Bad Neighbours

My roommate and I have been living in a particular apartment for almost two years, and had several different people directly upstairs from us.  These latest tenants were just fine for the first few months, when it was just two girls up there who kept human hours and walked like cats.  But then a boyfriend joined them over a year ago, and it’s not been the same since then.

At first, it was nothing big, just heavy steps every now and then; or there would occasionally be an argument between them.  No big deal; but then odd things started happening.  The stomping steps became a regular thing, and loud voices were more common.  My roommate and I try to keep our conversations at a normal speaking level until the city noise ordinance kicks in from 10 PM to 6 AM.  But it seems the folks upstairs have no concept of that particular ordinance… and we think it may be intentional.

Allow me to explain.  We have experimented on numerous theories regarding their noise, specifically focusing on the possibility that they hear when we’re home, and do it then.  A few months ago, he and I got home a bit late (about 11:45 PM).  Before we even got to the building, we agreed on silent entry just to test the theory.  We opened and closed the door quietly (some WD40 may be in order), saying nothing, and going about nightly things as silently as we could manage.  There was not a sound form upstairs.  After nearly an hour and a half, I coughed and shut my bedroom door without any attempt at stealth.  Not five minutes passed before we heard someone upstairs stomp across the apartment and back, followed almost immediately by loud talking.  Hmmm………

More behaviours started to appear during the last few months.  We noticed garbage that had apparently been dumped off the balcony overhead, as well as increased noise through all hours of the night (they seem to be nocturnal).  Most notably was the last two weeks, when almost every night from about 1-5 AM there have been video game sounds and a loud, droning voice interspersed with the muffled sounds of gunshots and explosions.  We’ve pieced together that someone up there must be playing on Xbox Live with a microphone.  My roommate reported this yesterday afternoon, and they told us that this is nowhere near the first complaint they’ve received about these tenants, and that they have been informed that their lease will not be renewed if they continue to cause trouble for other tenants.

This morning, around 2 AM, our doorbell rang; I answered, and found it to be a pizza delivery.  Neither my roommate nor I orders takeout (we always go to the place and order in person, if at all), and so we told the girl truthfully that we didn’t order anything, and sent her confusedly on her way.  After I shut the door, we both looked at each other and had the same thought.  He and I find it interesting that this happened the very night after they were threatened by management.  To be fair, we have no proof that it was them trying to crank us, but the circumstantial evidence is quite suspect.  After all, once could be nothing, twice could be coincidence, but thrice usually means something is amiss.

Sadly, simply improving their behaviour probably never crossed their minds…

Even so, if this happens again, it will be reported to management, and I will go to every takeout place in the area with my ID and proof of address, and inform them that any delivery to our address is most likely fraudulent.  If there is a third instance, I will confront them directly (with the delivery person in tow, if possible), letting them know that I am aware of their standing with the management, and threatening that I will see to it they are evicted, and then forcing them to pay for the order.  Even if it’s an empty threat, I want them to know how pissed off we are at their antics.  I can be as spiteful and vindictive as most women (my coworkers have taught me how), and I do not tolerate such childish crap from supposed adults.

This is right along with my earlier post about how nasty people are to those they deem “beneath them”.

Perhaps I’m being too hard-hearted.  Maybe I should instead try to win them over with suggestions for products that suit them.

Update as of 2/8:
 This morning, someone from the office stopped by our place to inform us that the people upstairs have, in light of the many complaints received about them, been issued an eviction notice.  I know I shouldn't be happy about someone being forced out of their place of residence, but I can't help but feel a sense of lifted burden.

Chronically Single...? Mk III

I made a New Year’s Resolution last year, and declare now that I accomplished it!

Bugger…

I’m disappointed because I resolved then that I would remain chronically single for this entire year.  And so have I done, though not for lack of trying.  I actually managed to get a date in November, but I didn’t blog about it because this one was different.  Allow me to explain.

There was a girl from church I had a crush on for about a year before I finally worked up the courage to her on a date, and we were able to do it the day after Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, we never could match an opening in our schedules thereafter, and a few months later, she left for nursing school in North Dakota, so we both called it off.

Three years passed, and then I heard this last September that she was moving back to the area.  When I heard this, a slumbering beast in my chest began to stir.  Then at the beginning of November I heard that she had moved back, and the beast lifted its head to sniff tentatively at the air.  A week later, I saw her at church, and the beast sat up to gaze about and decide how to proceed.

Only two weeks later, I asked her to dinner, figuring that my problem is that I usually wait too long to act.  We went to a local restaurant and talked about all the usual junk: family, books, movies, etc.  But I wasn't sensing too much in terms of attraction from her, though she did seem to be having a decently good time.

When I was dropping her off, we sat for a spell, and I finally confessed plainly that I still liked her.  She said, smiling, “I… kind of gathered that.”  So I asked if there was anything reciprocal, to which she answered after a pause and with a tilt of the head, “I don’t object…”

The beast in my chest clawed anxiously at the ground, and I stroked my beard in a pointedly comic fashion, staring into the distance and commenting, “Hmm…  It’s a start…”

She laughed, and then went on to say that I was fun to be around, and even suggested that that maybe we could meet again for something.  I mentioned that I’d been thinking about possibly going to the Rotary lights display in Riverside Park, and taking the carriage ride.  She replied with another smile and in a higher tone than usual, “Oo… that's kind of romantic.”

I told her wryly, “Yeah, believe it or not, I do have a romantic side.  The trouble is I never really get a chance to show it…”  We both kind of laughed, and I added, “It’s just something to think about, if you’re interested.”

I got out of the car and went to open her door for her (I can be a gentleman when I choose).  We bade goodnight, and she offered me a hug (of course I took it, duh), and we went our separate ways.

Perhaps I was being a bit too optimistic about the situation, but it occurred to me that she was basically asking me to make gesture in the direction of a steady relationship if I was serious.

Well, I was going to ask her out again the next Sunday, but she left before church was done.  So I called and left a message that I had a few questions for her (not all relating to relations, but to other things going on at the time), and she never called back (I’m now given to understand that this in itself means “no”).  By Wednesday, I was feeling frustrated about the whole situation, and decided to pray about it.  When I asked if I should pursue this further, I got a fairly negative feeling.  Figuring that may have been my own paranoia, I asked instead if I was actually being redirected, to which I felt better that before.  I disliked that and finally texted the girl, asking if she was available later in the week; and this was her response:

“I don’t think so.  I don't want to lead you on.  Thank you for asking me though.  I don’t know why but I’m just not feeling it.  I am very flattered.  :)”

I replied, “Well, I won’t lie and say that didn’t hurt” (and hurt it did…) “but I can’t say I’m entirely surprised.  At least now I have some closure for my feelings for you, and can move on.  Speaking of being upset, what are the girls at work going to say?!!  : \”

She offered an apology for it all, mentioning that she’s been in the same situation too.  I told her to not feel sorry for me, because I used to do enough of that myself, and that if she's not interested, then I’ll just have to get over it.  I also said that her honesty was appreciated and somewhat endearing.

I haven’t really seen this girl much since our texted conversation (I think she's been out of town), and I sincerely hope she doesn’t feel bad about it.  After all, my feelings are my problem; not hers.  And as I told her, I’ll just have to get over it.  I still feel a bit sad if I think about it too much (in fact, I had to stop typing once and do something else until I felt better), but that will fade in time.

The only thing that still reeeaaallllllyyyy bothers me about the whole thing is that I never even got a chance to make a romantic gesture.  I never had an opportunity to show her how I feel about her.  I feel that Fate cheated me out of something this time.  It still upsets me to think about that, even over a month later.  But I suppose that wound will take extra time and care to heal.  After all, I had the impression that I was being redirected.  Where, I know not.  But I’m clearly not meant to be with this particular girl.  Only time will tell.

New Year’s Resolutions

For many, 1 January is a time to make an official declaration of some life-altering thing they are going to accomplish within the next year.  The most common, I dare say, is probably weight loss.  But why do we always say we will try to do these things on 1 January?  It’s completely pointless in most cases, as the person usually fails within a week.  Only the most determined people can ever keep an official resolution.  My theory on resolving to do something is that it shouldn’t just happen once a year.  Rather, you should resolve daily to change something for the better.

But then we encounter another problem: unrealistic goals.  Many people say (often as part of their weight loss idea) that they will “exercise for an hour every day”, or that they’ll “lose 15 lbs by March”.  Really, dude?  Are you really going to do that, or are you just saying it because it sounds good?  If you don’t exercise at all and then try to do it for an hour daily, you will only burn yourself out before you can make any progress on the weight loss.  Might I venture to suggest that, when you get home from work, you take a walk around the block?  It shouldn’t take too long to accomplish, and it will burn a few extra calories.  In a month or two, you could take a walk around two blocks, and so on; by the end of the year, you’re walking three miles a day.  That’s more than most people do, I’m fairly sure.  It’s OK to miss a day every now and then; you don’t have to be perfect.

My resolution this year is nothing, as I feel they are pointless.  My opinion was strengthened this last year when I attempted to cheat the system and make my resolution to maintain the status quo.  That didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped, saying as how I actually kept my resolution, though not for lack of trying.