First, the odds and ends.

• Happy Birthday to my mom! And for the birthdays that slipped through my fingers…to my dad on the 6th of this month and my baby sister Alyssa on the 25th of April.  Happy [belated] Birthday to you two as well.
• Another product of our recent indoor time has been a marked increase in baking around here. Which has both an upside and a downside. I’m sure you can imagine.
• Last night was BEAUTIFUL and today became gorgeous around lunchtime.

Today. We were all sleeping in Ali’s room (as has become the norm? more on that to come) when we were awoken by a huge thud or whatever from next door. Ali slept on and I drifted for awhile too. I thought it was late as we’ve been getting up about 8:30-9:00. I opened my eyes eventually and Tony was awake too and we talked for a bit and then he got up. He handed me my phone and I checked my email and then the time. 8:00 exactly. The time in which noisemaking is allowed to START.

I tried to get up to pee but Ali woke up. Baby is finally fever free today! Now if only her crusty nose would dissipate as well.

An hour or so later I called the city hall and said I didn’t know who to talk to but I wanted to make a complaint about the early noise. She took it and said they’d send the POLICE down to talk to them. Later, when we were coming back from getting our mail (about 10:30am) when turned the corner just as the police chief was finishing up talking to Rodney. Can we say awkward?!?

Okay, now back to last night. Last night I met….the OWNER of the atrocity next door. His name is Mike. We were out grilling (well, Tony was and Ali and I were playing with toys in her [empty] kiddie pool in the driveway) and he walked over and introduced himself. Which was very nice and it was a polite conversation but…and I have to say it, SO self-centered! Maybe it comes with the business? He mentioned owning a number of properties, ones he does own or did own or whatever. And I’m sure I sound very self-centered but that’s because this is MY blog. IRL (in real life) I was cordial, if not a little cold, asking questions and making observations etc. Things he included in the conversation:

1. What a nice building it is going to be.
2. What a nice view of the ocean he thinks it will have.
3. How excited he is.
4. How QUIET it is here.
5. How many hoops the city put him through to build the thing.
6. That he showed my parents the plans for this place years ago.

Things that were NOT included:

1. ANY acknowledgment  of the effect his duplex may have of us (not even after I said it was noisy or that the builders were "definitely hard workers.")
2. ANY apology (I know, covered by #1 but still)
3. ANY gratitude(see above)
4. The fact that in the sixteen years he’s owned this precious land he oftentimes didn’t bother to care for it…also to the detriment of neighbors and the city as a whole.

Are we seeing a theme here? We did glean some info as to the structure itself: it’s stopping at two stories (the bottom one large enough for a garage that will house his boat and vaulted ceilings on the top), the roof will be flat and not have access; and about it’s usage: he will be keeping the unit closest to our house (though not full time I don’t think?) and renting the north one out to weekenders and such. I’m glad both won’t be rented.

Also today we decided to go have a picnic lunch at a park in Garibaldi.

And Ali tonight after scarfing a strawberry popsicle…