Ghetto Livin'

When we moved into our house (almost 13 years ago!), it was a little bungalow in a quiet, well-kept, working class, family neighborhood. Today, it's still a little bungalow. Unfortunately, that's about the only similarity.

The house across the street has sold 4 times, and is now rented by a mother, her 3 grown sons, a minor son, and a grandson (whose mother is clearly not involved). All 3 of the grown sons have criminal records, and at least one of them is currently wearing a tether. We can sit on our front porch in the evenings and watch them selling - and using - drugs.

There is a house down the street with a mother and her 2 sons. They've been in the neighborhood as long as we have. The sons went from 2 cute little boys, to 2 obnoxious teens, to 2 law-breaking drug-dealing tether-wearing young adults in the 13 years we've known them.

Our new neighbors, recent purchasers of a foreclosed house that 5 years ago sold for 8 times what they just bought it for, seem to "take the cake". From what I can tell, a woman in her early 60s lives there with her adult daughter, 2 adult sons, a grandson, 5 dogs (all aggressive breeds that are poorly socialized), at least 4 cats, 2 birds, and some fish (in a 900 sq ft house). Nobody works. The police have been to our block more in the 3 months since they moved in than they had in the 3 years prior to that. Animal control has been called for the violation of our city ordinance regarding the number of pets. The mother brags about the county bringing them food, and rent-a-center drops off a flat screen tv (all in the same weekend).

Our doorbell rang at 12:37 this morning. The police were next door, and apparently telling the older of the 2 sons that he had to leave. I have no idea what brought about this fight, and honestly - I don't care. What infuriates me is that he showed up to ask Grumps to help him PUSH HIS GHETTO CRUISER CAR the 6 or 8 blocks to the place he was going to stay for the night.

WHAT?

Who does that?

Who thinks its ok to bother their neighbors for that, ever?

Who rings doorbells at that time of the night, unless someone is seriously injured, or something is on fire?

What?

The?

Fuck?

Counting down the days til Grumps graduates, and praying that he gets a job offer that forces us to relocate.