Fan Mail

Since we moved to this neighborhood, Jim and I have enjoyed so many encounters with our neighbors. We're such a local curiosity that it's been fun to invite our neighbors into the house and show them what all the construction has been about. We've received messages of support -- and often relief -- all the way around. Almost universarly, our neighbors have expressed how pleased they are that finally someone is fixing this eyesore up.

That said, I just wanted to share with you a lovely message left, purportedly, by one of our neighbors, on both our car windshields -- two copies, just to ensure we'd get the message:

Dear Neighbor,

I understand, that it is a huge undertaking to buy a house for your family, and try to refurbish it , all while trying to go out and earn a living for them.

I also understand that, you would want to refinish the inside of the house for your family's well being & comfort before tackling the outside ...

BUT, Enough is Enough ... You have a RESPONSIBILITY to your neighbors to do something about the exterior of your home! It's a fucking scandal, and it's been like this for a long time.

Again, I'm not telling you to spend your money outside, when there are important things to attend to inside. But, get your lazy ass out there and clean it up (get rid of the fence, the vine/branch, the foot tall weed-lawn). That doesn't cost a thing, it just requires you to put forth some effort.

I know what it's like to be up til 1 or 2 am, everyday for a year, swinging hammers, and then get up and go to work the next day. But, I'm going to venture a guess and say ... YOU"RE NOT THAT GUY. I don't see it. I don't hear it.

Show some self respect, and clean up your property.

And a hand written message at the bottom:

BTW. I wrote this only after listening to so many other neighbors complain.

Didn't even sign his (or her) name. The coward.

Now, I'm not sure that I even want to do this message the honor of ridiculing it. I'll only say how much I love that last handwritten line -- an intimidation tactic that I, myself, mastered in high school. "It's not just me who thinks you're a bitch. Everybody's talking about it."

I'm thinking small person, down on himself, looking for someone to kick to make himself feel better. Wish I could tell him it just doesn't work like that.