My house backs up to an alleyway that is semi paved, single-lane passage between the houses on my street, and the houses one street south. My "back-to-back" neighbors are a family- I have met the father and the two kids. I don't know names of anyone but Dad. For the ease of the rest of this post, we'll call him J. I assume there's a Mrs. J. He has a daughter who is a freshman at one of the good magnet high schools here in town. His son is middle-school aged.
We first met J when we were outside working, and I run into him in the alley from time to time.
He's a good Dad. I can tell - he's involved with his kids. Here's what I can tell you about him.
He's younger than me, I think - he's a light-skinned black man - biracial if I were to guess. He grew up in Boston. He drives a luxury SUV crossover, and wears suits to work.
I know this because I saw him with his daughter at our polling place once on election day. She was tall and pretty, but looked bored. The next time I saw him, I told him I used to go with my dad to the polls and that it is so important to kids to see their parents involved.
This summer, I was wrangling the neighbor dog into his yard and I ran into J and his son. The son was mowing the lawn. I had seen this same kid mowing other yards on their street, so I gave him props for his entrepreneurship. We talked about the dog I was wrangling, and that's when I learned his daughter had gotten into a public magnet. I'm glad J's kids are public school kids. My company's CFO also lives in this area - his kids are also public schoolers - and his oldest just got into a different high end public magnet school - my grandfather's alma mater.
Tonight, I heard J whistling as he was walking down his back steps to grill. A dog in the yard next to him barked, and he said "woof", back to the dog, then kept whistling. Their house is crazy nice, and sometimes I hope he isn't disappointed by our weird little place with issues.
But it's nice to be a little bit of a voyeur. I wonder what, if anything, J knows about me - or if I register as anything other than that crazy alley lady who occasionally wanders her back yard in a tank top and shorts (but shouldn't) and sometimes talks to herself out on her deck, and definitely asks a lot of questions.
In other neighbor news - the girls who were renting the house next door moved out - Brody's owner, Mindy, got married. The new tenants are a group of boys - Belmont students if their car decals are any indication. They seem to have girls around, and I think some of them spend the night. I don't care, mind you, I just notice.
When I was in college, a lot of my sorority sisters would overnight with their guy from time to time - they would leave with a tote bag, which we called a "shack pack". I was not a shacker, really - til my senior year, when I was in a serious relationship with Rusty. What was then serious I now realize was a serious mistake.
And bad mistakes? I've made... a few.
I haven't met any of the boys yet, but given the poor job our mail carrier does - it's a matter of time.
As long as their ladyfriends use common sense with parking, we're good.
I should tell you, my test results came back on Friday. There has been no change since the same test a year ago - mild abnormality - keep an eye on it and keep going.
See a doctor and get rid of it. Don't trust whitey. The Lord loves a working man.
Tomorrow is the first day of the work week, thanks to Labor Day. I can't recall if I get a haircut this weekend or next. I don't guess it matters, except that my hair is massive and weird. There is not enough product in the world.
We had pizza for dinner - I planned my eating today to make it possible - I ate two pieces and it was perfect. Literally.
I love Mellow Mushroom, don't get me wrong - but this is my jam. I had cheese with spinach.
And tomorrow, I get back on the fruit and vegetable train. Toot, toot!
Happy September, everyone!
ae
We first met J when we were outside working, and I run into him in the alley from time to time.
He's a good Dad. I can tell - he's involved with his kids. Here's what I can tell you about him.
He's younger than me, I think - he's a light-skinned black man - biracial if I were to guess. He grew up in Boston. He drives a luxury SUV crossover, and wears suits to work.
I know this because I saw him with his daughter at our polling place once on election day. She was tall and pretty, but looked bored. The next time I saw him, I told him I used to go with my dad to the polls and that it is so important to kids to see their parents involved.
This summer, I was wrangling the neighbor dog into his yard and I ran into J and his son. The son was mowing the lawn. I had seen this same kid mowing other yards on their street, so I gave him props for his entrepreneurship. We talked about the dog I was wrangling, and that's when I learned his daughter had gotten into a public magnet. I'm glad J's kids are public school kids. My company's CFO also lives in this area - his kids are also public schoolers - and his oldest just got into a different high end public magnet school - my grandfather's alma mater.
Tonight, I heard J whistling as he was walking down his back steps to grill. A dog in the yard next to him barked, and he said "woof", back to the dog, then kept whistling. Their house is crazy nice, and sometimes I hope he isn't disappointed by our weird little place with issues.
But it's nice to be a little bit of a voyeur. I wonder what, if anything, J knows about me - or if I register as anything other than that crazy alley lady who occasionally wanders her back yard in a tank top and shorts (but shouldn't) and sometimes talks to herself out on her deck, and definitely asks a lot of questions.
In other neighbor news - the girls who were renting the house next door moved out - Brody's owner, Mindy, got married. The new tenants are a group of boys - Belmont students if their car decals are any indication. They seem to have girls around, and I think some of them spend the night. I don't care, mind you, I just notice.
When I was in college, a lot of my sorority sisters would overnight with their guy from time to time - they would leave with a tote bag, which we called a "shack pack". I was not a shacker, really - til my senior year, when I was in a serious relationship with Rusty. What was then serious I now realize was a serious mistake.
And bad mistakes? I've made... a few.
I haven't met any of the boys yet, but given the poor job our mail carrier does - it's a matter of time.
As long as their ladyfriends use common sense with parking, we're good.
I should tell you, my test results came back on Friday. There has been no change since the same test a year ago - mild abnormality - keep an eye on it and keep going.
See a doctor and get rid of it. Don't trust whitey. The Lord loves a working man.
Tomorrow is the first day of the work week, thanks to Labor Day. I can't recall if I get a haircut this weekend or next. I don't guess it matters, except that my hair is massive and weird. There is not enough product in the world.
We had pizza for dinner - I planned my eating today to make it possible - I ate two pieces and it was perfect. Literally.
 | |
| It is damn good. |
I love Mellow Mushroom, don't get me wrong - but this is my jam. I had cheese with spinach.
And tomorrow, I get back on the fruit and vegetable train. Toot, toot!
Happy September, everyone!
ae
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