Meet *My* Neighbors...

Or what's LEFT of them anyway.

Across the street from our house sits a nice VACANT house, formerly lived in by a nice guy in his 50s who rides a Harley, owns 2 Dachshunds, and works his tail off for a living. He also owns a nice trailer that he takes on trips across the state. He never bothers a soul, tended to his lawn and garden plot religiously, and was there to lend a hand. He MOVED recently, because" He has had it with this neighborhood". And he's a Vietnam VET (that thinks this area is bad). What's THAT tell 'ya?
Next to his house sits ANOTHER vacant house, formerly occupied by a nice couple. She was disabled (legally, too), and he was semi-retired. She had a garden that she kept looking REAL nice, and they wound up inheriting some money from a deceased person who appreciated the care they had given him in his last years. They MOVED because they didn't want to remain in the area...so they had a house BUILT...AWAY from the city.
Next to that house is a younger couple...never hear a peep from them, so it's only a matter of time before they become disenchanted with the area and leave.
At the end of that side of the street is our "pride and joy"...a FOUR-TIME DUI FELON, who is back out AGAIN after his latest stint in the Allen County lockup for 2"failure to appear" counts in court. This guy is the LOSER people warn you about....slovenly appearence AND behavior, always looking to do damn near ANYTHING for a buck (or a beer). He even cut his finger, smeared it with feces so it would become infected (and amputated) ALL because he didn't want to take a required DRUG TEST. Lord only know what types of crap he's been putting in himself. And in the 9 years I lived on the street, he has NEVER worked a job, unless you consider fencing stolen items a "job".

Moving across the street is another vacant hovel...been empty for a while now. The last person living there was a single black woman who only stayed there for a few months, then booked. The place had been trashed to the tune of $1500 (according to the "landlord").
Next to that house is a guy who has "The Eternal Flame" fire pit out back....he'll burn anything AND everything simply because he CAN...and will. He's got a boy there, but not all the time, so he's probably got visitation rights. At least he seems to be WORKING.
Next door to that house is the "druggie of the block"...a burnout from the 70s if EVER there was one. He USED to work for GM, but due to his be stioned (and drunk) so damn much, he LOST that job, so HE doesn't work anymore. Other neighbors have said that he sold guns for drugs, and that he used to GROW pot in his house. The police have broken up a few fights at his place, but can't seem to find the balls to put him away for a good long time.
Moving up the block is the hosue my friend and neighbor USED to live in. He and his wife had a house built ACROSS from a PIG FARM, 30 miles out of town, after HE came into some money when his parents were killed in a car crash. He NOW owns FIVE acres (enough for his 2 horses) with a pond and a basement large enough to have a bowling alley in. He doesn't mind the pig farm, saying "It's better than living in our OLD neigborhood". A single white mom moved in...and there is now a big black guy there all of a sudden (with his 1978 Lincoln Ghettosled). We can only guess as to how MANY the final talley will be.
Next to that house is another single mother of two, whose boys have JUST recently learned how "neat" GRUNGE ROCK can be (when played loudly). This house is a mere 20 feet from MY property line, so you know I get to "enjoy" the music. The woman there has been known to be a constantly recovering alcoholic/ druggie, and her deadbeat brother is now living there with them, having HIS jailbird friends over.
Next house is a small bungalow, owned and lived in by a retired German man...we rarely see him, except when he mows his lawn every other week. He's good about that. He doesn't bother anyone either, and basically lives with all the noise. But since he's not around all the time, that's a moot point.
And then we're back to MY house....so there you are...from a rowhouse block of over FORTY families to a block with ONLY TEN houses on it. Weird, huh? All the surrounding blocks are similar in housing, but most all other blocks are 80-90% black or hispanic. And we ALL know they LOVE their noise, whether it's mobile OR stationary. And with MOST retals...whoever moves into them curiously MULTIPLIES after a short time...from ONE tenant...to FIVE in 3 months. Amazing, huh?
So...what would YOU rather have? Would you like the 40 families who are better behaved in a decent neighborhood, or would you prefer a lot fewer people with a myriad of problems in a ghetto-esque neighborhood?

AS for ME? Well, those Amish way out of town are looking REAL good as far as neighbors go THESE days...aren't they "JACOB"? LOL!