I am totally drunk off power. Drunk with power am I.

First I made Lowes Hardware my bitch then I called the city about the drug dealers half-assed job boarding up his windows, more on that later and then I decided I was tired of playing thread the needle every time I had to back my car out of the drive way, so I called the landlord of the renters across the street and told him to tell his tenants to get their cars out of the street and onto their perfectly serviceable and under utilized drive way. Damn it.

The landlord told me to call the city and tell them about the abandoned cars in the street. I told him I wanted them moved not towed, I mean, maybe, as a last resort, but getting their cars towed just sounds mean. I’m not mean, I’m empowered. It’s different. He said he had spoken to them about before and he would speak to them again. I hope he speaks to them soon and also reminds them their cars are parked in what is for a few hours a day, a no-parking zone because I’d rather not have to call in the city... again.

I just called them Monday afternoon about the drug dealers hulk and they called me back at 8:15 yesterday morning to tell me what they had done so far. The house has been sold and the closing is October 1. The soon-to-be owner is planing to “pull permits from all four shelves and gut the place, totally remodel it". I complained about the unboarded up front door and they said they can’t make anyone board the front door unless it gets kicked in. A lot. The first floor windows have to be boarded with at least 1/8 inch plywood in good condition. I told them the the rotted fiber board was not "in good condition". The city guy said he would talk to the new owner about that.

So. It was for sale. Who would have known. There was no sign, I never saw a realtor. I know it didn’t go for auction because they notify the neighbors when that happens. I think it was just passed to one of the drug dealers relatives. For all I know I’m trading one kind of drug dealer for another, or the new relative could turn it from a drug house to a cat house, prostitution not being unheard of in the area. I’m all about the positive thought.

I knew the drug dealer. I knew is name and his business. He knew that he was watched all day everyday from every angle and that nonsense would not be tolerated. It didn’t matter if he was in Toronto when it happened, his damn door was going to get kicked in regardless. He made sure there was no nonsense and we didn’t have his door kicked in but one or two times. We had a detente of sorts.

Who knows about this new person. The houses on our street aren’t old or charming enough to draw in the urban pioneer types and their attendant gentrification, we draw in absentee landlord types and their attendant urban blightification. As much as gentrifying the neighborhood appeals to me, I'd settle for a little renewal.

In preparation for our new neighbors, I’m teaching Dogger to get up on her hind legs and look out the windows. This allows her to be almost six feet tall and I like the idea of her looking out the window and looking people in the face. I think of it as a deterrent. I don’t know who is going to live next door but I do know I want them to be aware of who and lives here and what awaits them if they get too close - they’ll wish it was just the loud cop alerting bugler alarm. Dogger doesn’t ask for passwords.