Neither, but as a collective they are all fucking annoying, so taking one down* as an example may be a good move.


* Is joke, me no crazy person.

Nothing starts a day like a small electrical fire. See also: Nothing ends a day like a small electrical fire (monday).

Conversing with a sociopath.

Dumb Ass Donkey Shit this week-
Took a divot off the top of my thumb while chopping onions while angry

Slipped and fell in the street from the grease that Tony's Teriyaki Crack House empties into the gutter instead of disposing of their fry oil properly. I now have an enormous grapefruit sized bruise on my thigh that is extraordinary for it's purple color tones and how much it fucking hurts.

Donkey award goes to Wells Fucking Fargo for CHARGING me for depositing TOO MUCH CASH in my business account.

Well, this has to top everything that has annoyed me in a while.

The neighbor's "boyfriend" is a hideous, wiry, skanky, slurky, paroled cockroach who has repeatedly broken into her house, is loudly abusive and profane, and whom we have called the sheriff on a number of times. They could not do anything unless she or our landlords took out a restraining order.

My husband, being the tall and intimidating strong man that he is, let this worm know that we were done with his presence, as our neighbor has expressed great fear. Plus we're over the loud and profane drama.

Last week, Bob chased him out of the place, and we called the sheriff yet again. They told the neighbor that SHE was the only thing that could stop him from coming around. The next day she said she took out the order, and we all breathed a great sigh of relief.

Then came the problem with serving him, as he's a transient who said, "Go ahead and try to kick me off the property. I'll just tell the sheriff that I live here. I put this address on my drivers license."

So she has been in hiding since Friday, and when I came home today, there was the vermin on her property, doing what I could not see. I pretended to ignore him and came in and called the sheriff.

They arrived, and here is El Loco Crackhead, telling THEM that he lives there, and they tell me that there is no restraining order in place. And that it's his word against mine: he's telling them that he's there to mow the lawn. And I'm telling them, "Look in my backyard and see that brand-new John Deere tractor? I mow the lawn. We are the caretakers, and have been for over nine years."

So they can't get rid of this crack head, and I am standing there with tears running down my face, asking the sheriff how proud is HE to be working with a system of law enforcement, protecting people who really ask for, and need, help?

Worse than that, now the vermin knows that I called the sheriff. He's afraid of Bob, but he's not afraid of me.

The landlord came over immediately, and told the sheriff, "You're telling me that anyone can say they live here, and you won't get them off my property? He could hurt himself and sue me, and it's HIS word against MINE?"

What kind of sick world is this? A paroled freak with a violent past and history of drug use gets to waltz onto our property and claim he lives here?

Hello, Officer, if he lives here, where are his KEYS?

tanabutler - that is just hideous. I hope this is sorted out ASAP and you can get back to normality.

Tana, that's awful. I hope your neighbour is going to follow up on this - I can't see how someone simply saying they live somewhere makes it true. What's the legislation on squatting where you are?

Work is a crock of shit at the moment.

v

2 1/2 hour conference call. At least I like the guys, and half of the discussion is off-topic. Still, my ass hurts and I desperately need a cup of coffee.

Getting placed on hold for 45 minutes -- and not having speakerphone.

Tana--jesus. I am sorry. Be safe. Maybe a local domestic violence hotline will have advice?

It got worse, then it got better. Then it got worse.

Then it got better. Finally, at bedtime, our landlord called and said he'd tracked down the neighbor at work, and she said she had a restraining order in her hand against Cockroach. So he told us, "If you see him again, call the sheriff."

Then, this morning at 5 AM, Bob had that opportunity. And at 9 AM, the neighbors in back had their chance. Both times, of course, Cockroach was outside her house banging and yelling.

The sheriffs are trying to help either us or the neighbors in back to get a restraining order, thinking it will be easy to convince the judge that the Cockroach is a menace to the teenaged girls (and our baby!) who are here.

The second ray of hope is that the potential new owners are going to be informed of this neighbor, who we know now is a pathological liar who lied about having obtained a restraining order against this weasel, and whom we now suspect is in a situation of exchanging sex for drugs.

All of this would be less ironic if, just a short year ago, we were not finally rid of the angry jerk across the street, who was arrested three times in a year for domestic violence. He finally lost possession of his house to the bimbo he "beat up" (I can't stand him, but I am pretty sure she was wailing on him, too). She got a restraining order against HIM and took up residence in his house. One week later, while entertaining "gentlemen callers" (ahem) with her girlfriend, set fire to his bed, and burned the top of the house off. No one was hurt, but at last we were rid of that particular set of white trash. This is a very nice street, but for the lunatic across from us and the lunatic next to us. They must have built those houses on sacred burial grounds or something.

I am completely fried. But my menfolk are protecting me, even if the sheriffs aren't. Anyone wanna see a photo of the creep? He posed for Bob yesterday--Bob being the documentarian that he is, he took the camera out to take photos as evidence of Cockroach's presence on our property. "Bet you never thought you'd be a supermodel, huh?"

Learning a WHOLE lot more than I want to know.

Tana,
Having gone through a similar situation in the last year in my family, I feel for you.

I just ask that you not take it out on the Sheriffs. I know/am related to whole platoons of cops. More often than not they really do want to do something but legally can't.

In the old days, they probably would have picked him up, taken him to the edge of town, told him to never come back and left a physical sample of what would happen to him if he ever did come back. Just as against the law then as it is now; the only difference being that before this guy would be ignored and now he'd get a lawyer, sue the cops and the county, and the cops would lose their job and pension.

Just a thought.

Tana,

Everytime you add a chapter to this I have to rush over to the Reasons to Be Cheerful thread to recover. How you are getting through and retaining your sense of humour is amazing to me.

The only thing I can think to say is, obviously this guy will be shooting himself in the foot (or being shot by someone else) any time now and the authorities will then be able to cart him, or what remains of him, far far away...

If warm thoughts from a cold country help at all, you've got mine.

Flyfish

Restraining orders are what I give to the waiter when my strained peas are lumpy.

Labored.

Well, whaddya want for free?

At first I had "I'm annoyed that I don't have a nickle for every restraining order issued", but decided that could be taken as mean-spirited. Strained peas may be labored, but they are inherently good-natured.

No justice, no peas? Increase the peas?

Are you trying to apeas me?

I always eat my peas with honey
I've done so all my life
It makes the peas taste mighty funny
But it keeps them on the knife.

Well, it is the annoyances thread.

Can't find an author. Seems to be anonymous. My school friend wrote it--or maybe her mother wrote it in on her behalf--in my autograph book (I have no longer, but they were all the rage at school when I was around 7 or 8).

DAMN shrimp today had preservatives in them that made me break out (and the chef) in a small rash (knuckles mainly)...they came from Tunisia...head on huge fuckers - 3 kg box - I hate when they dont label the chemicals...fuk

any tips (other than the obvious (gloves))??

Was is there always some old man on the damn machines at the gym trying to lift far to much weight and taking far to long about it? Damn it all, there are fat people trying to get thin.

The corporation that I contract my services to was handed down an emergency spending freeze two weeks ago, and while I survived the first-of-year budget cuts, I'm not so confident about this freeze. I'll find out tomorrow morning.

I'm trying very hard not to spend the day paralyzed by anxiety but so far I've spent most of the day paralyzed by anxiety.

Finally buying cloud atlas in hardback and finding it's printed on that coarse paper which will start to yellow within six months. Grrr.

A big contrast with one of the other books in the delivery, Robin Fedden's Chantemesle , produced, in Eland's justifiably proud words, "on fine, pliable, cream-coloured paper. [...] gathered in sections by our printer and sewn as well as glued".

clb

Just heard a really bad cover of the Kate Bush Classic "Hounds of Love"

The term "dynasty"

Peanut's first bad cold.

It sucks not being able to do anything to make her feel better!

The AC going full blast in my office. The only time I'm not cold is when I'm wearing a turtleneck & sweater. Yes, I should probably keep a little sweater or something in my office, but that's just as annoying. OTOH, there's always the National Geographic throw that came with my atlas...

Goddamn insomnia. Now I have to go to work on a Monday morning on 1 and 1/2 hours sleep.

GG, how distressing! I feel your pain. Heard anything yet?