#2 Postby Miss Mary » Fri Jun 25, 2004 8:25 pm
Oh Dennis......can't help but sigh for you and Michelle and then laugh too. Sorry, but it's laughing WITH you, not at you. I mean what can you do? You can't completely ignore them. They must really, really like you to be going all out in duplicating what you have. I dunno...take that as a compliment?
My next door neighbors really drove me nuts the first year they were here. They were not from Cincinnati and like anyone new to our city, I merely said I was a native and would have been happy to answer any questions they may have, suggest specific stores, etc. Wellllll......let's just say they took this friendly housewarming approach and ran with it. They were calling here ALL the time. Not just for a restaurant recommendation but they wanted the BEST Italian R. in Cincinnati. Because they had an awful time in their old town (California). Bla bla bla. Jim would hang up and just say - geez, they don't just want referrals, they want to gripe about contractors, waiters/waitresses, salespeople, etc. You see it comes to this - they're very rich, don't ask me why they're on my street (none of us are in their league), we think they live on the wife's inheritance, since she came from a wealthy family. They're extremely picky, they would fire painters, contractors, right and left for the first few years. We're the DIY type over here but occasionally if we had to hire someone, I knew going in I'd never recommend my neighbors. You can't please them. They complained about everything in Cincinnati - lack of quality, top notch restaurants, weather, malls, shopping, interstates, etc. It was so bad I ran to my mailbox, but first I'd see if they were out. The walk to my mailbox isn't long at all but in that brief time out, if they caught you, you'd be having to hear it for hours. In time they got the message - oh she wants to be friendly but not too friendly. But it took a long time! They kept trying to bond with other neighbors. The wife told me once she wanted to best friends with a family so they could just go back and forth between the houses. She wanted a key to my house and to come in at all hours!
So I hear ya. Just keep your distance. One neighbor who I wished lived next door told me to keep moving, smile and nod or say hello, but never stop walking. And that worked! Try it. She has an equally annoying neighbor at her end of the street. At our ladies night out's when we all have a few too many beers, we compare these two neighbors and it's a toss up to who's worse!!!
Hang in there.
Mary
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I told y'all about the neighbors and HOW MUCH they LOVE to talk, WELL...it JUST got WORSE 
