ok, my neighbor is *obsessed* with his yard.

[ulysses]

The man spends 2-3 hours every single evening doing *something* outside. Right now, he's blowing leaves that came down in the rain over the weekend.

We've been here 2 weeks plus, and I haven't mowed my grass yet. I'm starting to feel paranoid.

They invited us over on the 4th, and he's actually a pretty nice guy - battalion-level criminal investigator with the Army, very straight laced. He tucks his t-shirts into his shorts while doing yard work. Washes both family vehicles every week. I'd give a mint to know what they think of the liberals next door. :D

[RummyTheDummy]

1. He's probably thinking.....

When the fuck are those people going to mow their damned yard. The grass is 2 feet tall.

[ulysses]

6. it actually grows a lot more slowly

than the weeds in our old neighborhood. :) It needs cutting, though.

[Dave Reynolds]

2. Send all family pets

to do their "business" in his yard.

[ulysses]

8. no, no, no.

I'd like to maintain decent relations, not get my animals shot.

[KG]

3. so tight you couldn't pull a pin out of his ass with a tractor.

keep an eye on him, he's the kind that ends up killing his family.

[RummyTheDummy]

7. That's quite a leap

Glad you're not jumping to conclusions or anything. Sheesh.

[ulysses]

9. I doubt he's like that.

I won't be borrowing any of his tools, though.

[bicentennial_baby]

11. LOL

You! :rofl:

[bicentennial_baby]

4. I have a neighbor like that

with his lawn AND his truck/cars. I don't even know if he works, b/c he always seems to be out there, working away at all hours, glaring. He's a bit odd, imho.

[ulysses]

12. it's different than what we've gotten used to.

I'm finally starting to relax about the DU stickers on my truck, though. :D

[hickman1937]

5. Give him the benefit of the doubt.

He might have a sense of humor about his obsession with his lawn.

[ulysses]

13. there is a sense of humor in there, yes.

Like I say, he seems like a decent guy. We'll see what the reaction is when we have the lesbian couples with their adopted kids out for a visit. :D

[SmokingJacket]

10. My father-in-law is like that.

Very nice guy, super-nice, but basically equates neatness/newness with goodness. I can't even imagine him in an untucked shirt or a car with dirt on it. He once explained that his moral system was all about everything being *in the right place.*

It took him and my mother-in-law several years to realize that though my husband and I let our hair grow a little wild and our house is piled with books and things, we **aren't** immoral, lazy, or mean.

He's basically apolitical, though a social conservative.

[ulysses]

14. I don't see myself offering to give my neighbor a ride in my truck, either

Not to be mean at all, but I'm afraid of what he'd say about the state of the interior...

[BikeWriter]

15. My neighbor is like that. He came over and had MY yardman trim...

all the lower branches on my pine tree up to about twelve feet, because that's the way he likes them. I would have kicked his ass and/or sued him, but his wife is an old friend of mine.

[ulysses]

16. !

That's a little...beyond...:crazy:

[BikeWriter]

21. No shit! I can understand my yard man doing it, he's pushy as hell...

I haven't spoken to him since. I'm afraid I'll kill him if I get too close. :(

[greatauntoftriplets]

17. I have a neighbor like that....

and she cuts my grass so it's done to her liking.

Also because a shoulder injury laid me up last summer as far as heavy yardwork went.

[ulysses]

18. that's not too bad!

:D :hi:

[greatauntoftriplets]

19. I'm not complaining....

She is up, out and watering at 5:30 a.m. Has even watered mine too in this drought we are having. Wish your rain was falling on us.

:hi:

[ulysses]

22. I think this is our last gift from Dennis.

I'd send it your way if I could.

You doing ok? I know you were close with Andy.

[greatauntoftriplets]

25. So so, thanks for asking, uly.

Had a bad moment at work today. Someone sent me a funny email and as I typed in addresses to forward it to friends, I started typing his email. Then stopped and it all came back to me.

I am still in a state of shock and disbelief.

[ulysses]

28. be good to yourself.

:loveya:

[cally]

20. Maybe he's avoiding his family

and it's an excuse to be outside. :shrug:

[ulysses]

23. I've had that thought.

The lady of the house and the kids seem perfectly pleasant, though...

[Book Lover]

24. Hey, better that than the other way

I mean, I don't have to live near him, but I'd rather have an obsessivly tidy neighbor than one who thinks a rusty washing machine livens up the palce...

[ulysses]

26. actually,

my neighbor at the old house was more along the lines of the rusty washing machine - wasn't quite to that extent, but I know that my old car, which I sold to his son, is sitting derelict in his back yard to this day.

All things being equal, I'm more comfy not feeling like my neighbors are critiquing my yard.

[SOteric]

Deleted by me.

[SOteric]

27. Gardening is actually excellent therapy

for those who've been shell-shocked or suffered emotional scars in battle.

*s* Maybe with time and a neighbourly relationship you can pick up some gardening tips and teach the poor bastard a little sloth about the tucking of t-shirts.

[ulysses]

29. that's true.

Not a *whole* lot of what I'd call gardening going on over there - more mow-n-blow type stuff...I think he rakes the gravel in his turnaround space - but the point is well taken. I'm not sure about his combat experience, but I don't guess that really matters.

I've already launched a surreptitious teach-by-example effort to get him to untuck the damned t-shirt when he's working in the yard. ;-) :hi:

[baldguy]

30. My neighbor sweeps her lawn.

With a broom. Like it was the kitchen floor.

[WCGreen]

31. Had a neighbor like that...

He'd come over all the time to give me advice...

I landscaped for years and I refuse now to put any chemicals on my lawn...

So he was all uptight when i let the lawn go inert, that's what they do when they don't get enough water, they don't die....

So he ended up keiling over from a massive heart attack....

The people who have moved in have let his putting green style lawn deteriorate to my style....

I like them....

[CatWoman]

32. ooooooooooooooooo

I can't WAIT to visit!!!! :evilgrin:

[Terran]

33. I sympathize about your lawn...

..and I'm starting to identify with guys like your neighbor!

Okay, we moved in here June 1st and it took me a *month* to mow the lawn, I was so busy. The yard is old, with old gardens and flower beds and trees and all kinds of outdoor relics from past owners, so it's going to take some work to make it look nice again; and I'm not a gardner, exactly, but now that I've had a taste of cleaning it up, I'm starting to itch about getting out there and fine tuning it. So, I sort of understand your neighbor, if he gets a little anal about the yard. God, owning a home really changes you--this is my first.

Anyway, good luck with him. Maybe you'll both become buddies one day??

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

34. I don't understand the obsession with green lawns in America

They consume enormous amounts of precious water, they require constant maintenance and, in my opinion, they don't look that great. I don't like the open look of American houses and would prefer the European or even Latin American style of walled properties. My city won't let me build a wall with a gate in my front yard. I've thought about tearing up my own lawn and putting in tiles and concrete paths or gravel instead, but I don't know if it's against my city's ordinances. And I'm sure the neighbors would complain.

[sbj405]

35. He may be one of those people that just needs to be doing

It's probably his only hobby. If I didn't spend hours here, I could spends hours in my yard. :-)

[ScreamingMeemie]

36. My liberal husband is guilty of spending that much time in the yard, so

you never know what he may be. Our cars are washed at least once a week, he constantly putzes with the yard or the exterior of the house. Just goes to show...You never know. :hi:

[Kerrytravelers]

37. Thought you were talking about my Dad at first!

He does like a perfect lawn and squeeky clean cars--- but he's not THAT obsessed (close though.)

My Dad, the military man, would LOVE liberals next door... he's one of US!