Muscatine

It IS sad.  When I was  a kid, we knew all our neighbors and all our neighbors knew us.  For the most part, we all got along together.  This is the first place I've lived as an adult where my neighbors show any interest in knowing who they are living next to.

I just moved into my new house a few months back. I haven't gotten to know many of my neighbors. I was surprised to learn that I live next door to a couple that I went to school with and just lost touch with as the years went by. I also know one that lives across the street from me who is a nice elderly lady that I have only known by shopping at Hy-vee and seeing her there. I live in a neighborhood with more elderly people that are very kind. I do have one neighbor that lives on the other side of me that I haven't had the chance to really get to know since they don't speak much English, and they as well as their guests like to park in my yard or block my garage, and they have been building a new porch and they wait until almost 10pm to start working on it, and they just say they don't speak English every time I try and ask them to stop since I have had to be up at 4am to get ready for work and they are on the side of our bedrooms. They say the same thing when I ask them to move their cars. I would hate to be the royal Bi__h on the block, but I am about to start calling the police when they are making so much noise and have their cars towed when they park in my yard or block my garage. Maybe that is the only way they will get what I am saying in English.

They also like to play their what I call chimichaga music ( don't get me wrong I don't mind it at all) but when I can here it in my living room or bedrooms at all hours of the night and can feel the bass in my home then it is way to loud. They still do nothing about it when I try to ask them to turn it down.

I was told when I got this house, that those neighbors where a little upset that they where not given an opportunity to purchase it, since they have wanted to for their son. Well the owner of my house was a family member and when he passed away, we just bought it from the estate, it never went on the market and that is what really upset them. Oh well I guess this is their little way of getting me back for buying the house they wanted. If that is how they want to be, I will teach them a few English words fast, one being the Police, and the others being Towed at owner's expense. STAY OFF MY LAWN, AND TURN YOUR MUSIC DOWN!!

You could always learn a few words in Spanish. :-) I had the same problem for years...still do to some extent although it's not as bad as in the past.  I had those kind of neighbors on one side and on the other a convicted arsonist. How's that for good neighbors?

Here are a couple of Spanish words you could try: Enough: Bastante! (Bah STAN te) The "e" is a long "a" sound. Quiet: Calma! CAHL mah! Now: Ahora! Ah OAR ah

If you want more vocabulary, let me know. LOL

Buy a couple baseball caps with immigration service logo on. Give them to a couple male friends/relatives. Next time these neighbors park in your yard or block your drive, have the 'immigration service' stop by and make a show of writing down license #'s . I bet they will know that kind of English.