Audra Jennings

Busy, busy week, but everything is completely out of the old place. My dad was over cleaning today and I won't repeat the mean thing he said about the dog. (My family has definite opinions...) I'm free of all those neighbors and will have new stories soon!

I chose not to get mail today. I put in a complaint to the trash collection company instead. The garbage trucks are supposed to be able to pick up, empty, and return the trash can to its position without humans doing anything. However, in my neighborhood, I always see a human involved in putting the can into position. Half the cans are put back up on the curb, half are not. The ones closest to the mailbox always end up in the street. I decided I did not care to make contact with my neighbors' trash cans ever again after the last time. So, in my ongoing series (until now I didn't realize it was ongoing) about being thankful for the idiot neighbors that I have, today, I am thankful that my neighbors are human rather than aliens and named after professional athletes. Have any of you caught ABC's new comedy, The Neighbors ? I watch it online in the background while doing other things on my computer rather than making a point to record it on the DVR (it comes on Tuesday...

I know I complain about my neighbors a lot. A lazy Saturday has put it into perspective though. After I decided to get out of bed, I watched Ink Master . Two episodes in fact. Considering the fact that there's nothing that I want to permanently be on my body, and my aversion to needles, I really have no idea why I watch shows about getting tattoos. Anyway, after Ink Master , I got caught on a marathon of World's Worst Tenants. I may have watched just a few minutes before, but I got really into it today. I thought my neighbors were a pain with their parking habits and children that bang on walls. And they are. But it's all about perspective. At least I don't have an illegal Chinese butcher living above me, clogging the pipes with animal blood that leaks through the pipes and runs down my walls. There isn't an old lady living next door to me, growing "medical" marijuana and venting her greenhouse into my vents. I don't have a crazy neighbor r...

I've been rejected a number of times over a number of things in my life. A string of "no's" when interviewing for jobs. A lot of "no, I do not want to interview that author" responses. But this week, I have been rejected more than anyone with an excellent credit score should have. Let me just do this public service announcement for anyone who falls under the technical definition of "self-employed" even if you are contractually working for a company with regular hours and pay. If you have not been self-employed for two years, you better be able to buy a house with cash because you will not be able to buy a house otherwise. The exception to that would be the ability to pay a rather large down payment - one larger than the typical payment these days. I'm telling you, banks will not look at your credit score, your bank balance, your debt to income ratio, your income, anything if you fall in the self-employed category and haven't held a ...

So, after the second car of the night parked in front of my gate last night, Jenny and I posted the following on my gate. When Rachel and Jenny (who had a bit of a time parking between all the other neighbors out front) left, I saw that the car that was parked in front had moved. I then was fearful of having my tires slashed, so I took the sign down. Next time I'm at Home Depot, I'll just buy the no parking sign. The good news is that Saturday I did not miss any mail because I saw the mail truck stop today and I didn't get anything. Tomorrow's post will be on Breaking Amish , the reason that Jenny and Rachel were over last night. I think the two of them area already hooked. We've moved from a fascination with polygamy to Amish.

Last week, I grew somewhat annoyed at The Olympics not streaming properly and freezing. I thought it was a glitch from London. It might have been. But it was more likely that the red light for my broadband was solid red. I had to call AT&T for something else on Saturday, and ended up transferred to who-knows-what-country where they tell me to unplug my modem for 10 seconds and plug it back in. Problem solved except they decide to put in a work order to check out things further because it does look like there have been some problems in my area. Terrific. Fine. Get 'er done. The work order is between 8 AM-5 PM or was it 12 PM-5 PM Thursday. Ok. Fine. When do I leave the house during the day? So, AT&T calls my cell number today asking if I was told the work order was for Thursday. Yeah. Well, we're caught up, can we come out there today? Yeah, sure. I'm busy as all get out, but bring 'er on. At the time, I thought this was not the brightest idea. It had start...