I’m blogging a little more frequently because I guess, as when I started, it is serving as sort of an outlet for me. I have a little extra time since it is summer time and thought I would return to the blog world.

Usually if I am blogging frequently I have something on my mind and I am using this as a distraction. I don’t want to discuss those issues in detail or anything but it’s just a hard time. So, thanks for listening, and let the randomness commence.

THINGS I HATE ABOUT LIVING IN THE HOOD
I’m not sure I mentioned it or not, but I told you that I moved from Atlanta to some east coast city last year. While I’d like to say that I have no problems with living in the hood, and I might just say that 80% of the time, this is not that time at all. I’m real annoyed tonight because I was trying to have a moment, do some reading, relax, enjoy my crunchy, fruity salad again (which was so delicious), and there is just so much going on outside. So in honor of my very “hood” surroundings, I would like to explain to you why I’m about to go outside and slap someone, anyone, right now (which would totally defeat that reading I was talking about a few minutes ago lol).

1. Noise (DUH?) This is clearly why I’m writing this post in the first place. If it wasn’t so blasted noisy, I would be reading and relaxing and not venting online. The noise comes in categories:

- Cars. I live on a fairly busy street, and there is a traffic light right outside. Unfortunately, every time it turns red, I can hear one verse of SOMEONE’S music blasting from their car. My thing is, your music in your car never has to be that loud, ever. EVER!

- Bus. There is also a bus stop outside, and if the house wasn’t so old, I probably wouldn’t complain about the fact that I hear air brakes every 10 minutes. But it’s real annoying when seeking peace and quiet, or at 3am when you’re too hot to sleep upstairs in your bed, and you’re sleeping on the couch because it’s cooler down there.

- Visitors. Not MY visitors. I have no visitors. lol However, the neighbor is “popular” and has lots of visitors although he lives alone. AND i know he lives alone because he often chats up these visitors for a while in front of the house, loudly. I told you we might as well not even have a front wall to the house because you can hear everything outside as if they are in the living room. This doesn’t usually bother me until, oh, 12 am or so. What in the heck kind of visitors do you get at 1am…

2. Shady business. (nuff said) lol

3. Drug paraphernalia. I don’t appreciate it being ok to leave used drug paraphernalia on our stoop (yes, I said stoop!). We’ll open the door and see all kinds of surprises in front of our door.

4. Trash. Why must there always be SO much trash all over the place in the hood? I just don’t get it at all. Why don’t we throw stuff in trash cans??? You can drive 4 blocks over though and it’s all pristine. The demographic interestingly enough also changes. I’m not blaming the trash on the demographic, I’m just making an observation. I ran into a dude at the gas station (the trash picker upper– I’m sure that’s not what he calls himself, but that’s what he does), and he was fired up about how messy it was and how it is like that every morning when he comes over there. My thing is that it’s job security for him, but he went on a black folks don’t keep up anything rant and I was just trying to get some gas.

5. Celebrations lol We’ve had fireworks going off (or firework-like noises…) every night since Memorial Day. I’d like it to stop. Now.

6. Fires. Why is there always a fire on my street or around the corner??? I just don’t get that. Fortunately the fire department is also a block away so that’s nice.

7. The woman with the bad grill. I admit that I’m wrong for bringing her up but I have to mention her because as you are approaching the block (in the car) you have to watch out for her so that you don’t hit her. She will intentionally walk out in front of your car and do a Coming to America-ish “HALT!” in front of your car. Once you stop, she will proceed to walk up to your window and start knocking and talking to you. The first time she did that I stopped (of course, well I stop each time because I don’t want to run anyone over), but I was real puzzled, and my window was already down. I was like, oh God is this a jack?!? Fortunately it wasn’t, but I keep the windows up now lol

8. Folks who talk to people who are all the way down the street. YOU SHOULD NEVER (EVER?) yell to someone down the street like you’re sitting next to them, and proceed to have an entire conversation. Walk your lazy booty down there and have the conversation! Didn’t I just say that the walls are essentially nonexistent?? I don’t want to hear everything you have to say today. Really I don’t care about what the heck you’re talking about and in fact, I don’t appreciate that you’ve woken me up with your foolishness!

*breathing*

9. In line with #8, I also hate when people yell from 2nd and 3rd floors down to someone down the street. GO downstairs or get a phone. DO something! AH!

10. WHY IS THERE ALWAYS a fight going on outside??? I am resting peacefully in my bed when I hear someone scream, and it’s usually a girl– because the men on my block don’t fight, they “celebrate”– then some ridiculous foolishness commences. It is usually followed by someone screaming for them to shut up (from their 3rd floor window), and someone yelling to someone down the street. Then someone with loud music stops, and gets out of their car. Then the cops come with sirens blaring, and people scamper, running and yelling every whichaway down the street… Then the bus passes.