I am ready to move!
Not because my house is way to small, not because mostly everything is rigged in some way or another, or that I don't have a bath tub, or dishwasher. Nope none of those things, its because I seriously can not stand the sight of my neighbors. I feel like a prisoner in my own home, and I have no idea what to do about it. Just looking in their general direction makes me want to throw-up. I am to my limit. I take the blame for that. I am the one that helped them way to much, Because I am a nice person. This is a story about people, people who take advantage of nice people. People that expect things handed down to them. A story of me caring a little to much!
This saga all started a little over a year ago. I saw that we were getting new neighbors, and when I envision neighbors I think about having friends, have BBQ's, forming a great friendships.
Not the judgemental pot smoking mooch that I ended up with! I know you are asking yourself, what if they read this? I for one do not care about that. I hope they do read it, and don't worry they wont, because I finally changed the wifi password.
Anyway, this saga all started about a year and a half ago, it was a cold winter night in February. There was a snow storm, I remember this well, because it was the night I made one of the worst mistakes I have ever made in my life. A decision I beat myself up about everyday. Saying yes to the neighbors. The neighbor boy came over and asked if he could have the password to the wifi . I gave it away. Like it was nothing. I fell for his story. He had me at hello. He was super polite, gave this story about how they had just moved and hadn't had their Internet hooked up. He just needed the password until then. Sure I thought! No problem. Of course I would love to help you out. Why should kids these days have to live without such things as Netflix and internet. My friends told me I was stupid. That she would never pay. I wanted to prove them wrong. And what harm could be done. If she didn't pay I would just change the password. Well the days turned to weeks, and one cold evening I was getting super pissed off about the situation. I knocked on her door and asked what her plans were for the Internet and how much longer she planned on using it for free. She said that she had just moved, and was working to get in a better spot and once she was she would be hooking up her own stuff. I could understand that. Dan and I have worked hard to have things. Including the Internet. I just got a computer 2 years ago, which would be the first time we had Internet at the house. We worked hard to have those things, so I believed her! She said in the meantime she would pay for every other month of usage. Of course starting with next month. I walked away feeling pretty good about that conversation. I had showed her. HA. Little did I know I would soon be trapped in my home!
Like any family we were anxious to get outside. It was warm and nice. As the nice months moved on I started to get to know the mom, who I will be referring to as moocher. She seems nice, and works hard. Loves her kids, and had to work lots of terrible hours. So I start to help out a little more. Feeding the kids dinner, letting the little one come over and play. Getting more involved in their family, even stupidly giving money to her when she seemed to have none. Again I fell for the story. And still no internet, talk of internet, or talk of payment for said internet. I didn't want to bring it up, I still thought she would try and pay. When she got back on her feet.
While writing this I do feel sorry for the kids. They really believe that their mom is going to get a nice brand new car for the newly 16 year old, a new phone, build a garage, put up a fence in the yard, get a nice pool... they believe all of it. Why would they not. The kids are just victims of bad parenting. They were never shown the proper way to act. How to give a simple thank you, or be grateful for a ride to school in the winter. I was starting to see through her bullshit. I had been doped. I was such an idiot, and just plain annoyed.
The moocher will NEVER make a spare key to their home, and refuses to leave the key out for her son when he gets home from school. I cant explain how many times Dan has had to break the 15 year old into his own house, or how many times they have knocked on our door at all times of day and night to use my phone to call the moocher that will not make a key. This is probably one of the most irritating things about them. I was starting to see her for what she was. She would work overnights and still not have a simple house phone for the kids. What if something were to happen, what if she needed them. I know she tells them when she is gone working if you need something, go ask Dan and Nicole. I will be out on my swing TALKING on my phone and they will ask to use it. Never giving a thank you. Sometimes the people will call back on my number, or leave a message or a text. Which I then have to deliver to them!! Can you even believe it! Dan and I joke that they would come over and ask for the clothes off our back without batting an eye. But truthfully I think they really would.
A couple of times I would go over and sit with her in the summer months. Listen to her complain about the money she didn't have. How is was her mothers fault her children behaved like assholes. How in her former life she was a model, and had wonderful credit. She was able to buy everything she wanted. How she didn't really believe in drinking, and at one point said she was uncomfortable with me drinking around her children... all while smoking a joint. (I will let you form your own opinions about that statement) I knew her stories were embellished and lies. But really, the lies didn't hurt me if people want to lie to make themselves feel better that fine with me. I knew she was never going to get a new car for her son, or get a huge pool for her yard. I knew she wasn't a super successful model in her previous life, I didn't care if she wanted to tell such stories. All the while she was telling stories to me. About how she was going to pay me for this and that! Those stories I believed. I still have no idea why.
School started up in the fall. I had agreed to take this kids to school, because for 1, I am always late. I am late for everything, which in turn has made my kiddos late for school an unreasonable amount of times. (No, I am not a perfect mother) So, I thought this was great to get me going in the morning, and 3 of the 4 kids were going to the same spot. I just dropped the older one off at high school and be on my way to work. It was easy, I could do this. This lasted a couple of weeks, then I started going to back to my old ways of being late. Which my kids are used to, we leave at the last minute. Its normal for me and my family. The neighbor kids found it to be unacceptable, they would knock on my door, asking if I was ready. I was doing them a favor! They were definitely old enough to walk, one being in high school and the other in 3rd grade. I was trying to be nice! There were mornings where it was terribly cold. I had had enough one day when the moocher sent me a text me saying that I needed to get the kids up to school earlier, because her little one was missing breakfast. I wrote back saying that the rides are on MY schedule. If she needs to be up at the school earlier, then get her up there. She wrote back some sob story about how she was working overnights, and she wasn't able to get home to take them to school.. blah, blah, blah. I can not even write one of her stories again. They are terrible. She was actually making me feel bad about the ride situation. I had to be down right rude with her. There would be no more rides, no more money given, no more dinner made. I was done with this. Not only are you a mooch, but one of the most ungrateful families I had ever met. I knew that it was not long to have the Internet talk.
There had been several times, maybe 3-4, that the kids had come over knocked on my door and complained that the Internet was not fast enough, or that it wasn't working correctly. IT WAS FREE!! Its like complaining about the channels you were getting after accidentally getting free cable for months (which I hear has happened) ITS FREE!!! At this point I was DONE. I sent a text to her that I would be changing the password if she was not going to give money like she had originally agreed to It had almost been 8 months.. I wrote that not only did I feel disrespected because of her kids but by her. Never a thank you, never an offer to take my kids to school on the days she wasn't working (like she had agreed to). Never an apology for her kids coming over complaining that I was running late, or that the internet was not working to their liking. She responded that she didn't need help from anyone, she would take care of her family, and the Internet was definitely not a priority and she didn't have money to pay for it right now. So that was it. I got smart and changed the password, and the winter months were wonderful. I didn't have to give rides, and there were very few visits from them. The kids would come over and use my phone, every once in a while. Always when I was talking on it. But that was about it. It was wonderful not having to talk to them, or listen to her lies.
Then once again, winter turned to spring, and they started coming out more. They talked to us more, and started to inch their way back in. After this long winter I was able to hear all of the stories about how she still had no money, no internet, no cable, she was having more problems with child A being disrespectful and greedy. I got to hear the story about how she got Child #1 a phone, and he managed to rack up over $700.00 in fees and she was paying on that now. How she was moving to Montana, and her family treats her terrible. There was this really good story about how her landlord would not let her have her two dogs inside, and wouldn't let her get internet or cable. ( I know that is a lie) The list was endless. She started needing more. One evening she came over knocking on my door at 10pm, asking if she could watch the news because her landlord would not let her install cable in the house. Last week she knocked on the door two times asking for me, and Dan said I was sleeping, he asked her what she needed and she wouldn't say. She called me at 630 in the morning, and I didn't answer because I was sleeping. When I wrote her back she didn't respond. This would bring me to this weekend. She sent me a text me Saturday evening at 12am asking if she would be able to use the internet. She had $30.00 she would pay for this month. I have yet to respond, even though my answer is No. They have been home very little which is great. But when they are home, I shut the door and lock it. I dread every knock. I dread every text.
Folks, this is a true story. This is a tale of how to be a good neighbor, and not use people. I could not even make this up! I am a prisoner in my own home! I no longer wish for grill outs with my neighbors, I in fact no longer wish for a simple Hi and wave. I do not want neighbors. I want them to move. I want to be able to sit outside and not worry about being asked for free things.
An important piece to the story is that we use our side door to go in and out of our home. So I have a swing set up on my little cement porch. This is where I like to sit.
The only problem this is my view. Right to the neighbors home. When no one lived there is was no big deal, and last summer seemed to be not as big of a deal. Now she feels is necessary to sit on her porch. By a door they never use to enter their home. When we are both out you can imagine how awkard it is when you are trying to get away and not talk to someone. And they have dogs, that get off their leash and pee in my yard...... I could go on and on.
