The Penguin.
8.3.2k8

Ya never know just by meeting a nice couple of folks whether they truly are a nice couple of folks or actually a couple of jerks with filthy mouths and bad attitudes.

I wheeled up to the casa several months ago and there were a couple of people milling about with a clipboard not far away. They asked if I lived there as they walked closer. "Mebbe," I said, "whatcha wanna know for?" They said they owned the house right over there (pointing toward a boarded-up junker) and said they were fighting City Hall about the property line and whether they could build out and rehab the place. I said Hi and told 'em I rented. They poked their clipboard into my chest and asked me to sign their petition that told City Hall that their neighbors felt at ease with their building plans. I said, "I'll sign, on the condition that you chop down that dead tree and turn out to be good neighbors." They agreed, and declared they liked good neighbors themselves.

So a few weeks back they showed up with a chainsaw and a jackhammer and chopped down the tree and tore up the concrete. They waved hi and later flagged me down. "Whose cars are all these?" they asked, gesturing to the myriad cars parked in our area. I actually knew about most of them and told them. "Them two trucks are that guy's (pointing to the neighbor at the corner); that truck, that car and that other car are my upstairs neighbors'; those two SUVs are my other neighbors'; and I don't know whose Jeep™ that is." They nodded and said, "ok. What about that camper?" I said, "that's my father-in-law's, what about all this, you work for Parking and Traffic or something?" "No," they said, "just wondering."

Turns out they were wondering because they have a bunch of cars, campers and boats themselves and have since deposited every single one of them in the prime spots. To sit and moulder. Also, I'm really happy to find out that they swear and yell very loudly while rehabbing the house. In the past I wouldn't mind, but I got a kid now and I don't need him hearing that from them: I want him to hear it from ME and learn the proper way to swear.


Tonight - 500 Club.



bye-ee!

whrr ... clik!