Monday, August 11, 2008

They've Arrived...Dum Dum Dummmm

I wish that I was really technically savvy so that I could have some great space alien theme music going for this post, but alas I'm not. So, you all will have to pretend that you hear scary screams and Martian screeches as you read this next sentence...

They've arrived!

No, I haven't had an out of world experience or been beamed up to some flying saucer. I've got new neighbors. Neighbors of the upstairs variety...

Those of you that have been reading for any length of time or know me personally will understand why this calls for scary space alien music. I hate neighbors. I know, I know...that makes me sound horrible and well when it comes to noisy neighbors I guess I am. I had a horrible experience in college with apartment living so I guess I'm once burned twice shy. Neighbors were the one thing I had capitalized in the con column of moving to an apartment.

When I first moved in, the apartment above me was empty. I prayed that it would stay that way, but apparently God sees this as a trial in patience. At first I thought it was just this older woman, but since I've seen a man and a teenage girl going in and out. The man and woman hold hands and the girl calls them mom and dad...what are the chances they are just helping her move and they won't actually be living there?

I've tried to be understanding, patient, nice, but darn it...they sound like Sasquatch up there! There is much stomping and banging. Some might say I'm over-reacting, but when my friend Nina was here the other night she heard it too. I swear, sometimes I just look at the ceiling knowing that it is about to come crashing down on my head at any second. The only good thing...they seem to go to bed at a reasonable hour so my sleep isn't being disturbed...too much.

I went to bed a little early last night so I laid there, praying my ceiling fan wouldn't fall, and thought of ways I could ask them to walk softly. Maybe I could gently remind them that they lived on the second floor which meant there was someone below them...you know in case they forgot. Or maybe I could go up and say that I'd heard them moving in and slip in that it sounded like they were making their furniture from scratch. Of course I'd bring along a cake or something to take the sting out of the words. Maybe I could call the cops...loud walking in apartment 907 Officer.

But then I get realistic...no one called the cops, made tacky comments, or brought me a cake when I moved in. And I did my share of hammering. Also, no one complains when I get on to Toby about biting...which is fairly often. So, I'll probably just bite my own tongue and buy some new ear plugs. Besides...how long can it take to get settled into a new place right?

***I know this was a total rant post, but my blog so I get to rant!***

11 comments:

Lori said...

hee-hee! You sound like me ~ I would think of all these clever things I COULD say and do, but wouldn't ever actually do them. But wouldn't it be nice, just once?
surely they will settle in soon...

Anonymous said...

It's funny, this post; when I was younger and lived in apts., I refused to live on the ground floor. If anyone was going to be making noise above someone's head, it was going to be me!

Jacquie

Niners said...

Thanks for your thoughtful comment on my post. It really makes me feel good to know I have friends who are there for me.

I feel your pain with the neighbors. I have neighbors too, and they sound like a herd of elephants runnig across the floor. I have banged on the ceiling acouple of times, but it didn't do any good. At least yours go to bed at a reasonable hour, I don't think mine ever sleep.

Steff said...

Lori: Oh yeah...just once it would be nice to say what you're thinking and not have to censor yourself. Haha!

Jax: See, I didn't want to live on the second floor (for lots of reasons) so I know that I don't have too much room for complaint. But still...

Nina: I banged on the ceiling the other night too...I didn't know if it did any good though. Oh well...I had to live in an apartment so I guess I've got to take the good with the stomping. ;)

Nikky said...

It's nice to hear a rant out of you occasionally, reminds me that nobody's perfect! It's been quite awhile since I've heard you rant, I was beginning to think I saw a halo and wings over here!

Seriously tho, good luck to the neighbors with their settling in that they're obviously working diligently on!

Steff said...

Nikky: Oh friend...no halo and wings here! You must have missed all my whiney rants about HISD and my move and my teeth. I've actually been almost too rant-y for my taste. But I thought rowdy neighbors called for a little bit of one! ;)

Melissa said...

I've never lived in an apartment, but I did live in a dorm in college. I was on the top floor of a three-story building, but my main problem was the folks UNDER me - I kid you not, they woke me up at 2 a.m. singing "Eye of the Tiger" at the tops of their lungs! And when I went down there to ask them to PLEASE turn their stereo down, they seemed genuinely shocked that they'd disturbed anyone at that hour.

doodlebugmom said...

My nearest neighbor is nearly a mile a way. A bachelor, he stops by once in a while. Funny,he tends to show up when we are baking cookies and never says no when we ask if he wants to take some home :)

doodlebugmom said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nikky said...

Wow, Steff, we have very different ideas of rants then, I remember the moving and the teeth, I didn't see those as rants, I saw them as "shit happens reporting"... you ARE much sweeter than me... Either way, I'm hoping things are quieting down above you... any news?

smileymamaT said...

Oh I remember apartment neighbors... you're right, they'll likely settle down soon. Of course they may always be heavy walkers, some people just are. At least Mom and Dad hold hands...that's a good sign, right? :)