My city really pisses me off sometimes.

A few years back we received a citation like this for our gorgeous green grass being too long.  I was outraged that our neighbors could have dead, weedy grass that was hideous (but short!) and not be cited, but our amazing grass was worthy of a warning.

It just doesn’t make any sense to me.

Then yesterday we got another one.

Mind you this was after my 7 months pregnant self spent 3 hours raking the yard to the point of bleeding blisters.  To say I was outraged would be an understatement.

Grace and I had an awesome morning outside in the fresh air.  She alternated between “helping” me rake the leaves with her yellow broom and playing in the sandbox while I worked my tail off getting the entire backyard and driveway cleared of the autumn leaves.

It was hard work but we were both in very good spirits.

Until…

I went outside later and saw that ugly green “courtesy notice” taped to our front door.

Let me rewind a little…

I’ve been struggling with some of my neighbors lately.  A family across the street has incredibly rude kids who are constantly playing in the street and on my tree lawn.  They are loud and annoying.  The house is not well kept and there is always a bunch of junk on the front porch, the front lawn, and all along the side of the house.  It’s a total eyesore and one that I have to see when I look out my front window everyday.  On top of all that, the house next door to them has a small, white, yappy dog that gets tied to the porch and antagonized by the kids playing.  This results in hours of high pitched barking from the mangy mutt.

Also, our wonderfully kind neighbor from another house across the street recently moved.  That house is a rental and until Bonnie moved in, there had been a series of annoying renters that occupied the house.  It’s always been pretty well kept on the outside, so it’s no bother to look at, but there have been obnoxiously loud tenants in it for the majority of the past 6 years.  Now that Bonnie is gone, we have a pair of young guys who are nowhere to be seen during the daytime hours, but once it gets dark everything goes down hill.  They have crazy car stereos that they keep on full volume when they come and go and they always seem to spend eons in their cars…stereos blasting, backed into their driveway with their headlights beaming into my front windows!  I’m talking LONG stretches of time like this every time they leave their house and come home.

It starts happening as early as 7pm and keeps going until after midnight.  The music is so loud that it rattles the plates hanging on my dining room walls.  Even with the doors and windows all closed and the TV on, I can still hear the bass booming.  It sets me into a rage every time it happens.

And I’m the one getting cited for having leaves at the curb before trash day?!

I love my neighborhood and I try to be a good citizen and good neighbor by keeping my yard tidy and being considerate of my neighbors.

I’m sure I should just get over it, but I’ve got to say that I’m seriously irritated.

Needless to say, I went outside this morning to rake ALL THE LEAVES from the curb onto our tree lawn which is apparently an acceptable place for them until garbage day when I have to RAKE THEM ALL BACK ONTO THE CURB.

Pray for me!