A Guns And Roses Update

 

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” 

~G.K. Chesterton 

 

See My Previous Post, Guns And Roses

 

 

Okay, call it fate, or an Easter miracle, or even dumb luck, but the bad neighbor who likes to shoot guns at his girlfriend in the middle of the day, has moved. The occupants of the entire condo are now gone! As you can see, this is how they left things as they exited our little bit of paradise, which thrilled everybody to no end. Why did folks do this? They began packing up a LARGE U-Haul truck on Saturday, and it took a full day to create this mess, and finally take their leave. The shooting incident happened on March 22nd, or about 10 days earlier, so either they were kicked out over what happened, or they were hopelessly embarrassed, which I doubt, so what happened? I have been through my share of stressful moves, but damn I never pulled out a gun and pointed it at a loved one! Or even someone I just like! Ultimately it's none of my business, and I don't plan to think about it. They are gone, it's over. No need to think about it again. Now excuse me while I download my, Active Shooter Event Quick Reference Guide, from the FBI.

 

Six more days, and I wouldn't have been a statistic of gun violence. Thanks, guy, for the additional instance of PTSD.

A Face In The Crowd: A Ghostly Face In The Autumn Leaves

"Don't matter if you believe in them or not. If they're there... they're there, Mrs. Phillips said."

~Joan Lowery Nixon, The Haunting

The Final Chapter Of Donny And Nina(not their real names).
Or
How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Ghost.

As you may, or may not remember, I have a neighbor that's a ghost. Well, perhaps not the same kind of ghost you might be thinking about, but rather he has some really strange habits that seem, somewhat, ghostly. Let me explain...

 You see, he moved in one day, a little over a year and a half ago. It was a warm, bright Saturday, a day when the property I live on is usually quite active. No one saw him move in. He was just there. Suddenly that Saturday evening, Alan and I were speaking with the neighbors who live toward the front of the property, when all of a sudden, the lights in his apartment went on. I know, I know... that's not particularly ghostly. But what is odd is the fact that no one saw him move in, let alone drive his car onto the property. No one.

He has some other assorted habits that I find odd. Like the fact that he apparently only sleeps a few hours a night, despite his age of about 80 or so. He doesn't seem to cook, no one has seen, or heard any noise coming from his kitchen. He doesn't have garbage. HE NEVER HAS GARBAGE! How, exactly is that possible? He doesn't get mail. He doesn't get deliveries. He doesn't get visitors. I don't understand it. He hasn't spoken to any of us, in the entire time he has been here, although he has had some assorted interactions with a few of us. Let me explain...

 Do you remember me telling you about the saga of Donny and Nina (not their real names)? Well, it wasn't just my life Donny made a living hell... he pretty much messed with everyone, including the ghost! The ghost puts all lights out by 10:00 PM every single night, and leaves for... somewhere... each morning at about 4:30 AM. EVERY SINGLE DAY! Winter, spring, summer, autumn, major holidays, every single day of the year! Well, late last winter, Nina decided to start letting her dog out to bark at or about 3:00 AM almost every Sunday morning. It was mostly to screw with me, for complaining about the dogs habit of barking for up to 8 hours at a time. Charming. Alan can sleep through anything, and I invested in a pair of ear plugs, so while it hurt my feelings that I couldn't fall asleep to the sound of Dylan's purring, I found a way to deal with it. No, the person it really messed with the most was the ghost. Poor man!

After a few sessions of the late night/early morning barking, the property management, and I use the term extremely loosely, finally tried to put a stop to it. I hadn't complained, but I am pretty sure Mr. Ghost did. A couple times I saw his light on, just after the barking began. The barking stopped for a few weeks, and then it began again, but only once a month. It was pretty miserable for everyone, but did Donny and Nina (not their real names) care? No. In fact, they only began making more noise! Slamming things around. Fighting. Crushing cans in the middle of the night. Inviting their friends over to party all night! You name it... they found a way to make noise out of it!

But something odder still happened one day late last summer. The ghost, who had never said a word to anyone, or made a bit of noise, suddenly... inexplicably... without reservation... smiled! He pulled into his parking place, which sits about 50 feet behind Alan's car, got out of his vehicle, looked toward us in my car, and smiled the BIGGEST, LOVELIEST, SMILE! He had the kind of smile that made you smile back, almost against your will! He looked like he hit the lottery, he was smiling like he hadn't seen us in YEARS, and he had truly missed us! He smiled like he knew something, we didn't! And he did it directly in front of Donny and Nina's (not their real names) window!

HUH? Had it turned out that we were Mr. Ghost's favorite neighbors?

Did the property managers finally give their word about dealing with Donny and Nina (not their real names)?

The next day, Mr. Ghost went back to his usual routine. No smiling. No waving. No cooking. No garbage. No noise, except the sound of his computer keyboard, and the occasional roar of his red hair dryer. How do I know it is red? Well, he lives on the second floor, and sometimes you can see him drying his white hair. His ghostly, white hair. Everything had gone back to... normal? Yes, normal for him. And normal for us now as well. I have gotten used to my quiet neighbor. As neighbors go, he is quickly becoming my favorite. And since Donny and Nina (not their real names) moved, it's been blissfully quiet. It's like a new place. I swear the sun shines a little brighter! Everyone on the property seems happier. And I am falling asleep to the sound of Alan's snoring, and Dylan's purring once again. All is right with the world. Sometime soon, Donny and Nina's cottage will be rented, And I only hope that when it finally is, it will be to another ghost. Maybe this time, a female ghost.

Can you imagine that love connection?

:)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Mr. Ghost does take one day off a year... October 25th! He stayed home on that day 2 years in a row now! If I ever get the courage, maybe I will ask him if he enjoys autumn as much as I do. Who knows, maybe it's his birthday or something. For now however, he seems to want to be left alone, and I can respect that. After all, he is my favorite neighbor.

November

"A few days ago, I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air."

~Eric Sloane

 

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Hey look... at tree with leaves on it! Autumn leaves! 

So Long Donny And Nina (Not Their Real Names)

LOL. Why does everything look more lovely when one is completely relaxed? I am completely relaxed right now because my nasty neighbor has finally moved out! No more yappy dog barking at 3:00 AM. No more mean spirited remarks made by them as I walk by. No more having to listen to the two love birds call each other ASSHOLE. No more someone trying to turn neighbor against neighbor. After 4 long years of almost solid tension... Calm. Quiet. Peace.

NO-Barking
NO-Yelling
NO-Assholish Behavior
NO-Door Slamming 
NO-Tension

NO-vember!

Mood: Thrilled. Grinning Ear To Ear

~Me :)

 
 

The Road To Hell Is Lousy With Vistas

"Artificial intellegence is no match for natural stupidity."

~Albert Einstein

Okay, speaking frankly, I have an asshole neighbor. Every time a meteor hits earth, I have to wonder to myself... Why couldn't it have just hit my asshole neighbor. LOL. Nah... not really... but you know... I kinda do. LOL. You see, he has the best doggie in the world, and I am not being sarcastic here, the dog really is wonderful. He's silly, and energetic, and he loves to play, and he loves his daddy so much, that when his daddy leaves the house, the dog barks and barks and barks, and barks, and barks. The barking is bad enough, but what hurts is to have to hear that poor dog throw himself at the fence in an attempt to get out and go find the human he loves most in the world. My neighbor is being abusive, not just to me, but to a dog that loves him more than anything.

The dog barking stresses me out. The dog whelping in pain hurts my feelings.

Alan loves me, and so while there is nothing we can do to change the situation, he is being supportive in other ways. Last week he went out and bought me a brand new laptop computer. It's not some big deal uber-laptop, its pretty basic, but it is exactly what I wanted. My new computer is a Toshiba Satellite C855D-S5106. It isn't too heavy, so it doesn't hurt my shoulder to take it on the go, and it really suits me nicely. Alan got if for me so I could take all my cameras and the new laptop to... oh say... Starbucks... and do something a little creative to ease my nerves. I am a lucky girl, my husband spoils me rotten! So, you can imagine Alan's disappointment when I decided I might need to send it back! Why would I want to send back such an awesome gift?

Simply put.. Windows 8 is... TERRIBLE!

 

Why does Microsoft do it? Why do they release such dumb products sometimes? Why do they tend to release products that don't quite have all the bugs worked out? Why do they tell us their latest and greatest OS is the best thing since VISTA when clearly any Microsoft OS since VISTA pretty much has to be! VISTA was a huge mistake on their part. And absolutely worthless OS! It is the butt end of almost any joke related to Microsoft! A few years back we purchased an awesome desktop which came with the VISTA operating system, and it was rumored to be the answer to all my computing needs and then some!! I am pretty sure you can figure out how well that turned out! Exactly one year to the date of purchase, it stopped working. But not before damaging the inner workings of my computer effectively ending it's life way before it's time.

Along came Windows 7 and we purchased a brand new desktop, and it did wonderfully. Windows 7 was the the OS that should have been released previously... NOT VISTA! But I don't dwell on it, Windows 7 was the perfect OS and all was forgiven. Windows 8 isn't quite as incompetent and Windows VISTA but it's not the answer to any computing needs I have, and it is mostly a lie that it is touted as easier to use! It's straight up a LIE! My advice is.... if you are going to need a new computer in the next year or so, go get it now if you can! The store Alan got mine at, Best Buy, had no more computers on the shelf with Windows7, and even if they did, it's not always possible to downgrade to the lower OS even if you could!

I have decided to keep the laptop. And the Windows 8. I am slowly making my way around and it's getting easier to navigate, and once I removed all the programs Microsoft wants me to sign up for, the speed was a lot better also. Keep in mind, before you can do much of anything, Microsoft insists that you open and maintain a new Microsoft account. And there is some difficulty in setting up email accounts, but I downloaded AOL and now I simply log on through AOL or Firefox and I am good to go. I am not going to give up, I don't mind learning the new OS, but it would be refreshing if Microsoft would stop releasing bullshit programs. Windows 7 is a solid product, and it was easy to navigate and do whatever you need to do.

As for Windows 8... So far I am not impressed!

As for the neighbor... He can go to HELL and may his job there be to help his fellow castoffs learn the VISTA operating system! FOR ALL OF ETERNITY!


Mood: Weary

~Me :)

The Art Of Walking It Off

"I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me."

~Noel Coward

 

Parks. I like parks. There are leaves in parks. Sometimes it's autumn in parks. I like autumn in parks because there are leaves everywhere. Did I ever tell you how much I love leaves?

Also...

Did I ever tell you that I have an immature BRAT neighbor?

I don't like my BRAT neighbor because he does BRAT things like letting his dog bark for hours on end.

I like his dog. His dog is just lonely.

I have that pups back if he ever needs a friend.

The neighbor could burst into flames... and I wouldn't put him out.

Unless the dog is in danger from the flames he just burst into.

If the BRAT would.. I dunno... take the pup to the park the pup wouldn't get lonely.

Sigh.

Parks. I like parks. There are leaves in parks.

 

 

 

"You cry... I cry. You laugh... I laugh. You jump off a cliff... I laugh even harder!"

~ Unknown (But they must have had a BRAT neighbor)

~Me :)

A Photo For 6 Months: Day 152~ ... Said The Bitch To The PussyFighter

"The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue."

~Dorothy Parker

 

Not everybody thinks I am the bees knees. But that's okay. I would rather go to my grave being called a BITCH than being called a doormat, or worse, a PUSSYFIGHTER! I have a neighbor who likes to try and play neighbor against neighbor. He talks to some of us like we are dirt. If he sees something he wants, like someone else's parking place, he takes it. He let's his dog bark for sometimes 8 hours at a time, knowing how unsettling it can be. He has been told... many, many times to put the dog in when he leaves by the property management, but he doesn't and in fact never even tries to quiet the dog, now that he knows it disturbs some of us. Late last summer I had finally had enough, and told him off... loudly...with verbs and nouns...maybe even a expletive or two...or three.

 It was accurate, and no one came to his rescue. Lawnmowers stopped mowing. Birds stopped birding. Dogs stopped barking. It just got quiet. Really, really quiet. Later that day I found a booklet from the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on my doorstep, and I am pretty sure I hear the Ethereal Musician playing The Bitch Is Back on his saxophone. LOL. Not kidding. So, when I saw this fabric the other day at the fabric store, I just knew I had to have it! I think it would make a nice skirt. And fair warning.

Now, for why I call him a PUSSYFIGHTER. He is a little over 30 and by the time I was done telling him off, he had called his mother to call me and tell me off. She didn't get very far.

He is renting his own apartment and he had to call... his mother?

I am not a confrontational person. Neither is Alan. If things could have been handled differently, it's the way we would have preferred to go, but I it wasn't working out being reasonable. Should I have let the brat bug me to that point? No. Would I change anything? No. Bottom lining things, I would rather die someday with self esteem against a bully, then have the word DOORMAT written in my obituary one day. 

It was the first argument I have had with a neighbor... ever! And now I carry the name BITCH.

Good For Me! :)

"Don't look at me in that tone of voice."

~Dorothy Parker


~ME :)


Today's Link Comes To Us From My Friend JR. :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-150.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 77~ When You're Strange

"My wife is always trying to get rid of me. The other day she told me to put the garbage out. I said to her I already did. She told me to go out and keep an eye on it."
 


~Rodney Dangerfield



Ghosts (Original Post Date May 25th 2012)



Garbage. We all have it. Some have more of it than others, some have less, but one thing is for sure, we all have it.



Don't we?



I mean I think that me a universal truth.



Right.



Here is what I am getting at. Remember a couple months back when I shared with you about the odd neighbor that moved onto the property where I live? At the time I was almost completely sure the new neighbor was perhaps a ghost. I was only kidding with you a little bit. There was a part of me, that kinda believed it on some level, because at least it would explain his odd hours, and his strange lack of... well... life.



Since that time, I have finally seen the neighbor climb the stairs, and to my profound relief he was carrying a bag of what appeared to be laundry. Ghosts don't wear laundry... right? So he must be alive! And anyway... ghosts do wear clothes, they just don't do laundry... it's a fact. So, why would a ghost carry a bag of clothes up the stairs to his apartment, when everyone knows ghosts are not known for having a particular fashion sense?



Okay. It's not a ghost. But the oddities continue. Remember when I shared that the new tenant had never once taken his garbage down on the usual Thursday garbage day? A fact that I thought was kinda odd because who doesn't make garbage, especially after just having moved to a new apartment? Well, now it has been 2 more months since that post, and still no garbage. NO garbage since moving in at the first of May? That's odd... right?



Okay... no garbage. But he is now coming and going at while still rigidly scheduled times... leaving at 4:30 am, arriving back home at 8:00 pm is a little more normal than his original hours of arriving home at 8:00 pm, and leaving again at 12:30 am. Those are much healthier hours I think... but to do that every single day, Monday thru Friday, and on major holiday's like the 4th of July? Really? That can't be healthy.



Here is another thing. The other night, as Alan was leaving for work, for an overtime night, he saw the new tenant coming in at the usual 8:00 pm, and as he drove past him on the long driveway, Alan waved. And as he did so, the new tenant glared at him, as if to ask... "What the whoopteedoo do you want?" Alan, looked away, because it was a really awkward moment. The new tenant continued on up the driveway road, got out of his car, went in his apartment, and no lights came on for the rest of the night. NONE.



I don't know what to think. I suppose he is just some guy that has recently went through an emotional trauma of some sort, but it's a little creepy to be sure. Hmmm...



Any thoughts? Theories? Guesses? Speculations?



Anyone?



Pretty soon I will share with you about the other new tenants that recently moved onto the property. I promise it is a much more fun story to share. Basically about the most normal part of living around other people... the noise that means that not only are you alive... you are embracing life to it's fullest. You will get a giggle from it, I promise.



:)


Now, how about some music. I hope you have been enjoying the music videos this week. It feels good to set life's absurdities to the music in my head. But feel free to tell me if you hate it. Okay?



And Now... The Doors



When You're Strange





~Me :)


Now, go see what the awesomeness that is JR has been up to with his camera!


http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/07/apadf6-76.html