There's GOT To Be A "Mourning" After...

Sometimes I amaze even myself with the ability to turn a phrase and do the "play on words" thing. Well, maybe it IS because of my rampant cynicism...who can say?

And NO, this has nothing to do with a song from the original Poseidon Adventure. In fact, this couldn't be farther from anything approaching normalcy.

In that regard, I wish I could be WRONG...for once.

But that's not the case.

Now be honest...you just KNEW I'd be doing an follow-up entry about the "post-funeral extravaganza" in my neighborhood...so here we go.

Brace yourselves for this one (think...quasi-block party).

And do forgive the overall clarity of the pictures...I didn't want to ID any person "specifically"...(especially if they have one or two outstanding warrants) ...LOL!

The people at the house started setting up TABLES out front on the lawn before 10AM, and it looked to be something akin to a combination between a Brady Bunch and a Walton family reunion! Looked to be close to FIFTY chairs stacked and ready to be "deployed".

The funeral "escort" vehicle (from SLE - whoever they are) looked more like an unmarked Crown Vic from the FWPD with it's flashing red wig-wags...

I'll bet that scared the living bejeesus out of a LOT of the mourners in this caravan...maybe that's why so many of them hung back...LMAO!

I didn't know ANYONE but law-enforcement could have RED flashing lights...wonder when THAT changed? Anyway, they all lined up, blocking the street, replete in their purple "funeral" flags, and after everyone figured out who went where, off they went....and although some feel it's bad luck to count the cars, there was a total of 28 (just for the record) in the procession. Besides, I already HAVE "bad luck"....look where I bloody well LIVE!

As far as parking goes, I strung a thick rope across the entrance to MY driveway (in the off chance that someone would want to "avail themselves" of it, because they LOVE doing that) to go with the already posted sign that reads NO TRESPASSING. Yeah, I hate being like this, but there is this "presumption" that whatever YOU have is automatically THEIRS...sorry, Bobby don't play that.

The streets were ALL but blocked and the intersection had enough parking violations to make some cop retire a few years early (if he / she were on commission). Sure it's inconvenient to everyone ELSE living around here, but it's for "their baby", so screw conventionality, such as having this shindig in FRANKE PARK'S PAVILION (where there would be at least ENOUGH ROOM to accommodate all these party-people).

Oops, sorry, that costs MONEY, and besides, we can't annoy enough people THERE....(right, gotcha).

They even added a tent to cover the "dinner guests" (I suppose it was "catered" by KFC?), and it had all the makings of Fort Wayne's OWN BLACK EXPO...all we needed were the perfunctory speakers and preachers. The trash has already overflowed ALL their cans and waste bins, so it will be fun to see what they find to empty all the crap into (besides my lawn).

"Yo, Matt Gratz...got a couple DUMPSTERS you're not using this week"?

And as far as "trash" goes, it's like living in a damn landfill, except the landfill is a HELLUVA lot more QUIET!

**(note to self - chat up Sheriff Ken about relocating to where he wants to put the new ACSD shooting & driving ranges near that OLD landfill...I could use the serenity and security)

Sitting outside was naturally, a "no-go", because of the ambient noise level. And of course the redneck white trash (mentioned in the previous post) had to crank THEIR music UP so as not to hear the (c)rap music from the "expo" one street over. Again...we've got those Dueling Dip$hits. The white trash even found some FIREWORKS to set off....wow, yet ANOTHER violation of city ordinances.

Things went as well as could be expected , with even a POLICE CAR driving by (and doing nothing to quell the din) until about 9:20 PM...that's when good old Engine 11 showed up at their house, followed by the TRAA EMS. Maybe choked on a chicken bone? MY WORST fear was that ANOTHER person at that house had died, and we would wind up starting all this bull$hit all over AGAIN for ANOTHER week. But it didn't look like that was the case (thank the maker).

Eventually, the party broke up around 11PM, when the last stragglers drove off into the night. The trash stacked behind the place is simply amazing...(pssst...it's called PLANNING for an event, as in having ENOUGH trash receptacles).

Again, if this had been held in Franke Park....oh well.

So ends THE WEEK OF HELL in my neighborhood...for now anyway.

Yessiree...gotta LOVE life in Fort Wayne, where your property tax money is ALWAYS put to such GOOD use, don'cha think?