Who Are The People in Your Neighborhood

I think my neighbors like me now. There was a time I would have questioned that when I first built my house almost 6 years ago. I understood their annoyance. Someone came onto their already established street and began construction on a lot that I am sure they were told would never sell.

My next door neighbor at the time was a single mom with 2 kids. While I was building my house, she used to call into the office and ask for the construction department (that was me of course) and then she would complain about how she had found a nail in her yard or that she saw the plumber fill up a 5 gallon bucket of water out of her hose. She did this on at least 3 occasions. So I moved in knowing that she was annoyed with me from the start and probably a handful of other neighbors as well. She was a very nice lady and after a short time she asked me over to house to fill in as a substitute for her weekly Bunko group. YES! I thought this was my in. If I could get in with the ladies then I knew I would be accepted in the neighborhood. About an hour into the night, I was sitting beside a lady who started going off on my house and how annoyed my neighbor was that someone was building right beside her. They said that their only consolation was that maybe it would slide into the detention pond. Then she turns to me and says “How do you know Shelly.” I calmly looked at her and said “I’m her neighbor. You know the one with the house that is sliding into the detention pond”. I know that Shelly felt really bad about that and despite that conversation we had a really good relationship for 5 years before she moved.

My neighbors across the street are an older married couple. The wife usually nods or waves but the husband is always very friendly and will usually strike up a conversation with me if we both happen to be outside. Even after Tonya told him that we lived together but we were heterosexual roommates. I think he misses her since she moved out. This morning I was taking out my trash and he was in his driveway. He came to the street and asked me if I was moving. I said no. He said he noticed all the stuff in my garage and was worried I was moving out. Ahhhhhh….he was worried. I told him I was storing stuff for my brother and sister-in-law and the rest of the 20 million boxes were for our garage sale this weekend. He said “So you’re not moving?” I assured him I was staying and he seemed relieved.

At least I think it was relief. Maybe he was just worried that if I moved out another sex offender would move into the neighborhood. Don’t worry Mr. Across the Street Neighbor. It won’t be long before the house slides into the detention pond!