Funniest thing happened this evening.

[Elvira]

The funniest thing happened this evening.

Remember in another thread I told you all how I showed my neighbor the secret santa gift I made, and she loved it. Well, she told another neighbor about it, and they both came knocking on my door to see it again. The new lady loved it and wanted to know who I was giving it to and how come I was making it so soon. I explained it was for christmas in july's secret santa on our forum and now she wants to join!!!! She asked if there was how-tos and step by step instructions, I thought that was really cute. I have to give her the site name, I drew a blank while outside talking to them. :deer:

THEN... while we were all outside talking another neighbor joined in chatting and he was wearing the coolest german shepherd t-shirt, I mentioned I had one but it was now well worn and in the trash. He disappeared for about 5 minutes and came back with 2 brand new identical t-shirts that I was talking about. He gave them to me!! I couldn't believe it. I was so thrilled! Tomorrow I will go buy him 24 beer since he wouldn't let me pay him for them. Some ppl are so awesome! It felt like christmas!!!

[Sickie Ickie]

That's what it's all about. Make it last the year and not just a season. :)

I'm looking forard to seeing their posts! Just be sure to warn them not to give away your secret gift info. ;)

[putrid]

Totally cool neighbors Elvira. Folks like that are always welcome.

[Elvira]

Oh yeah! But they have their house listed :( so I think they will be leaving if they get what they are asking for it. He mentioned that he didn't care if he sold or not, but if they get what they want they have another house in mind. *sigh* not many other friendly ones around here. Mostly Pakistani's and they are SO NOT into Christmas or Halloween. I can see that house selling to more, seems to be the trend in this neighborhood.

[Sickie Ickie]

I got really annoyed a couple years ago with not many people decorating, Elvira. So, I decided to do something about it and decorate for my children and myself. I think the neighborhood may catch on sooner or later...but if not, then at least I can share the fun to others. :)

[Elvira]

I agree, I have a saying..... which is not suitable for this forum I might add, that best describes how I feel about people who don't like the idea of others decorating in the neighborhood :D

Last night we were working on the christmas north pole (ryans project) and the grim reaper, oh you can imagine the looks we got from people passing by! LOL Lots of curious people stopped to see what the heck we were doing with a reaper and north pole, I am convinced they think I am nuts!

[Mummy deer-est]

Nuts is fun!! Be nuts!

Passing on our happy little forum is a great thing! I'm lucky enough to have a very friendly neighborhood with lots of people who decorate. Lots of kids to get into it too...

[Elvira]

Well, I'm definitely nuts! LOL Today, I worked on tombstones. I managed to get two
3/4's finished. They both need their final painting and one needs lights put into it. Neighbors yesterday saw me out with christmas projects, today was halloween. Maybe I should start an Easter project tomorrow. LOL

Yes Mummy you are lucky to have neighbors that decorate, I have a few that throw up a string up lights and call it done (half of the bulbs don't light and the strings are barely hanging) I say why bother? More of an eye sore than a decoration. Our neighborhood doesn't have any small children anymore, mostly teenagers now, they love the halloween decorating more so than christmas.

[bethene]

Elvira, sounds like the couple of neighbors are great, what a nice guy, giving you the shirts! And it'll be nice having more, so it's great if your neighbors join!
Most people on my street put up some decorations, and most are not huge, they all look nice, so I guess I am lucky !

[Elvira]

I wish more would get involved, even if its a small display, but at LEAST make it pleasing to the eye. Is really bad LOL So, yes Bethene, you are very lucky.

[Xmaslilly]

thats cool Elvira
there is one house down the street that decorates for halloween and xmas besides us.
my neighbors from 2 doors up came over the other day to see what I was working on in the back yard, her hubby told her it was for halloween which of course it was..they think I'm nuts too ..but they enjoy the party and come back the next day too...so that's all that matters

[Carrie]

Elvira, you're blessed to have such wonderful neighbors, and getting the t-shirts was so great! We live in an area with lots of tear downs, big new McMansions going up all around me (we live in a 1951 ranch style home, small..which is what all the houses used to be). I'm hoping the new neighbor we have will get inspired and join in the fun too. My neighbors on the other side are Pakistani and Bangladeshi (is that a word?). But even they put up some clear lights last year and of course, I made a big deal to tell them how great they looked. So I'm hoping they all will do more..even though they have both said "You people are nuts!"

[Mistress Muffy]

Yes that happened where I live now too! We are in this new house 4 yrs. this May. I have watched my neighbors on both sides adding more halloween & xmas decorations outside each year. It makes me feel good that just maybe we inspire them to do more.

The neighbors on one side ....are usually here for halloween & leave the dad at home to hand out treats plus their little boy is here all the time when we are building props and then he comes both at hallow. & xmas to help jerry put stuff up. As I have said before all those trips that kid makes to the garage that we don't have to be walking back & forth helps so much!

On the other side are neighbors that really don't want anything to do with us. The hubby is ok but only when his wife is not around. But they have been adding to their decorations too. He actually walked up INTO our yard when Jerry was building the coffin for the contest & he was laughing & telling Jerry..."Well she's got you building coffins now!!" He came back a few times to check it out & even showed Jer how to use that Dato blade on the saw.

Muf

[Elvira]

thats cool Elvira
there is one house down the street that decorates for halloween and xmas besides us.
my neighbors from 2 doors up came over the other day to see what I was working on in the back yard, her hubby told her it was for halloween which of course it was..they think I'm nuts too ..but they enjoy the party and come back the next day too...so that's all that matters

If nothing else, it seems to get the quiet neighbors to be somewhat sociable. I agree Xmaslily, thats all that matters, everyone having a great time. Sooo... what are you working on? :D

[Elvira]

So I'm hoping they all will do more..even though they have both said "You people are nuts!"

Yay! I'm going to the nut house with all of you.

[Elvira]

On the other side are neighbors that really don't want anything to do with us. The hubby is ok but only when his wife is not around.

Muf

I had one the exact opposite, the wife was ok when the hubby wasn't around LOL but thank goodness they moved. Actually, they were pakistani, and the husband didn't speak to women. In the 5 yrs they lived next door to me, he said not one word to me, but did to my DH. His kid broke all my solar lights along my driveway, I ain't even exaggerating, I wished I was, I had 14 lights, 14 lights he broke. I knocked on the door, and tried to tell the wife that her kid broke the lights, she didn't speak english and didn't understand. A few weeks later, her garage door broke in the open position, and she came over when we were outside in our garage, and guess what? She learned to speak english in a week! Amazing! She needed to help to put it down because her husband was out of town.

[Carrie]

Elvira, I guess she had signed up for Berlitz so that she could apologize for the broken solar lights! LOL

[Elvira]

LOL Carrie, There was NO apology of the broken lights. LOL infact, I brewed over it a few days after I discovered I'd been had by her and not speaking english, then discovering she really did, I marched over and demanded they pay for them. And yes, DH did put her door down, had it been me, nope, no way, I would have let it stay opened all night and day........lol I was so angry. The kid would wait for me to drive away and he would come over and break the lights, I couldn't believe it. LOL little brat!

[Carrie]

Elvira, I was just kidding ya. Did they ever pay you for them? If not, that really is the pits and I'd be furious too. You're being kind calling that kid a "little brat."

[Sickie Ickie]

tiny hands make light work :p

[Elvira]

Yes, I am being to kind LOL BUT, only while I type this, I was so not pleasant when I discovered she really did speak english and just did that when I confronted her about her kid breaking them. Made me think she was conveniently looking for a way to not pay for them. When I thought she really couldn't speak english, I just let it go, it was after the garage door incident that got my feathers all ruffled. Yes, they did pay for them...... but not the full amount LOL why am I not surprised, OH wait, I should add, I just bought the lights 2 weeks prior! LOL I can laugh at it now, looking back on it. BUT, at the time it wasn't funny at all.

[Carrie]

Elvira, seriously..I can see where it wouldn't be funny, not in the least. The part that would gall me the most would be the "No speaka de Englaysh!" I really don't like it when some of the tenants here pull that stunt..they don't pay their rent or they're late with it, I have to call em up and ask "Is there a problem with payment?" And then they pretend they can't speak English. But if their kitchen sink leaks or their AC isn't cold enough, they speak perfect English when they call to complain. But I can go home..you couldn't because you were already home..I'm glad you can look back on it now and laugh.

[Elvira]

Carrie I imagine you have seen alot of that throughout the years of managing. I don't know how you didn't choke em! LOL Some people amaze me at what they will do to get away with things. I can look back and laugh at it now, only because they moved! LOL In the 5 years they lived here, they were awful neighbors, the broken lights was just one incident involving their kids, another one was their oldest boy, maybe 6, took a key to my passenger door, nothing major, but black is insane when it comes to scratches, he even left their van key stuck in my lock so wasn't to hard to figure out who did it. LOL

Do you still manage aprt's etc Carrie? Are you still sane? LOL

[Carrie]

Do you still manage aprt's etc Carrie? Are you still sane? LOL


Oh yeah, I still do..but I think I was never sane to begin with, makes me uniquely suited to the job! You have to be a little bit crazy to keep your sanity!

I have what I think is a fairly typical story to share about the kinds of things some of our tenants come up with.

One day I'm sitting in my office and the receptionist comes in and says Mr. Vasilichikoff is here to see you...again. I was not in the best of moods that day, but I went out into the outer office. There stands this fairly short, very blond, heavily muscled little man..about 30 years old, with arms that look like tree trunks. I had dealt with him twice before, each time he was looking to get his rent reduced.

"Mr. Vasilichikoff? What can I do for you?"

"Yu Bass? for me, yu fix probe-lum?

"Yes, you know I'm the boss, what is the problem?"

"Bug! Velly Big Bug in house!"

"You have a bug in your apartment?"

"Yes, velly big bug in house, no good bug, I pay mooch rent, I get new house, velly big bug not pay mooch rent, yu brake contract, me go away."

"Mr. Vasilichikoff, you have a lease, we will send our exterminator to your apartment to take care of the problem for you."

"No, I vant new house, velly big bug, very bad bug! I pay mooch money for house!"

"Mr. V.., your lease provides that if you have a problem with bugs, we have the right to cure that problem. And we shall. I will call the exterminator to get rid of the bug, are there more than one? What kind of bugs did you see?"

"No, 1 bug only, velly bad bug, devil bug, I not like..I kill it! I show you!"

He then produces an envelope and hands it to me. I open the envelope and see an earwig. I spread the envelope open and basically show it to him and said

"This is what you're upset about? It's an earwig, it won't hurt you."

The guy just totally freaks out then! Starts yelling and screaming and jumps backward away from the counter. He is carrying on like someone was murdering him! Here is this muscle bound guy who looks like he could break someone in half and he's pretending to be terrified of an earwig!

He argued with me for over 1/2 an hour about that darned earwig. I knew what he was up to. Kept asking for a rent reduction. The entire drama was just a ploy to get his rent reduced..

He moved out 2 months ago and I was so glad to see him go!

[bethene]

Wow, Carrie, if you weren't insane before, you must be now!! People can be such jerks, When they act like that, I just hope Karma gets them, what goes around, comes around and all that!!

[Elvira]

"Bug! Velly Big Bug in house!" OMG! LOL Some ppl *shaking head*

[Mistress Muffy]

HHAHHAHAAH.....Can you hear me laughing Carrie.......just to funny!!

Boy I bet you are exhausted when you get home at night!!lol

Muf

[Mummy deer-est]

But earwigs are gross....:)

not gross enough for free rent, mind you, unless they actually crawl into your ear.

[Carrie]

But earwigs are gross....:)

not gross enough for free rent, mind you, unless they actually crawl into your ear.

ZAY POOT CREACHARES EEN OUR BOWEDIES CAPTAN! aaargh!
(Ensign Pavil Chekov..Star Trek!)

[Sickie Ickie]

Loved that episode!

[Elvira]

Stay tuned for the Bundy's