Sunday, November 30, 2008
A week later they're still here.
The neighbors haven't been as noisy as they were last year, but they still yell into the house and still slam the door all day. This time they're keeping the noise down to daytime hours. I can't really complain about someone having a loud voice\ if it's only during the day.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Instant idiots, just add my neighbors
So who are the idiots? Let me rewind about 22 years. When I first moved into my house, there were two very nice old people next door. Never made any noise, never caused any trouble. They did shout to each other, but old people do that some times. One weekend they had relatives down from up north. I nicknamed them "The Loud Family" because they were... loud. Obnoxiously loud. The whole time they were down all they did was sit on the porch and shout and cuss to each other. They were usually shouting over the screaming toddler that was milling around their feet. They came down a few times more, screaming kid (or kids, I'm not sure) in tow.
Fast-forward to late 2006. The last of the old couple died and left the house to their daughter, whose only interest in the house was to sell it. This was at the end of the housing boom, when prices began dropping. When she realized that she couldn't sell it for any worthwhile value she decided to make it a vacation home.
Then one night in 2007 a huge pickup truck and several cars pulled into the driveway and front yard, spilling out a gaggle of Michigan hillbillies. The screaming toddler from 22 years ago was now a shouting redneck with screaming toddlers of her own, and loud drunken brothers/cousins/friens to keep her company. If they weren't around she also had her german shepherd that barks at EVERYTHING with a pulse.
When they weren't shouting into the house from the street they were sitting on the porch drinking beer and shouting at the TV, or the kids, or each other, I don't know. I also don't know what they did for entertainment, but it involved leaving and entering the house about 20 times an hour through a screen door with a self-closing arm that slams the door shut. This would go on until well after midnight.
The leader of the bunch - the alpha hick - must have throat cancer or something because every few minutes he'd walk outside, cough up a thick mouthful of lung butter, and spit on the ground. He'd do this for a few minutes at a time, several times an hour. Then he'd put the cigarette back in his mouth and go back inside.
So to recap, for ten days the mantra from next door was "Waahh! Slam! Woof! Woof! Slam! Wahh! BLAH-BLAH-BLAH! Slam! BEELLLCCHHH! Hawhawhaw! @#!%%$! Slam! Hwack-P-tooey! Slam!" This in a deed-restricted retirement community. I fully understood how Squidward must feel.
Finally, at about 1:00 a.m. Thanksgiving morning I was awakened to the thumping of bass speakers emanating from the monster truck next door. Four of them were sitting in it, listening to the stereo, drinking, laughing, and judging by the tiny orange glow that floated from seat to seat, probably getting high. After an hour I had had enough and called the police. They seemed less than interested but said they would send a car out. The two most expected things happened next: the hicks went inside and the cops never showed up anyway.
O.K., so the next morning it's Thanksgiving and I wake up at 7:30. I know the Deliverance cast next door should be very hung-over, but they would be sleeping too heavily to know it. I couldn't let a good hangover go to waste. Besides, I felt fine. Seemsed like a nice morning to clean out the tool shed. A recycle bin full of bottles and cans makes an aweful racket when you drop it on a carport floor. Especially if you drop it ten times in a row. I also had to make sure that darn shed door was closed tight, so I slammed it a few times. Then every couple of minutes I made sure it didn't creep open by slamming it again. I alo made sure my hammer still worked by beating it on some wood. I didn't want to waste nails, so I just assumed it would do the job. Well, it didn't take long to clean out the shed, but my bedroom (closest room to their house) was looking aweful dusty. Better VACUUM it. Nothing like the roar of a vacuum cleaner at 8:00 in the morning to remind one of the sins of drugs and alcohol. Sometimes I just set the vacuum in the open window and let it run. After that, the car needed vacuuming too. You might have guessed, my carport is on the same side as their house.
So you're asking why I never went over and said anything. First, they don't seem like the type that would care. More like the type that would be even louder afterward. Second, If I said something and then took it to the next level (calling police, or reporting them to the neighborhood authority), they may very well key a calling card into my car before they drive back to the Ozarks. I also didn't think they'd be down for a WEEK and a HALF.
They finally left, and only came down twice after that. Much quieter both times.
So this afternoon I came home from work and saw two cars in their driveway. Looks like they're back for a while, likely a week.
Fast-forward to late 2006. The last of the old couple died and left the house to their daughter, whose only interest in the house was to sell it. This was at the end of the housing boom, when prices began dropping. When she realized that she couldn't sell it for any worthwhile value she decided to make it a vacation home.
Then one night in 2007 a huge pickup truck and several cars pulled into the driveway and front yard, spilling out a gaggle of Michigan hillbillies. The screaming toddler from 22 years ago was now a shouting redneck with screaming toddlers of her own, and loud drunken brothers/cousins/friens to keep her company. If they weren't around she also had her german shepherd that barks at EVERYTHING with a pulse.
When they weren't shouting into the house from the street they were sitting on the porch drinking beer and shouting at the TV, or the kids, or each other, I don't know. I also don't know what they did for entertainment, but it involved leaving and entering the house about 20 times an hour through a screen door with a self-closing arm that slams the door shut. This would go on until well after midnight.
The leader of the bunch - the alpha hick - must have throat cancer or something because every few minutes he'd walk outside, cough up a thick mouthful of lung butter, and spit on the ground. He'd do this for a few minutes at a time, several times an hour. Then he'd put the cigarette back in his mouth and go back inside.
So to recap, for ten days the mantra from next door was "Waahh! Slam! Woof! Woof! Slam! Wahh! BLAH-BLAH-BLAH! Slam! BEELLLCCHHH! Hawhawhaw! @#!%%$! Slam! Hwack-P-tooey! Slam!" This in a deed-restricted retirement community. I fully understood how Squidward must feel.
Finally, at about 1:00 a.m. Thanksgiving morning I was awakened to the thumping of bass speakers emanating from the monster truck next door. Four of them were sitting in it, listening to the stereo, drinking, laughing, and judging by the tiny orange glow that floated from seat to seat, probably getting high. After an hour I had had enough and called the police. They seemed less than interested but said they would send a car out. The two most expected things happened next: the hicks went inside and the cops never showed up anyway.
O.K., so the next morning it's Thanksgiving and I wake up at 7:30. I know the Deliverance cast next door should be very hung-over, but they would be sleeping too heavily to know it. I couldn't let a good hangover go to waste. Besides, I felt fine. Seemsed like a nice morning to clean out the tool shed. A recycle bin full of bottles and cans makes an aweful racket when you drop it on a carport floor. Especially if you drop it ten times in a row. I also had to make sure that darn shed door was closed tight, so I slammed it a few times. Then every couple of minutes I made sure it didn't creep open by slamming it again. I alo made sure my hammer still worked by beating it on some wood. I didn't want to waste nails, so I just assumed it would do the job. Well, it didn't take long to clean out the shed, but my bedroom (closest room to their house) was looking aweful dusty. Better VACUUM it. Nothing like the roar of a vacuum cleaner at 8:00 in the morning to remind one of the sins of drugs and alcohol. Sometimes I just set the vacuum in the open window and let it run. After that, the car needed vacuuming too. You might have guessed, my carport is on the same side as their house.
So you're asking why I never went over and said anything. First, they don't seem like the type that would care. More like the type that would be even louder afterward. Second, If I said something and then took it to the next level (calling police, or reporting them to the neighborhood authority), they may very well key a calling card into my car before they drive back to the Ozarks. I also didn't think they'd be down for a WEEK and a HALF.
They finally left, and only came down twice after that. Much quieter both times.
So this afternoon I came home from work and saw two cars in their driveway. Looks like they're back for a while, likely a week.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Three Dead Mice. See how they don't run.
Not real mice, computer mice. I had three mice stop working in one week. They were all old, but it's still weird that they all stopped working at the same time. One just had a bad button, but the other two all out quit. Anyway, that gave me a good enough excuse to buy a new keyboard and mouse set. My keyboard has been sticking keys lately so although it's still usable, it was time to ditch that too.
Here's what I wanted: a keyboard with a scroll wheel on the left side so I can eat breakfast with my right hand and scroll through the news with my left. My old keyboard, a Logitech MX3000, has one. That's the only non-typical keyboard option I wanted. The mouse should have a couple of extra option buttons too.
I've used about a dozen Logitech and Microsoft keyboards and mice over the years. The MS ones went bad in no time, and the Logitech mice never seem to work right - they'll keep stopping and startingery sluggish. End point, I didn't want something from Logitech or Microsoft. Go to any tech/office supply store and 9 out of ten keybords and mice will be one of those two brands.
After much research on websites I found a Kensington set that met my needs. No scroll wheel on the left, but in its place is a four-way scroll button. Good enough, and the mouse has a few extra custom buttons as well. Best of all, it's only $50.00.
I rushed out to BestBuy and picked one up. I hooked it up, installed the software, and it acted exactly like the other mice - sluggish and intermittent. Even the keyboard was cutting out and skipping keys as I typed. Someone on line with the same model mentioned that, despite the package proudly boasting that it has a range of ten meters, the range is realistically only about 12". I put the transmitter on a USB extension cable so it was on my desk, and everything worked great. Except I found that even when the keyboard is working properly, I still missed keys because they need direct pressure or they don't go down far enough to connect. It's a shame because the mouse worked really well. I could live with the transmitter on my desk, but not with that keyboard.
This is getting old. Saturday after work I got my hair cut. While I was in that end of town I hit Staples, Office Depot, and Circuit City. I settled on a set from Office Depot (a Logitech set). It worked OK, but again, I didn't like the keyboard. The keys were too small, and kept sticking if I didn't hit them straight down.
Sunday afternoon I returned the set from Best Buy and went to Staples across the street (a different one than on Saturday's trip). After about 10 minutes of trying them all, I settled on a Logitech S520. The keyboard is awesome. The keys are low-profile type like on a laptop, but it's still a full keyboard. The mouse is just a plain 2-button mouse, and it still cuts out sometimes, but if I move the remote to a different position it will work again. Someone said it's because my cordless phone is on the same frequency (2.4 GHz). Maybe so, I don't know.
So today I returned the last keyboard at Office Depot. I saw a laptop mouse in the clearance bin, and I could use a cordless one for that. At $22.00 (½-price) I figured I'd grab that.
I got it home, hooked it up, and you guessed it - it won't even power up.
Here's what I wanted: a keyboard with a scroll wheel on the left side so I can eat breakfast with my right hand and scroll through the news with my left. My old keyboard, a Logitech MX3000, has one. That's the only non-typical keyboard option I wanted. The mouse should have a couple of extra option buttons too.
I've used about a dozen Logitech and Microsoft keyboards and mice over the years. The MS ones went bad in no time, and the Logitech mice never seem to work right - they'll keep stopping and startingery sluggish. End point, I didn't want something from Logitech or Microsoft. Go to any tech/office supply store and 9 out of ten keybords and mice will be one of those two brands.
After much research on websites I found a Kensington set that met my needs. No scroll wheel on the left, but in its place is a four-way scroll button. Good enough, and the mouse has a few extra custom buttons as well. Best of all, it's only $50.00.
I rushed out to BestBuy and picked one up. I hooked it up, installed the software, and it acted exactly like the other mice - sluggish and intermittent. Even the keyboard was cutting out and skipping keys as I typed. Someone on line with the same model mentioned that, despite the package proudly boasting that it has a range of ten meters, the range is realistically only about 12". I put the transmitter on a USB extension cable so it was on my desk, and everything worked great. Except I found that even when the keyboard is working properly, I still missed keys because they need direct pressure or they don't go down far enough to connect. It's a shame because the mouse worked really well. I could live with the transmitter on my desk, but not with that keyboard.
This is getting old. Saturday after work I got my hair cut. While I was in that end of town I hit Staples, Office Depot, and Circuit City. I settled on a set from Office Depot (a Logitech set). It worked OK, but again, I didn't like the keyboard. The keys were too small, and kept sticking if I didn't hit them straight down.
Sunday afternoon I returned the set from Best Buy and went to Staples across the street (a different one than on Saturday's trip). After about 10 minutes of trying them all, I settled on a Logitech S520. The keyboard is awesome. The keys are low-profile type like on a laptop, but it's still a full keyboard. The mouse is just a plain 2-button mouse, and it still cuts out sometimes, but if I move the remote to a different position it will work again. Someone said it's because my cordless phone is on the same frequency (2.4 GHz). Maybe so, I don't know.
So today I returned the last keyboard at Office Depot. I saw a laptop mouse in the clearance bin, and I could use a cordless one for that. At $22.00 (½-price) I figured I'd grab that.
I got it home, hooked it up, and you guessed it - it won't even power up.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Vote for Change
I went in to work at 3:00a.m. so I could leave early. At 7:00 I bought a bag of donuts and a bottle of water and headed to Ed Smith Stadium. The event wasn't scheduled to begin until 11:00 but there were already several thousand people waiting in line (some said they had been there since 3:00). The temperature was in the low 60's, the sky was clear, and the sun was just beginning to peek above the horizon. Magic was in the air, charged with the electricity of optimism and eager anticipation. All the makings of an awesome day.
A little after 9:00 our end of the line began moving, and by 10:00 I was in my seat, in a vantage point I chose specifically for optimum video coverage. My video camera in hand, I knew this would be an historic event, and that I would want to have some memento of having attended.
By now the mid-morning sun was warming the crowd, although my seat was still shaded by the overhang above. The stadium is directly under a flight path, so no one paid attention to the jets that flew overhead until a 747 with the Obama logo emblazoned across the tail brought the crowd to a roar.
At 11:00 the usual opening procedures began: local politicians and city leaders lending their support and name-dropping to benefit their own future careers.
When Obama was introduced at 11:25 he didn't walk from behind a curtain onto the stage. He ran to it from across the field, flanked by several S.S. men. Hearing his speech itself was no unique experience. It was the same one he had been delivering for weeks, with a few changes made to accommodate the location. But I didn't go to hear the words. I already knew what would be said. I went there to see him in person, to be part of history, or at least to see it in the making.
A little after 9:00 our end of the line began moving, and by 10:00 I was in my seat, in a vantage point I chose specifically for optimum video coverage. My video camera in hand, I knew this would be an historic event, and that I would want to have some memento of having attended.
By now the mid-morning sun was warming the crowd, although my seat was still shaded by the overhang above. The stadium is directly under a flight path, so no one paid attention to the jets that flew overhead until a 747 with the Obama logo emblazoned across the tail brought the crowd to a roar.
At 11:00 the usual opening procedures began: local politicians and city leaders lending their support and name-dropping to benefit their own future careers.
When Obama was introduced at 11:25 he didn't walk from behind a curtain onto the stage. He ran to it from across the field, flanked by several S.S. men. Hearing his speech itself was no unique experience. It was the same one he had been delivering for weeks, with a few changes made to accommodate the location. But I didn't go to hear the words. I already knew what would be said. I went there to see him in person, to be part of history, or at least to see it in the making.
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