I wonder about people sometimes...

“OK OK I know people do crazy things,myself included but I wonder about people sometimes...you ever have an encounter with someone and just stand there with a quizical look on your face...this is all brought about by the encounter I just had with my neighbor...I live in a ski resort condo (the resort is closed though) I live downstairs and I have a neighbor upstairs...anyway acording to our lease we are equally responsible for shoveling the snow on our porches and pation...which we share....anyway everytime it snows he conveniently (for him) stays at his girlfriends for a day or two...so yours' truely gets to shovel everytime...which i really don't mind...but there has been a couple times that annoyed me...the one time he was here during a storm...he,and his two teenage kids,didn't bother to shovel,but found it easy to pack the snow down by walking over it mutiple times..making a nice three inch thick snowpack that I had the pleasure of removing with an ice scraper the next day....but fast forward to today...I woke up in the morning...removed about 8 inches of snow,then hit the trail for a few hours of snowshoeing,upon my return I found that the plow guy came through and there was a bunch more snow on the deck...so i went to shovel...one prob though....the shovel was gone...now the place I live in ,most people don't lock their doors,and there are mulitple kayaks and other easily removed equipment around that never gets touched...so I figured maybe a neighbor borrowed it...so I went around and looked...found nothing...hmmm do people steal shovels in desperation?? well I gave up and went inside...ok ok...just a little while ago my neighbor upstairs came home....and he had the shovel!!!so I went and shoveled the last bit...he comes out in shorts and a t-shirt and says...ohhh I was gonna get that....(which I know he didn't mean it...appearently he needed to shovel a5t his girlfriends....so he took my shovel...which is ok...but when i mentioned I was looking for the shovel he said that it was his shovel..and that I should think about getting my own if I had a problem with it!!!hmmmm....so i am just wondering...what is up with people...are we all so confused in life that we forget to realize what is ours...too busy to take a moment and admit the truth...maybe he is dilusional...heck maybe I am and it is his shovel...though he just moved in this summer and the shovel was there before him...I don't know...so I came inside and poured a glass of wine...not to escape...just to enjoy...I think I should go ask him if he wants a glass...from what I have seen...he forgot how to enjoy life”

“It's Spring - the "sap's" rising.
I just spent a 90 hour day dealing with 80 wild heathen teenagers. It will repeat tomorrow, and 51 more times between now and May 25th.

Wanna trade?”

“One thing I've discovered in my (never mind how many!) years of living is that humans have a near-infinite capacity for rationalizing whatever actions happen to be in their immediate (not necessarily long-term) interest. And they tend to get surly when their rationalizations are challenged.”

“mountain zen, I hate when people take advantage of others. Residents of WA leave their personal things around their yards. It give you a good feeling about your area that people can be so carefree and trusting. Don't let this jerk ruin it for you.”

“Rusted out cars and broken washing machines don't count, LH:^)”

“I am not losing any sleep over it...it is a great feeling when you can trust your neighborhood...awhile back I got a call from ADT home security asking if I was interested in a system...I heard a long silence on the other end when I replied with "home security....I don't even know where my house key is anymore"
God Bless America...there is alotta good out there”

“I'm going to charge you the next time you use my shovel!”

“I love confrontation, please let me help. Perhaps you should take the time to point out to him that he is indeed full of it that the shovel is yours. I would then remind him that he is not upholding his responsibility with the shoveling deal and that he had better buy himself a shovel before the next storm because you will be piling the snow in front of his f@#king door and he'll need it to get in so he'd betterkeep it in his car. Being assertive and proactive in a feud is important! If anything you will show him know what kind of man you really are......a manly man! If you don't put fear into him you will at least give him the impression that you are really screwed up and will make sure that when you are around he will go the other way and LEAVE YOU ALONE. Then go on about your business like the conversation never happened, that really pisses people off.”

“Or you can do what a collegue of mine threatens to do now and then and go and sh!t on his bed. I'm sure that would make things better.”

“You might be generalizing there just a bit, Lipstick Hiker, when you say "residents of WA leave their personal things around their yards", hmmmmm?

OR maybe you meant DC.

Gee, my neighborhood in Hunt's Point doesn't seem to have this problem....”

“It's almost like a retiree stealing your work boots. Just don't make sense somehow.”

“sirpete, zen could invite us both over for the weekend. Problem solved!”

“We'll make it a party. I get some of this too.”

“Move to the country! ;-) (BF Eastern Washington, as Nomad would say). If I don't get around to shoveling snow out of my driveway entrance after the plow goes by, my neighbor does it for me if he's out shoveling his (and also vise-versa). There are drawbacks to living in a small farming community, but when it comes to being considerate and helping each other out, I sure don't have any room to complain. (My neighbor even uses his OWN shovel to clear my driveway)! :-)”

“After zen gets to know the three of us his neighbor will seem like a saint. LOL”

“Mountain Zen.....I think your idea about asking him over for wine is the zen thing to do. You are showing great compassion for someone whom, as you say, possibly has forgotten how to enjoy life, or has some obvious "stuff" going on.........he probably doesnt need any more grief in his life.......send out some of your good energy in his direction...maybe he will catch it from you. Confronting or arguing with him will probably only make his energy stronger......

Say you are standing out in a very strong wind, if you let it blow around and through you...yeah, it requires some effort to keep standing, but as it blows around and thru...it eventually subsides, ... and you are still standing......, but think of what happens if you picked up a huge piece of plywood and held it in front of you in an effort to protect yourself or confront the force of the strong wind..... the wind builds force against resistance....it will probably blow you over.....

those are just my thoughts....thanks for this thread....it was good food for thought this morning before going into work...where there are some people that i wonder about too.....(and they probably wonder about me also,,.as well they should...heh)
om”

“where is the "revenge" thread?”

“ahhh...I am not a violent man....and cork...I am in the country!!!my town pop....320 or so....not that that matters though...My neighbors are great...they will always help each other out like you said...just this guy..funny thing is he...like I was...is from NJ and says he moved here to get away from the crowds...and lord knows Jersey has them...and oh by the way...Christy Whitman...EPA?...god help us all!!!she is why I couldn't handle Jersey anymore....but anyway...my neighbor....I think he just has trouble dealing with people...”

“kleetn, Everywhere I go I see beautiful plants with pots, kayaks, paddles, small motorless boats, child's toys, barbeques, chairs, tables, lawn decorations, garage doors wide open with a door leading to their house, bicyles, motorcycles, etc. I see all these things outside of peoples homes, on their lawns and by the side of their houses.

I always remark to my husband about how you could never leave these things around your home in New York.

There are a lot of honest, trusting people here. That's part of why I love Washington.”

“Bacpac, I've been working on this book you see.....how to make friends and influence people. I could us any advise you may have to share.”

“In suport of new york....there is a big difference I think between NYC and new york state...I found the northern state to be a very safe area to "leave your valuables"...but I even left stuff out in NJ when I lived there...and never locked my door there either...I guess every state has these areas...I guess the further you get from the cities the more you find this”

“where in NJ were you from Zen?”

“I lived in Morris and Sussex counties for the most part...last place I lived was Montegue...about 8 miles from High point for you AT folks..or to be more precise..if you remember the road after Mashipacong shelter...I lived just down the hill from there”

“Born and raised in Hackettstown, lived in Madison for a short time and then moved to the DWG”

“I lived in Mount Olive for awhile..but in Cranberry lake more recently...that is where my mother lives now...so we were probably neighbors.,..where by DWG???”

“Specifically 1 mile south on rt 611 from the Portland bridge (it's really Mt Bethel) not DWG I use that as a refrence because most people know that land mark. I use to date a girl that were to West Morris.”

“Just like old home week.”

“tears come to me eyes”

“Mountain Zen, I used to live in New York City and Brooklyn. Yes, there is a big difference between NYS and NYC.

I think you should take the shovel back, put your initials on the bottom of the wood part and put it back on his property, go over later and say I know it must be mine. Let me check for my initials :{}”

“Hmmmmmmmm... DWG?? (guess ya gotta be an Easterner, huh?)”

“lizs, i don't know what the hell these yankees are talking about.”

“Yeah, I'm a Yankee Rad, and I don't even know what the hell THESE Yankees are talking about. A Yankee subspecies, I guess.

Are you recovering from your biddy?”

“beer is medicine. i am cured.”

“Lizs...DWG = Delaware Water Gap(Appalachian trail PA/NJ)

Incidentally, it's a great locale.

:o)”

“DWG, DXF, what does it matter as long as everything is drawn to scale?”

“Somebody mentioned a Hunts Point in WA; well, we got one in duh Bronx, too. There's all kindsa #%&* layin' around there: dumped tires breeding West-Nile mosquito populations, miscellaneous construction debris, etc... But this annihilated area of junkyards is best known for its unique and ghastly fauna: feral dogs. Sometimes a pack of 'em will chase the hookers off the street; in winter they ambush rats around the Con Ed outflow: congregated like coyotes around the hot springs in Yellerstone. Wonder about people? I tell ya, take a walk through Hunts Point and you won't be worryin' 'bout PEOPLE.

Hey, and if you live in NYC, cursing and sweating through your desultory grind, them thar hills beckon not all too far away. I can only get out West (or less usually, Alaska or overseas) coupla weeks a year (even though I get a 10-week summer vacation), but there are overnight hiking possibilities through unspoiled country even in just a little over an hour's drive... FROM HUNTS POINT... I go on an overnight every two weeks. Keeps me sane. But think about it: New Yawk, a helluva hik-uh's town.”

“Alpha, I'm from Brooklyn and I've even know about Hunt's Point hookers from male friends I used to know. Funny how that type of information gets around :{}”

“see what happens ya go away to work during the day and a couple of Southerners and flatlanders bust your b@llz.”