My parents have not been blessed by good next-door neighbors, and though the rest of the neighborhood is lovely, they are sandwiched between some real prizes.
On the one side, they have the chiropractor and the attorney-at-law. They went through a phase where they put notes on our car if it was parked in the street which claimed brought down their property value. I'm sure the weed-ridden, grass-free yard, and paint-thirsty trim has nothing to do with it? They have calmed down in recent years, and other than the security camera they have pointing in my parents' bedroom window, they keep to themselves.
On the other side, is the most vile woman I have encountered. Her voice is boisterous and grating; her cackle makes Fran Dresser's laugh sound like a lullaby. I could go on and on with stories about her, and her grandchildren who live on the other side of her, but I think our most recent encounter best personifies how lovely this woman is.
Yesterday, the kids were playing out front in the yard. When I say kids, please be aware this is a large crowd: my daughters, four of my siblings, and the three kids across the street. I was out front speaking with the lovely woman who lives across the street, my dad was on the porch, and my mom was inside with the kids' speech therapist and had all the doors and windows open. The kids were nowhere near the next-door neighbors' yard; in fact over the years, my parents have planted a wall of foliage, to block her view of our front yard. (our being belonging to my parents') My brother, and his friend from across the street were in our yard hitting the tree with a stick, and pulling the bark off.
"Don't do that!" The ear-piercing shriek came from the next driveway. The other mother and I looked questioningly at each other. "I think he needs to go use the restroom!" She thought the boys were peeing on our tree; they weren't. Even if they were, how does that bother her any?
The nice neighbor called over to the boys and asked what they were doing; her son yelled back, "Nothing! She's just a nasty old MAN!" As his mom tried to explain that it was rude to say that, he kept yelling it out!
Anyone want to go pee in her yard?
