Welcome to this week's Writer's Workshop hosted by Mama Kat. To play along, just pick one of the prompts, write about it then link back to Mama Kat's blog and sign Mr. Linky. It's easy!
The prompt I chose is: 2. Describe a situation that forced you to confront a neighbor.
Here's some quick background. My parents bought their house 20 years ago from Ann. The next door neighbors (there's only one set, the other side is woods) were good friends with Ann and didn't like that my parents changed some things around the house. So, basically, they were always jerks. When the ball went over the fence into their yard we were always so scared to get it - you know the type. Oh, and the only thing separating the two houses is their driveway.
Jump forward 15 or so years. My parents decide to put in a fence and decide to do it themselves. Of course we all pitch in to help.
Have you ever put in a fence? How about in the rockiest soil ever? You have to dig a hole about six inches deep. It needs to be fairly straight. Anyways, this is not a how-to, my point is that we were all tired, irritated, sore, and pissed off at the damn rocks.
We start putting in the fence piece that abuts the neighbor's driveway. We are on their driveway and we are digging holes, boss, digging holes. The old bag who lives next door comes out screaming. "Get off of my driveway! Get that dirt off of my driveway!" My dad yells something like "Are you serious?" The old bag just keeps screaming about us and the dirt.
My dad says to us "Lets just get this stuff off the driveway. We will do it from the other side." He starts cleaning it up. Unacceptable. They were not trying to leave, we were not in their way, we were not causing any harm to their precious driveway, we were just trying to put in the stupid fence.
I start yelling back at her. "What a bitch! Its just a little bit of dirt! Don't worry, we'll clean it up when we are done. Can you believe this? Stop being such a bitch!"
My dad, as furious as he was, was trying to calm me down and get everything off of the driveway as quick as possible. I seriously wanted to punch her in the face! If my dad wasn't there I just may had.
Gosh, still pisses me off!
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Glad I don't have any close neighbors!
ReplyDeleteTypically the neighbor is supposed to go in halves on a fence...I'm assuming these neighbors weren't interested??
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of when my sister and I put a line of tape down the middle of our room to split side. If she so much as stuck a toe on my side I was all "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!!!"
Maybe your neighbor never grew up.
Up in Maine (at least where I grew up), its whose property it is on. Neverless, it was only one piece of fence. And it is EXACTLY like the tape in the room!!
ReplyDeleteGood thing your dad was there to keep you calm!
ReplyDeleteGeez, what the heck is the problem with some people? It was dirt. It was temporary. I would have wanted to punch her in the face too.
ReplyDeleteStopping over from Mama Kats.
Visiting here from Mama Kat...
ReplyDeleteLOL! What a pain in the arse neighbor.
I think, just to be a pill, I would put a clump of dirt on her porch and ring the bell...any chance I got...
*giggles* But that is evil me!
PS I became a stalker here...I mean follower!
I would have so covered her entire driveway with dirt. :-) Thanks for stopping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteTake a deep breath...deep breath.
ReplyDeleteNow, now think....how many balls would fit in her driveway?
That's the thing about neighbours. There's always one who tries to assert their authority as a proud landowner (thier little patch of dirt allows them way more say than everyone elses! Or worse, their rent money is way better than your rent money) when they move in or when someone new comes along. Some people need to get their kicks somehow when they're lonely and unsociable.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of my neighbour. When they first moved in they did everything to annoy us. They were definitely thinking that because we're just two Asian women at my house that we wouldn't speak up. Anyway, we didn't have to say much when they brought mice with them because they live like pigs. Sorry, I know you like mice, but these were the breeding like crazy kind, not the contributing to science/humanity kind. So we had to put poison out and they ended up with a bunch of dead little mice on their back porch trying to get water from the dog bowl. They stopped being as annoying and dirty after that.
Sorry I write such long comments, but I like to share :) I don't want my own blog though.
Is there a part 2 to the story? I want to know if they changed their tune after you called her a bitch. It's too bad you didn't play any pranks on them as kids.
ReplyDeleteThose are all great suggestions! Wish I had done something more malicious ;D
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your sharing, Becca! Please continue! And, no, their tune never changed. I think they have mellowed a bit though, in their advanced age. Im sure I can come up with other interesting stories about them...