stuck in 8th! grade) and not at all a good influence on Kelley and Bethany. Heck some of her conversations which were loud enough to be heard caused Mr. H and I to blush and cover out ears. Thankfully all is back to normal now with just grandma and her husband home, and I do hope it stays that way.

We are very, very lucky that there aren't any neighbors close by with dogs who live outside and bark...all.night.long.every.night. I've had those types of neighbors way too many times before and it's not a good thing. Being an animal lover, I was ashamed of the thoughts that ran through my mind night after sleepless night. And I have to wonder, how do the owners get any sleep?

The worst neighbor experience I've had was when I first moved to this town and ended up in a not so great place. (Mom, Dad, why on earth did you pick that place out for me?!) The problematic neighbors were, um, well...I'll just say they were not at all who you'd want to live in the same neighborhood with, let alone next to. I thought the man in particular was pretty gross, but apparently he didn't think so...his car had a plastic plate on the front that said, no joke- "Hot damn! Here I am!".

They had the requisite dog in the yard that barked all night long. Poor dog, I never saw anyone go near it. But yes I admit again, bad thoughts went through my mind, very bad thoughts. This was before the internet where I could have possibly found their phone number (without knowing their name). If only I'd had that number, I would have called them at 3am and perhaps barked into the phone. This was also before cell phones, just think about it, I could have called from their yard and held out the phone to their dog!

It got worse though. This part is absolutely unbelievable, but I tell no lies, it is the honest to goodness truth! The gross man was into CB/ham radios. He would talk on them all the time. How do I know you ask? Well because the radio transmissions were picked up somehow by my stereo and played LOUDLY through my stereo speakers! Even when the stereo was turned off! Even when the stereo was unplugged! There was no getting away from it!

I don't know if these people rented or owned their house. But they did not have the same landlord nor could I figure out who to complain to. I may have called the sheriff, I don't remember because if I did, well it didn't do any good. Needless to say I was so thankful when the lease was up and I got the heck out of there!

Years later I met a girl who it turned out lived in the same place after I did. I never asked her about the neighbors.

Have you had any neighbors from h.e. double hockey sticks? If so, tell me about them!