Douchebag neighbors, Bad weather and Good business...

I really don't like a few of my neighbors on the cul-de-sac.  I've moved less than a block from my original home, but the cul-de-sac folks are really a breed apart.

One of my neighbors is a total douche.  Comes over to complain whenever any little thing irritates him. 

I figured we just needed to get to know each other.  So, I saw his wife and him in the yard one day and after talking a little bit, asked if they'd like to see the inside of the house.  (They had been asking about it and I was explaining that it was being remodelled.)

One of the rooms, we had just taken out some wrought-iron crap.  The wife took one peek and said, "Oh, you can give me those.  I'll use them in my garden."

That really rubbed me the wrong way.  Like, "I don't know you very well, but listen while I tell you how you're going to give me stuff."  If my other interactions with them had been more positive, it probably wouldn't have bothered me, but when your total interactions with a person either involve them bitching about something or asking for something that pretty much puts them on the douchebag list, IMHO.

I was chopping up some wood and he came over asking, "mind if I see what you're doing?"  I felt like saying, "Well... yeah, I do.  I don't think you need to see what I'm doing, and besides, I know that the only reason you're coming over here is to either bitch about something or ask for something, and neither of those are things I want to deal with."

So, he kept poking and prodding about the wood.  Was I going to burn it all?  I finally got the hint and said, "you're welcome to some of this wood if you want to burn it."  His face brightened, until I added, "... all you have to do is come over here and split it yourself."

Dude is a total douche.  The less I deal with him the better.

Today, I was snow-blowing my driveway and noticed a different neighbor standing across the street looking at me.  After another pass, he hadn't moved.  So, I stopped and asked, "do you need to speak with me?"

He said, "Generally, we don't blow snow into the street after the plow trucks come.  You should get one of these (points to some idiotic extra-wide snow shovel he's using.)"

Now, first, I do blow snow into the street, but if it's obvious that it's enough that it won't melt right away, I then go into the street and blow it back into my yard.  I've done it before.  I just hadn't gotten that far.

So, I said, "I usually clean off the street when I'm done" and went back to what I was doing.  I'm not sure what he was expecting.  It's sort of hard to clear the driveway without blowing at least a little snow into the street.  I guess he figured I should clear the street before I blew snow onto it, or something.

Or maybe, just maybe, some people are just absolute douchebags who never learned that when you act like a total cock, it tends not to endear you to people.

In any event, I'm here until my son graduates from High School.  Then, if everything works out, I'm going to live out my days on enough land that I won't ever see my neighbors.

Sometimes, they're awesome.  In fact, most neighbors are.  Sometimes, though, they can be a real pain in the ass.

The bad weather has come and for the first time in a long time, the business is really busy.  If this keeps up, I'm rich again.  However, I'll never take things for granted in this industry again.  I'll also continue working on a solid Plan B, so that I won't be left high and dry if things go sour in this line of work.

Other than that, life is good.  Logan is playing rec basketball and baseball workouts have begun.  I'm doing well and starting to enjoy my house.  I might put down a couple hundred bucks worth of carpet to last me until I can afford hardwood for the whole place, though.