Friday

The people across the street are gone. I saw some car packing going on this weekend but I chalked it up to the brother in law finally moving out and taking his car with him.  I didn't think anything of it. Later on Sunday I noticed that all the cars were gone and the house was clearly empty in a way that was not in a temporary we'll-be-back-later way.

I expected it, they were renters, and they are temporary in nature and I knew that. But, I had at least thought they might have waved from across the street at the very least, you know?  We had a relationship ,  kind of, we said "hi", when we saw each other outside.

I don't know what that house does to people. People move in there with a bunch of kids and then you never see or hear them again! Children are not silent or invisible and that house magically renders them both . Its weird - Its not that I don't appreciate it, because I really do! I mean, trust me! I like silent, invisible children as much as the next guy, more probably even. but it is kind of weird.  I have lost track of how many families and how many kids have been through that place and absolute silence.  Maybe its a great house, maybe its really fun on the inside. I don't know...

But they're gone. Bye. I would have said bye. I wonder if that means the owners are coming back, HA! like that's going to happen, if I got a job in, well, I can't remember now, but it was a better city than Raleigh,  they aren't coming back. Maybe the real estate market has gotten better and they are putting it on the market again.

Another weird thing. This morning while I was taking Rocket out for his last pee before I went to work, I watched this elderly man coming down the street at a good clip, he approached my neighbors house, went up the walkway and  up their steps on onto their porch and took their paper. I was standing in my yard watching! I said "Hey, you just going to take their paper?!"  in my best, I am watching you Stealing My Neighbor's Paper voice, not so loud to wake the neighbors, loud enough to let him hear me, and he said "I know who lives there!" and he picked up the paper and hoofed it down the street. Rude. I have never seen him before.

(Dog was not impressed by what he was doing. Did not like him walking on their lawn or getting on their porch or stealing their paper. Woofed at him and strained at the leash. I don't know if he was picking up on my decidedly unsettled emotions or he just really hates having people come out of the dark, he does, really hate that. He did not like that man.)

I put my paper on their porch as a replacement.  Gah.