7/26/2007

Meddling

Last night I had a dream about ~Jennifer and I was telling her about my neighbor. She actually rolled her eyes a double whammy when I told her this story:

I was grilling a rack of ribs for dinner last night wearing my sporty little black skirt (it hits right above the knee and is cotton draw-string) with my light blue close fit Wonder Woman t-shirt. I had my black flip flops on. My neighbor approached me while grilling to see how her daughter was doing, who was playing up in my Girl's room.
"Are you letting your hair grow out again?" She asked.

"I don't know," I said, "maybe. It was short last year and now it is growing out again, yeah."

She looked me up and down. "You look.....casual."

Huh?

I didn't respond. What do you say to that? And furthermore, what does that mean?

I looked just fine to me, I guess.
What's wrong with that?

I guess I should have commented to her that she has been wearing the literal same outfit for five days now (she lost her job or quit it so I have been seeing her every day since) and at least I have some stinking variety no matter how casual. It is stifling hot and she is wearing jeans and a quarter length sleeved cotton black sweater. Real dressy.

What gives, my friends?

Since she has been home from work she has been rapping at my door every day wanting to let her girl play. Yesterday she came over for a few hours and I had to do my routine run of the library in the afternoon and asked the neighbor girl to go home. Then I thought, I bet her mommy is sleeping, so I should call her and see if it is ok if the girl comes along. I don't know what I was thinking. The neighbor girl high tails it home, comes back in a flash and I say, "Is your mom asleep?"
She nods yes. She never talks and I personally don't like the girl. She is mean to my girl.
"Did you talk to her?"
She nods yes. Come on. I give my neighbor a ring. No answer.
Great. I am stuck with her kid no matter what. The chick is asleep.
So I took her and the whole clan.

Right after my run yesterday morning is when the neighbor brought her girl here. I was sitting at the computer, cooling off. I heard her wrap at the sliding glass door at the back of the house. I decided to ignore it. She did it again. Then she did what is the unthinkable in my mind and went to the window and started knocking really hard on it. It was a sound that made me jump to my feet.

I opened the glass door.
"Oh, you are here," she said.
"Yes."
"Can she play?"
"Go on in, she is upstairs." I said to the girl. She ran in.
The woman looks me up and down (she does that a lot). "You were working out?"
"Yep."
"I didn't see you through the window."
"No, I just finished five minutes or so ago."
"Oh."

Save me, people. Jennifer, would you roll your eyes under these conditions?

In a bit I will update this post with a picture of my outfit. Maybe me in my outfit. It really is not so bad.

18 comments:

KingJaymz said...

I'd get a restraining order. I really feel you on this one.

Oh, and the outfit sounds cute. Casual? I'd snap.

Anonymous said...

You really are too kind. I would soooo not babysit her kid especially if she was sleeping. She is the type that would wake up, find out you were gone with her kid and sue you or something. she is an unpredictible freak. Do you wear jeans?

R said...

Jared--I know, it gets crazy. Sometimes what she says is so ridiculous I don't immediately have that Dave Letterman wit to make her think. I just don't think about insulting someone every time I see them like she does. Not in my nature.

Ba Doozie--I guess I am. I am not sure she is like that, she WANTS me to take her kid at all times. She does not want to deal with her because she is spoiled and demanding.

I wear jeans at night going somewhere during the summer or during other seasons. Just not in the middle of the summer when it is hot and gross. Since I run I better have decent enough legs to pull off shorts or a skirt. And if not, at least they are not fat and full of veins.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I think that skirt is sexy.

Sexy casual.

Also, wearing a skirt means that you're wearing something more dressy than pants. Skirt = auto-upgrade

Anonymous said...

Ah, yeah, the outfit looks fine to me - better than what most of the women wear to church here in my neck of the woods.

Except, I'm not sure you're aware of this, but the writing on your shirt is backward. It says rednoW namoW, sort of. Or maybe you just like to wear it inside out, huh?

Hey, I actually kind of like that anyway - Look; up in the sky! It's Rednow Namow!!

Anonymous said...

(JRH, you are absolutely hysterical. You should be on Letterman.)
My Dear R, I am so glad that I do not live by your neighbor. It sounds like she has the ability to "damn with faint praise" as Anne of GG used to say.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with your outfit. Do not let this woman in your mind with her stupid comments and critical attitude.
I agree with Alisa.
I used to have a neighbor like that. She interogated me everytime I left the house. One day, I reached in my purse and pulled out my dead cat and threw it at her. She never bothered me again.

R said...

Alisa---you are too stinking nice. I love the skirt myself, I have another that is medium blue but it was in the wash. Yeah, that is what made me wonder. Isn't a skirt more dressy than pants or shorts? What did she mean by casual? Huh? Wha---? I think she always wants to put me down, keep me under her thumb when she encounters me, so that is all she could come up with.

JRH---I know, there is something wrong with the shirt! Ha ha! I never noticed that! LOL!!All I truly need though is red boots to set up the whole look.

Shealy---Thank you for the affirmation. I just think this lady is ridiculous and constantly on the lookout for an insult to me with a smile on her face for some reason. Maybe it is because she is twenty five years older than me and has no significant other? Maybe it is because she hates me? Maybe it is because she is mad at me all the time but doesn't know how else to show it? Who knows.

I think what gets her the most is that I don't respond to anything she says period. I don't give her the confirmation that she would ever bother me. I think it drives her nuts. She thinks that I am perfect but likes to point out every imperfection. Weird combo, eh?

~Jennifer said...

My eyes are not the only things that would be rolling! I would never in a million years be able to show the restraint you do with that woman. I used to think I would have more restraint the older I got too, but it is just the opposite! I'm finding it harder and harder not to just say what is on my mind many times. Next time you have a dream, dream about me flicking your neighbor on the head. ;-)

~Jennifer said...

Make sure you don't skim my previous comment or it looks like I'm saying something really nasty. :-P

Jenn said...

Tell me now, are you left handed? I'm curious....

You poor girl...now you are dreaming of psycho neighbor lady. I think the only way to get along with a passive aggressive person is only answer back in questions to her. I know what you are going through. I grew up with your neighbor as a mother figure. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

"You look casual.."

"What do you think is casual?"

or a scenario from my childhood:

"Only streetwalkers wear black nylons"

"Do you really think I look like a hooker?"

And R, I love you dearly, don't get me wrong, but might I suggest you saying "No" more often? At first it is hard and uncomfortable. But worth it. Aren't you miserable doing what you don't want to do? Just say "No". Just do it. I double dog dare you. Then you can have some more good blog material...hehe.

~Jennifer said...

I triple dog dare you!

R said...

I actually do say no quite a bit, especially with her. The good thing is that I don't mind her daughter playing with mine, granted, if she is not sick and all that. It gets hard having a lonely girl with two big brothers that don't want to watch Barbie of Swan Lake with her.

The neighbor has actually asked me to think about taking her daughter in as her daycare during the summer and as you can tell, I did not go with that. I didn't say no, but I didn't talk to her about it again. Then, she would like me to meet the girl at the bus stop after school at a certain time (with scheduling I doubt I will even consider it) and I will probably have to turn the lady down for that too. In fact, she has asked me for a lot of things in the past and I have flatly told her I couldn't do it---other things were going on. I think she is mad at me because of those times and she is also mad that she can't manipulate me.

I also say no every time the neighbor girl and the neighbor come over to the house *at night* (around the Girl's bed time) to play. I think the neighbor resents my aloofness and truly wants me to be her golden ticket to freedom from her demanding grand daughter. I don't mind taking the girl to the pool once in awhile or even to the library. Hey, this girl has a convict for a dad, an estranged drugged up mother, a grandmother who is her "other mommy" who sleeps all the time and just wants her gone, and no father figure at all. The only stable person I have seen in her life is her Aunt, who is perfectly polite and kind to me. Never insults me, totally tame. She may as well hang around me sometimes and see what a real family is like. Ya know?

But yes, I should probably say no more than I do. You are totally right. I am not being defensive, I just thought I should explain some of the circumstance a little more. I have some pity for the girl, as much as I don't like her as a person. She doesn't have much to emulate as far as being likable.

R said...

Emma---forgot to tell you, I am NOT left-handed, although most of the lefty's I have known are incredibly artistic. What does that make me? Maybe you have some secret about it. Why do you ask?

Anonymous said...

When I was growing up in Indy, my dad was frequently unemployed and drunk or working on it, or depressed and wanting me to be his analyst, and my mom was always at work. The lady across the street let me hang out at her house with her daughter and her daycare kids many, many days for free. You can't meet all the needs in the world, but thank you for what you are doing for that little girl.

Jenn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jenn said...

OIC, that makes sense, R...it almost sounds then, that she could be a bit jealous of you? I don't know. That's just weird of her to act so passively hostile.

I asked about your handedness, because you are a lover, not a fighter, you play guitar, sing, are incredibly artistic, family means a lot to you, full of grace and that makes you just like my younger sister (who doesn't blog). She's a lefty, (so that is a compliment..btw.) hehe.

Mama Bear said...

Just say, "No."

Dapoppins said...

You are even cute when you are casual...your poor neighbor needs Jesus....and I don't know what else to say.

That stroy was worth a few eye rolls, that is for sure.