Friday, February 24, 2006

To Call 911...or not...

So, I have this slightly annoying neighbor. I've never seen him. I have no idea what he looks like or which front door is his. I have no idea what his name is. And I doubt I ever will. But still, he features in today's blog because of a very interesting event last night.

So, it's late. Just about to go to bed, check my email. Remember my boss, the one with the funny jokes? Well, he sent me to a maze. I like puzzles and so I'm thinking, okay, I'll do that real quick and go to sleep. You're supposed to manuever the maze and not touch the walls. I get through almost all the way through the third page. I'm about to make it, but I touch...

AND BAM!!

Full screen image of The Exorcist screaming like a banshee.

Now, Linda Blair doesn't scare me. But I didn't realize my laptop had mysteriously been pushed to full volume. And I didn't realize it was Linda Blair. I thought it was the wrinkly witch from The Ring, who incidentally DOES scare the shit out of me. So, of course, I scream. LOUD. I jump back so hard I nearly knocked hubby off the bed, which sets him yelling, "OMG, what's wrong? What happened? What's wrong with the baby?" (Moo reverts to the "baby" when hubby is half asleep) I hit the screen on my laptop and I'm desperately trying to hit Command+Q to quit and shut the program down. Finally get it done and by this time there has been at least three minutes of seriously loud screaming.

Note my neighbor, outside my window, who is loudly on the phone after midnight.

Does he ask if everyone is okay? Does he come over to knock on the door? Does he call 911 to report mysterious screams in the night followed by eerie silence?

Nope.

He waits ten minutes to make sure I'm not going to disturb his phone call again,then gets back to business.

There's not a lot of point to this post, lol, but seriously, wouldn't YOU at least call out to make sure people don't need help? I mean, he HAS a phone.

Or is it just me?

4 comments:

Shesawriter said...

Your neighbor is an idiot. Of course I'd call.

Tanya

Ann said...

LOL, Dee. This post takes me back to the Summer O' 76 and when I practiced my incredible scream at my best friend's house one day.

I have a theatrical scream to end all theatrical screams. I got an "A+" in acting class because of it. Next time we meet, I'll demonstrate it--but not in the hotel *gg*

Anyway, I did it--inside my friend's house with the windows closed. And the neighborhood fell silent. After a couple of minutes, we looked out the upstairs window and saw a frail, pail, nervous red-haired woman hovering on the driveway. Being the brazen sixteen-year-olds we were, we threw open the sash and asked her what was wrong.

She wrang her hands and looked up at us. "I thought someone was being murdered."

You know, I admire her now, but I admired her then too. Here was a VERY frightened woman. But she swallowed her fear and not only faced down a possible homicide, but also two teen-aged girls out for a laugh.

What could be braver than that?

Cole Reising said...

Dee - Oh you've given my morning laugh! Thanks!

I grew up in the middle of no-where, where you helped no matter who they are, whether you knew them or not or whether you were going to make an ass out of yourself or not. I've lived in quite a few places but the place where I've recieved the most comments on this particular 'disease' I apparently have with regard to wanting to help people was when I lived in Seattle. People just couldn't believe me when I'd do such a thing. Like you and your neighbor. I got to know all of my neighbors when I was living - everyone thought that was weird. "shrug" We even 'did' things together. My Aunt and Uncle lived out there also and were should I say 'scandalized' by my behavior. "shrug" Oh well. I like knowing whom I'm living by, even in the city. And I definitely would have called the police - though I believe I might have come and knocked on your window first. :-) Yeah, and just curious - what was he doing just outside your place? Well, I do want to say thank you - it was a long night with my youngest and I was beat this morning - your post made me laugh! Thanks! Cole

Dee Tenorio said...

ROFL, what can I say, the bitch is scary! And the last thing I could handle was her wrinkly face suddenly springing on my fricken computer screen a few inches from my face, lol. I still worry when the tv is off behind me, lol. And if she showed up on your screen, lol, you'd wet your pants and you know it, lol!

My bedroom window is upstairs and his balcony is lined up next to it. The man is forever on his phone out there, drives me nutsy. :) And yeah, he was out there before the screaming, lol.

I would have asked if everything was okay, at least, lol.

Ann--LOL, we should have tried that in Reno! People would have just thought you won a jackpot, lol. Too funny, though the poor lady. :)

Nicole--hee hee, I'm from Fresno, where you're a criminal until proven not caught yet. :) I did make it a point to introduce myself to a few neighbors, lol, but as you can tell from the first attempt at a play date, doing stuff with people is alien to me, lol. Haven't met this phone guy yet, probably because he's always on the phone, lol. Can't see him from downstairs, lol.

Smooches all!
Dee