Our row of townhouses backs up against another one, so that when we're out on our deck we're reeeeally close to our neighbors, both on either side of us and behind us. It translates to not hanging out on the deck very much because of the lack of privacy. Not that we would be doing anything that exciting out on the deck (not on my watch, anyway!) It's just that we don't really want to have to be socializing every time we go outside. (Yeah, we're kind of reclusive - that's what happens when two introverts marry each other.)
The couple who lives directly behind us (so that their deck backs up to ours) has no such qualms. They are out on their deck all. the. time. along with the dozen or so friends they seem to have over every night. And along with their three very vocally expressive dogs. They are party people; every weekend evening we can plan on hearing lengthy drunken rants from them and/or all of their friends into the wee hours of the morning. As it turns out, I am a lot less tolerant of drunken ranting than I used to be. Especially when I've JUST gotten Sawyer to sleep and someone singing "I Shot the Sheriff" at top volume wakes him up.
The worst part though is that they both smoke, and they only smoke on their deck. I can understand that they don't want to smoke inside their house, but do they really have to share it with the whole neighborhood? When we leave our sliding door or our bedroom window open, our whole house is filled with smoke at regular intervals. Aside from cigarette smoke being just plain yucky, I'm allergic to it and it makes me all wheezy to be around it. But you can't very well tell someone to stop smoking outside their own house, so we just put up with it. One of the things you deal with when you live in close proximity to other people.
So we were both very excited on Saturday when we noticed a moving van in front of the Smokingtons' house! A few hours later they were gone. Now I'm feeling kind of wistful, like I should have gotten to know them and their dogs and maybe invited them over for dinner or something instead of just avoiding and complaining about them all the time. Oh well. I'm definitely not going to miss the smoke.
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Remember my gothic, smoking neighbors? well, they're some of my favorite neighbors now. Maybe you should have giving the smokingtons a chance :)
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for you!! I'm allergic to smoke too, and I HATE it when smoke comes in my open windows! You'll have to keep us updated on who moves in...
ReplyDeleteChristie, But then I would have to get to know my other neighbors too. What a hassle. :D
ReplyDeleteKristine, When I was little I used to get horrible asthma attacks whenever I was around cigarette smoke (mostly at my grandparents' house LOL). Now it just makes me wheezy and allergic. I got kind of used to it when I was in France but my tolerance is gone now.
Growing up in SC, the smell of cigarette smoke was so familiar that it still brings back memories of cozy old gas stations and county fairs. But after years of living in less tobacco friendly areas my tolerance is about nil. I don't like obstacles to breathing. And people throw their cigarettes out their car windows without looking. On NUMEROUS occasions while riding my bike, I've been hit by cigarette butts. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt that it was just a mean and careless accident but it's hard not to carry a grudge. And I'm always surprised at how many young, super educated kids smoke. Wow, that's quite the rant. Hope you like your new neighbors.
ReplyDeleteGood riddance! Hopefully your new neighbors will be quiet old people.
ReplyDelete