To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
These People Really Need a Hobby
Be warned- I'm in "a mood," and it sure ain't a good one.
A little background info to bring you up to speed. We live in a neighborhood that has a home owners' association, and there are covenant restrictions and all that fun stuff. We are required to join the association because of a clause in our deed. Whatever. They're supposed to keep people from painting their homes annoying colors and putting cars up on blocks in the front yard, right? Would be nice, except... these people take their jobs WAY too seriously.
If your lawn isn't mowed (when they think it should be)- nastygram postcard in the mailbox. Forget to bring in your trashcan after the garbage truck goes by- you've got a little over 24 hours, then there's a nastygram in the mailbox. If you go so far as to put in a decorative pond in your flower bed (not taking any lawn space for this- just pre-planned flower bed area)- you get a letter reminding you that you need to submit architectural plans and a request for approval before you can make any changes to the exterior of the home. God forbid you get your kids a portable basketball hoop- that thing needs to be hidden unless you're actually using the darn thing.
All of this leads me to today. I get a letter saying that if we don't mow, edge, trim, and dispose of the clippings within one week, they'll hire someone to do it and send us the bill. Hmmm... I seem to remember the hum of the mower just the other day... Well, the driveway isn't edged just the way they like it, and they want us to trim right up against the house. So, I'm driving by the house, looking to see what it is they're seeing that I'm not. You can't see anything wrong from the street. Behind the air conditioner, you can see where it does need to be trimmed, but you can't see behind the air conditioner from the street.
Yes, I want our house to look nice. I'd love to have a nice yard (I have a black thumb, so there's only so much I can do out there without cursing it). But these people have too much time on their hands and a much-too-elevated opinion of their lofty position in our neighborhood.
You have NO idea how much I want the lotto tickets sitting in my van to have the winning numbers on them. No idea at all. To move from this neighborhood, with its unfriendly people (with a few exceptions, but...) and the resident busy-body living across the street (they'll get their own post one of these days). To have enough land to know I have neighbors, but I can't see or hear them. I like our house... I'm just tired of the people who live around it.
Until the Lotto Ship comes in, I really just wish they'd mind their own business.
A little background info to bring you up to speed. We live in a neighborhood that has a home owners' association, and there are covenant restrictions and all that fun stuff. We are required to join the association because of a clause in our deed. Whatever. They're supposed to keep people from painting their homes annoying colors and putting cars up on blocks in the front yard, right? Would be nice, except... these people take their jobs WAY too seriously.
If your lawn isn't mowed (when they think it should be)- nastygram postcard in the mailbox. Forget to bring in your trashcan after the garbage truck goes by- you've got a little over 24 hours, then there's a nastygram in the mailbox. If you go so far as to put in a decorative pond in your flower bed (not taking any lawn space for this- just pre-planned flower bed area)- you get a letter reminding you that you need to submit architectural plans and a request for approval before you can make any changes to the exterior of the home. God forbid you get your kids a portable basketball hoop- that thing needs to be hidden unless you're actually using the darn thing.
All of this leads me to today. I get a letter saying that if we don't mow, edge, trim, and dispose of the clippings within one week, they'll hire someone to do it and send us the bill. Hmmm... I seem to remember the hum of the mower just the other day... Well, the driveway isn't edged just the way they like it, and they want us to trim right up against the house. So, I'm driving by the house, looking to see what it is they're seeing that I'm not. You can't see anything wrong from the street. Behind the air conditioner, you can see where it does need to be trimmed, but you can't see behind the air conditioner from the street.
Yes, I want our house to look nice. I'd love to have a nice yard (I have a black thumb, so there's only so much I can do out there without cursing it). But these people have too much time on their hands and a much-too-elevated opinion of their lofty position in our neighborhood.
You have NO idea how much I want the lotto tickets sitting in my van to have the winning numbers on them. No idea at all. To move from this neighborhood, with its unfriendly people (with a few exceptions, but...) and the resident busy-body living across the street (they'll get their own post one of these days). To have enough land to know I have neighbors, but I can't see or hear them. I like our house... I'm just tired of the people who live around it.
Until the Lotto Ship comes in, I really just wish they'd mind their own business.
