My Neighbors

We live in a townhome, pretty nice, 3 bedrooms, 1500 sq ft, 2 car garage. You know that we got robbed when we first moved in. So that has made the experience less than perfect, regardless I have still liked the place. There's a pool for our small community, lots of beautiful landscaping, fruit trees, nice place to walk around with the dog.

The downside is the mass number of townhomes in such a small area. I think there's somewhere between 80-100 townhomes, each of them on a tenth of an acre or less, right on top of each other. Some are 2 bedroom, 1 car garage with a carport; some are 3 bedroom, 2 car garage. Because there are so many homes in such close proximity, there are tons of people living close.

From my patio or bedroom window I can hear lots of interesting, disgusting, and entertaining noises:

1. one neighbor goes out each morning and reads his newspaper, drinks his coffee and smokes his cigarettes on his patio. He's surrounded by a pomegranite tree, ficus, bogenvalia, and other plants. The humingbirds hang out on his patio. It's very nice.

2. there's a marine couple that lives in my adjoining townhome. A woman used to live there by herself - but she had to move to Colorado with her job and decided to rent it out. I've met the marine but not his wife. He's really a nice guy. They have 2 children, I've really only seen their daughter. She's about 3 yrs old. They have a dog and a cat. For the most part they are quiet, except he goes outside to smoke and when we're in bed and he opens the sliding glass door, it sounds like our door and I freak out. I can't tell you how many times I get up and just double check that it's not our house - because of the break-in. They've had a wild party once, the police came and they were all very drunk, talking loud and having fun. I wouldn't care except I couldn't sleep. If this was when I was living in Cincinnati, I could close my window and sleep because I'd be far enough away.

3. Next to me across a small walkway with bushes dividing the walkways, is another marine and his wife. I don't think they have kids. They do have a squaky bird of some kind, a cat and a big dog. The dog barks at us when we are coming in and out of our house. Sometimes the dog gets going and then Snicker reacts to him. I've never really talked to them; but I did overhear them saying stuff about us and our dog. Some stupid shit, really. But like our other neighbors they have had some wild, loud parties. So many that the police have been there multiple times. Last party I was concerned that these marines were talking loud and one of them was really pissed off. His buds were telling him to "put it away". I was worried that "IT" was a GUN. I mean, you never know, right??

4. There's some really nice people that live here that I've talked to - a guy named Otis, he has a pitbull that is a really nice dog. He lives up the street and we chat from time to time. There's another woman that has great yard sales, she's really nice. Then a couple doors up the street is an elderly lady, her daughter and granddaughter live with her. She's really nice, a little nosy, but that's ok, I feel like at she is looking out for all the rest of us!

5. One thing that I realized since I lived here is that HILLBILLIES live in California!! Honestly, I was very surprised. I mean, I'm from Cincinnati. It's right on the Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio borders. And when I say there are hillbillies here, I know what I'm talking about. I've seen enough of them. These people are loud, obnoxious, the dog is always running around, their front door is never closed, they have trash in their yard, their patio is full of crap - severe overflow of garbage from the inside of the house. They have a tons of kids that live in that house and the are always whining and crying. The youngest son is cute, but whines all the time. The next son is always in trouble - expelled from school for the entire 1st quarter. And the woman is crazy!!

6. I'm saving the best for last! directly behind me, there is a lady that I have to assume is a heavy smoker or was one most of her life. She lives with her daughter, some animals. I walk behind her house with the dog, she loves Padres baseball. In fact, it kind of reminds me of my own mother. I've never seen the woman, but boy do I hear her. She hacks, chokes, coughs, and makes some other throaty clearing sounds - like a life long smoker. I can hear her no matter where I am in the house or outside. But the worst time is at night when I lay down to sleep. OH MY GOD! It's so disgusting that it just about makes me throw up! Makes me sick to my stomach.

Lots of dogs barking, cats crapping in my backyard, birds squaking, kids running, grown-ups talking, phones dialing (yep, I can hear the tones of the keypad on someone's phone), cars running, bikes and skateboards flying up and down the driveway. I didn't think that living this close would bother me, but it really does.

Fortunately, we have plans to move back to Ohio at some point. Sooner than later, I hope. We will live on .5+ acres, lots of trees, a pool, hot tub, deck, nice big house, driveway, grass to cut, flowers to plant, snow to shovel, and I will love every bit of it! California is beautiful, don't get me wrong - I am sooooooooo glad that I had the opportunity to live here. I have enjoyed seeing it in person, being around the ocean and mountains every day. It's really nice. If I was 20 and just starting out, I would probably love it so much that I would never leave. But I'm not, I don't like crime, I don't like being on top of people all the time, I don't like the illegals that are on every corner.

My biggest question is about my dog...he already freezes when it gets in the 50's! Can you imagine what he's going to do with snow and rain and ice!!??!! hehe!!