The Neighbors

Tonight I was going to go over to our neighbors (Jeff & Lanette, who live across the street from us) to talk to them about something that happened earlier today, but since Mark is still not home, it's now raining, and they just got home 2 minutes ago, it's gonna have to wait until tomorrow. First, some backstory...

When Mark and I signed the papers on our house, the people who lived here before us, Stoner & Doobie (okay, sorry, that's what we call them, I mean Stony & Bonnie) talked about how much they loved living here, particularly because they got along really well with the neighbors behind us (Donnie) and across the street (Jeff & Lanette). In fact, they said that J & L's son, Peyton, called them Grandma and Grandpa, was over all the time, and was completely devastated when he found out they were moving. They also talked about J & L's dog who would come over, eat and sleep in their garage. Part of me thought it sounded great, but another part of me was like, "I don't want some strange kid coming over all the time, and I DEFINITELY don't want a dog sleeping in our garage." We started moving in that evening and from the get go, you could tell that J & L didn't really care for us. Donnie had come over shortly after we moved in to offer us assistance with our garden, as he had helped Stony & Bonnie. Stokman's (who live on the other side of J & L) even came by with a housewarming gift-bread and a bottle of wine. J & L wouldn't talk to us, acknowledge that we even existed, and sometimes, even made sarcastic comments. One day, when I was headed uptown to karaoke, they said, "Look at her...talk about attitude." What? I don't have attitude!

Besides that, they just lived differently than us. Mark and I generally keep to ourselves, but do like to socialize with family and very good friends. Even so, we usually go out to dinner with these people. Not J & L...they sit out on their patio, drink beer and hang out. At the time, Mark and I didn't have Ethan, but if we had, we would always be where he was-outside, inside, etc. Not them. Oftentimes, their dogs and/or children would be outside with no supervision. In fact, on numerous occasions, cars have had to stop for them because they were in the street for one reason or another.

All of this changed, though, one day last year while I was pregnant. First of all, Dad broke the ice with Jeff one day about Brett Favre possibly playing for the Vikings (who knew that would actually probably happen...yuck). Then after we had Ethan, they began smiling and waving, even talking to us about how things were going, how cute Ethan is, etc.

Fast forward to last week...on Monday, I was home all day. When I went out to my car to go to rehearsal, I saw there was a crack on the passenger side of the front windshield. WTF??? It wasn't there Saturday while I was at rehearsal or Sunday when Mark and I went to Wal-Mart. I thought maybe it was one of the neighbor kids, but I also thought maybe it was a heat crack.

Then today, while Ethan and I are playing in the living room, I hear a lot of kid voices. Now, that's nothing new, cause their kids (and Stokman's kids) are loud. However, they sound like they are in our yard. I walk outside and there are 3 kids-Peyton and 2 of his cousins perhaps, fetching a golf ball from in front of our yard. I stood out there for 10 minutes after that and watched them driving golf balls all around the neighborhood. 3 landed in our yard in that 10 minute period, including another one that landed right in front of the garage. I looked at Peyton and said, "Are you sure that's a safe choice? I hope you're being careful." He looked sheepishly at me and said he was. I said, "I hope so cause I have a broken window on my car and I hope it's not from a golf ball." He didn't say anything after that. I decided I should say something to J & L. After all, what if something else would get damaged here or at another neighbor's house? Or worse, what if Ethan got beamed in the head, or what if while chasing after a ball, one of the kids got hit by a car? There are lots of reasons why driving golf balls in your yard with neighbors on every side of you is NOT a good idea. Plus, if my window did get broken from a rogue golf ball, I would definitely like an apology, and some compensation.

So, as I said at the beginning, I was planning to go over there and bring it up really casually. I wanted them to be outside, so it would seem less planned and forceful, and more neighborly, but rain, dark, and no one being home has prevented this.

Please pray that they are home tomorrow so that I still have the energy and courage to say something...and more imporantly, pray that they take it well...I don't want to have to wait another 2 years for them to like us again!