Tuesday, October 25, 2011

i think the kids are in trouble




we moved into a nice little place of our own. it has mostly been really great. making messes and not feeling guilty. halloween decorations. our own washer and dryer. but we have a really awful downstairs neighbor who took to screaming shhuuuuut uuuuuuup! and banging her ceiling when she thought our kids were being too loud. you know, like sitting on the floor watching television. coloring. eating an apple. picking their nose. SHUUUUUUT UPPPPPPP!

so last week i snapped and i beat her door down and we had a nice little smack down. it was really really bad and i bawled. then she sort of came up to apologize and offered me some wine. then jamie got home. oh boy. lady, NOBODY talks to my wife like that! then he threatened the well-being of her dog, that sort of thing. then she called him an ass. then his temper cooled and he apologized for yelling. then she hugged him and wondered if he had a brother. not to his face but, oh, we heard. remember? thin floors. and somewhere in the mix the reputation of BYU fans was besmirched. (saw that coming with her big red Ute sweater.) scout's honor, all these things happened.

and so now i am suffering the utmost anxiety in this freaking apartment that i have dreamed of having for well over a year! our own home! not a basement! it is so terribly disappointing to feel uneasy in one's own home. oh well. we're moving in january.  

(no i'm not tying this post up nicely with a positive thought. i'm still really mad at that crazy lady. but my post title is really funny, right? the national lyric? are you laughing? i'm laughing.)

25 comments:

Bon said...

oh how this makes me laugh.

Jacob said...

yes im laughing really hard. at the whole thing. and you are seriously so rad. i just love you. well, we have an extra room in our place?? we are pretty cool? and im totally used to tv and buggers.

Veronica said...

you are awesome. sharing walls sucks. the one time i tried to confront a neighbor they didn't answer the door, very anticlimactic. but i did turn around and yell at a lady at a taylor swift concert once.

amyegodfrey said...

Oh, my, you tell a good story. Sorry for your pain, but this is hilarious! I can't stop laughing.

kate said...

laughing and feeling bad all at the same time.

wait. i don't feel bad. your couch is straight up amazing.

great story telling Sharp. I needed a laugh.

Eliza said...

I got the National reference! My husband loves them.

I have had many a neighbor confrontation so, totally been there! Sometimes it helps to bring cookies. Although I never brought cookies at 3 a.m. - yes there was more than one 3 a.m. knock from me. We've had heavy smokers, middle of the night TV blasters, extremely loud loogie hockers. And of course there was us, with our very loud kids. Yet I became friends with almost all of them somehow despite the awkwardness. So there is hope. I think everyone just wants to feel like they matter. And some people don't like kids which is unfortunate but yours are so adorable, there's no way she wouldn't.

Not sure if any of this is helpful. So...good thing you're moving in January I guess!! :D

Eliza said...

(I love that she offered wine and got a crush on your husband.)

David and Shalynna said...

Your mom is right- you do tell a good story! I'm so sorry that you've had anxiety over your mean neighbors who say shut up all the time. I would really stress about that. But, it's cute that you have a nice husband who sticks up for you. I asked David if he'd do that for me and he said yes. :)

I showed him this post because I knew it'd make him happy to see the photo he took of Milo and Pearl framed. He's said multiple times that not only does he love taking photos, but he especially loves seeing that people actually print them and frame them.

That mirror is amazing. Where did you get it? I love your apartment!

I'll try to finish my book so I can call you soon. I feel so proud of that idea I had of me calling you every time I finish a book.

Ashley Seil Smith said...

Oh no! I totally know about that uneasy feeling though...dear Harlem. I was probably uncomfortable for the first, I don't know, year? But it does get better. You won't be there anymore by the time it does, but it definitely gets better. =)

The place looks great. Wish we could stop by. And wish you guys were moving to the great state of New York in January! I think Nate got a good message from Jamie a while back and was walking on air for the next week at least.

sarah marie. said...

abby i'm so sorry!

kelly mccaleb said...

laughing, sad, commiserating, similar lives, love this and you and hope things start looking up.

Sarah said...

awkward confrontation with strangers downstairs sounds not fun. I'm glad Jamie had your back.
so sorry you have to live with that.

on a happy note, your apartment looks cute! love that gray couch and your jade plant looks so full and healthy. Mine are slowly thinning and blah.

Kent and Kate said...

our friends had a neighbor below them who would bang on her ceiling at us when we were playing cards. when they would go down to talk to her she wouldn't answer the door. I am sorry about the awkwardness. That is no fun, but a good story.

Michele said...

I love your family photo and your cute apartment and the bats. :)
I don't like bad neighbors though. I'm sad for you, it's just so hard. I remember in Germany being in apartment that someone almost didn't even want to rent to us just because we had two very sweet and well behaved children, and the neighbors don't even like it when other neighbors have pets. It was a temporary 2 month thing so it worked out fine. And you know my lovely dog/neighbor story. It's stressful to be in your situation because then I am the type that gets stressed when my kids are well just kids but want the whole world to be happy and then no one is happy. Why are some people so mean? I just don't get it. I am happy for you that you can move though, because just knowing that makes it a little more easy to deal with it because you know it will be over soon.
I like that Jamie went and had a word with her. Brian and I have been married so long that we are as one- meaning if he would never yell at someone for himself he isn't going to for me- we both need to walk the high road. :/ ha ha -it is one reason why I married him because he never gets mad and always sees the big picture and never judges anyone and tries to be understanding of everyone- even people I think are evil. Grr. There is a bad part of me that would like to see him spit on someone, just once. I'm kidding. I wouldn't really.

rubi said...

that neighbor seems cuckoo! what a way for her to try to mess up a good thing. :( don't let her! i love that you both went over and let her have it and then kissed and made up. haha

hanner said...

this is a GREAT story. we share walls with a really great couple with a cat that runs really loudly but other than that we are lucky this time around. but then there's the neighbor in back who loves passive aggressive note-leaving about the leaves in our street that came from our tree. or when she left a garbage bag in our door. hint hint. oh well, small potatoes, though i wish she'd come by and hug me.

robin said...

it sounds like your neighbor is on crack.

and where are you moving to in january? you didn't run this by me, so i'm just curious...

Chelsea said...

ugh... the worst. i'm so sorry. i know the feeling. i had an ass of a neighbor in an apartment when we were first married. he yelled at me on christmas morning (along with every other day) for accidentally parking in his spot (which he didn't use, because he didn't own a car), and i might have told him MERRY F'ING CHRISTMAS. although, you know- the real thing. it was a nice moment in my life.

i hope it gets better!

kate said...

i came back for a laugh.

our upstairs neighbor would get a booty call at 2:30 at least two to three times a week. they guy (who thought he was being quiet) would tap on the window and loud whisper "hey.. you in there? i'm HEEERE."

graham got so pissed one night when i was sick and they guy woke me up. he walked out there with garment top and shorts and shouted "dude.. my wife is trying to sleep. take your booty call somewhere else." it was HILARIOUS and pathetic.

and that's why we moved away from the "motel six style apartments."

angela hardison said...

haha. oh dear... yes, i'm laughing.

sorry for the neighbor troubles. hopefully she learned to keep her mouth shut, and you feel more at home in your new place.

also that photo of you guys is super darling.

sweetlissybug said...

Yay! A place of your own! Excited! But what the crazy neighbor? I'm sorry but not all Ute fans are crazy like that. You should just stomp on the floor and yell, "If you would stop yelling, your apartment would be quieter!" January is just three months away. You can make it. I love your picture and those bats are the bees knees! :D

J & J said...

You have a Baldwin couch. I love those. I dream of having one one day. Good for you for banging on her door. I would've done the same thing, except I probably would have used a few explitives because I'm good at that. Sometimes the mama bear just has to come out, damnit. I'm proud of you. I'd love to catch up soon. Much love.

Eliza said...

gee whiz. next time she bugs you, you should just say, "excuse me, do you know who i am? i'm abby friggin' sharp, the best gosh-dang dancer at the american ballet academy. who the heck are you? NOBODY!"

Brooke said...

That is too funny. I would have cried too. and laughed too. Having your own place is way underrated!

Christina said...

I totally relate! Everything we did resulted in bangs from our neighbor's ceiling - she even called the police on us SIX times because our children were playing too loud.

Some people just need to do better. We bought a house and were grateful the day we didn't have to put up with her anymore. Good luck!