New Neighbors

A few months ago someone actually bought the house next door. I didn't think it would ever sell. The last tenants (it used to be a rental) who lived there told me that there we bugs in the shagg carpet and the house reeked of animal urine. They only lived there for a couple of months. I had only been in that house a couple of times prior to the former owner's passing. I don't remember much about it.

Anyway, when I saw the For Sale sign down I couldn't help but be just a little anxious and excited for our new neighbors. I envisioned a family with children close by our boy's ages. Children they could play with, go to school with and become good friends with. A family who we could have back yard BBQ's with. A man that KD could do "guy" things with and a woman that I could do "girl" things with.

Over the course of several weeks I saw various repair trucks in the driveway and sports utility vehicles with trailers behind them full of furnishings. I just knew we would be seeing this family soon.

All was quite until one night...the most obnoxious, horrifically loud noise came from the house next door. How fun for us, the new neighbors liked really loud music. I sometimes get taken up in the moment and turn our stereo up a little too loud so I could understand. Besides, they were probably fixing up the house and unpacking so they wanted/needed music to make it a little easier. The music stopped right around 9:30 pm.

The next night as I was tucking the boys in for the night when they asked me what that "pounding sound was". Not only was there pounding (base) but this time there seemed to be some yelling (singing) with it. I went out on the back porch to see if I could tell if this "music" was coming from inside or outside the home. It was from inside and I could literally feel the ground shake under my feet. Drums, guitar, singing, this was no stereo it was a real live punk rock band. Complete with, I later found out, band members with colorful mohawk hairdos, a pirates flag (skull and crossbones) hanging in their living room and all black clothing.

The band members purchased the house and use the large back room as their practice space. They are very courteous...they do not play after 10:00 each night. This happens to be, according to the city ordinance, the beginning of "quite time".

Heaven help me, it is going to be a very long, long summer. I have nothing against the type of music they play, I just would prefer not to have to listen to it. Especially when I am trying to catch some zzzzzzz's.