Things are trudging forward and it looks like we may actually be heading toward an April move. {Fingers crossed. And toes.} There are many factors that led us to want a change, but probably most of all is the fact that we just don’t belong in our neighborhood. After much thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that it boils down to one thing: We simply aren’t nice enough.
As you probably know, we just received a mind boggling 35 inches of snow and are expecting another foot tonight. Now, Jeff and I are not fans of snow. While I do find it beautiful, the annoying aspects of it far outweigh the aesthetic value. Jeff believes it’s a personal attack him. I do suck it up and take the kids out to play, but I far prefer frolicking on the beach. Jeff would rather just stay inside and grumble about it.
There are a couple of guys who we’ve begun paying twenty bucks each to shovel our walkway. Jeff deals with the cars when he feels like it, but with their help, doesn’t feel compelled to get out there the moment the snow stops falling. It works for us, and everyone is happy. Or, we were, until our neighbors decided to involve themselves in our snow removal.
Sunday, I looked outside to find our 13 year old neighbor and her friend earnestly shoveling our driveway. While most people may get a warm and fuzzy feeling at that sight, I felt annoyance. Who asked her to come over? I told her I appreciated her help and handed over a ten. She refused to take the money. “Just being neighborly,” she replied cheerfully when I insisted.
Neighborly? Borrowing an egg is neighborly. Using the phone when yours is dead is neighborly. Perhaps shoveling out an elderly, handicapped person is neighborly. But us? We were all set, thank you very much. Her own driveway remained covered with almost 3 feet of snow. Was she expecting us to shovel her’s out? To cook her dinner? To drive her somewhere? What was her motive? What did we owe her? People aren’t that nice… or, are they? Just thinking about it made my head hurt.
I think I’ll fit in much better in the city, where people crack your windshield if you park in their shoveled out spot. That behavior? I get.
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I’m thinking that your neighbor is either making up for something she did, or she’s trying to ‘pad her account’ for later. Well, maybe she could just be trying to be nice. NAH! ROFL
uthostage´s last blog ..Nicknames from Hell
Twitter: uthostage
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What a sneaky, evil little girl. Bet she stole your silver when you had your back turned. Don’t trust nice people, they expect niceness back, then it becomes a vicious cycle.
ohn´s last blog ..Are there statistics?
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I’ve learned that most (I said most) teens do have an angle when they express random acts of kindness. Occasionally, however, there is that exception that blows your mind. Like this morning, my 17-year-old shoveled our drive. “Is dad paying you?” I asked.
“Nope,” she replied.
Hmmmmm…..makes me wonder.
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Maybe the neighbor girl is a Mormon. They have things they have to do, or are expected to do in regards to others in their community.
Then again, who knows. She just may be nice, or up to something.
I wouldn’t feel comfortable either with someone just doing it, without first coming up to my door and asking if I needed their services and whether and how much they wanted paid for those services.
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Now THAT’s what I remember from my good ol’ Yonkers days. No one was nice like that. We would shovel out our cars and then the goombah snow plower guy would “pull us right back in again.”
Live.Love.Eat´s last blog ..Pancetta Wrapped Pork Roast
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HAHAH I used to live in a city like the one you’re yearning for :P People would put lawn chairs in their shoveled out spots (or they would claim the one you dug out but failed to “mark”). I really wanted to get stabby with their tires, but refrained.
Twitter: unlikelymama
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I hate my neighbors. They actually confronted me in the grocery store. I was talking to another parent from Caden’s preschool. Neighbor wife walked up to me and starting bitching about my parking dogs. It was 9pm, and I was in the middle of a conversation. I was pissed…
HATE them!!
Although, it would scare me if I had nice neighbors. I think you need to be my neighbor. We would totally rule the block!
Julie @ Angry Julie Monday´s last blog ..Nashville’s Newest Stars
Twitter: AngryJulie
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See I am one of those super nice neighbors that talk to everyone and such. Mind you I would NEVER shovel..lol but I would find it endearing if a neighborhood kid shoveled. I was just talking about this to my friend hwo is pregnant and her husband had a broken foot..both of them couldn’t shovel..and we were saying neighborhood kids don’t shovel for $$ anymore..they don’t do it at all! I’d say you are blessed ;)
Jen @ After The Alter´s last blog ..Being A Voodoo Doll
Twitter: afterthealter
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Yeah! The meaning of being a good neighbor sure changes based on where you are living or where you are from. I mean, no one can argue that being a neighbor in new york is really different from being a good one in the south!
Kelly´s last blog ..How to Make a Photography Portfolio
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Hysterical Jill! I’m with you – don’t do me any favors and I won’t have to reciprocate. hehehe!
christy´s last blog ..Would you like to be our guest?
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Being neighborly is HARD! I’m not used to making chit chat and having cookie baking contests. It’s just weird to me. I’m used to calling the cops on my neighbors. Not calling them over.
Jessica – This Is Worthwhile´s last blog ..I didn’t buy a Corvette, but I did get a tattoo
Twitter: tisworthwhile
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Oh she’s up to something alright! I bet her nicey-nice mother sent her over to scope out your reaction.
Liz´s last blog ..Serenade Me
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