My next door neighbors, um, "ain't from around here." I've talked to them just a little... friendly, polite people. English is not their first language, I think, and one claims to not speak any English. Perfectly well he said, "I don't speak any English." Okay, then.

It's been raining off-and-on here since about last Wednesday. The grass and fallen leaves are straight-up wet.

A moment ago I heard a mower start up. I looked out the window and saw... it's the neighbor lady. Wearing a dress and sandals.

Sent up a quick "bottle rocket prayer," as our pastor calls them. You know, those that you issue quickly, the instant you need something? "Lord, please keep her safe over there."

Part of me wants to go interrupt and mow it for her. Part of me says it's not my business, and remembers they've been a little reluctant to accept help in the past.

Yikes.

A saying involving duct tape comes to mind right now.

Man. I guess the neighborly thing to do is keep an eye out and if you see arterial spray and airborne toes, call the “they’re not from around here” wagon.

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBzrXPjwBOc

^^^^
Sorry, downtownv, my neighbor doesn't look a bit like Brie Larson (the girl in the video). Dangit.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
It's been raining off-and-on here since about last Wednesday. The grass and fallen leaves are straight-up wet.

I worked 14 yrs. in lawn care and I was always astounded by the number of people who wanted their lawn mowed when it was wet.
I would show up the same time, same day, every week and they would have their sprinklers going before we got there. The best ones were when the soil was mostly clay. And yes, multiple requests to alter their sprinkler schedule were made.
It wasn't my company or I would have left the clumps of grass where they lay rather than waste the time to break them up w/ blower or multiple cuttings.
Some people are dense.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBzrXPjwBOc

^^^^
Sorry, downtownv, my neighbor doesn't look a bit like Brie Larson (the girl in the video). Dangit.

Oh, I'm sure she doesn't or you'd be cutting the lawn for her!

You know it, mister!

How did it end??

Seems to be successful and injury-free. The front yard is mowed, and I didn't see any ambulance arrivals last night.

(Whew.)

That's the same way I cut the lawn. Cuts down on the complaints if I don't do it for months at a tine.

On a different note, it seems today is car washing day over there, to include cleaning the floor mats.

How do you get the bits-and-pieces out of your floor mats? You beat them like rugs! In this case, however, the mats are being beat up against the side of the car.




Good grief, I'm becoming Gladys Kravitz.

I grew up in an etnic neighborhood in Chicago. Think rag man and horse drawn vegetable wagon.

The behavior you describe sounds strangely famiiar. They speak to one another in a foreign language and refuse to speak English unless absolutely necessary. Do they carry their garbage to the dump to save on garbage pickup???

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
How do you get the bits-and-pieces out of your floor mats? You beat them like rugs! In this case, however, the mats are being beat up against the side of the car.

Reminds me of this Eastern European guy at work. Hard worker. Won quarterly and annual employee awards and all. He finally did well enough to buy himself a shiny new car.

Black, naturally (You can take the Eastern European out of Eastern Europe, but...)

So one day, after it'd rained, I was walking back inside and there he was squeegeeing the water off his car

I tried to tell him "You don't want to do that. You'll destroy the finish." He just kind of looked at me.

Two-three years later the car looked like it'd been painted flat black.