Another Wonderful Day in the 'Hood

I'm thinking of writing a letter — requesting to break my lease — sans financial ramifications.

The only thing preventing me from doing this is the harsh winter reality: it's 7 degrees outside, with promises of getting colder over the course of the next 14 days. Who wants to move in this weather?

I know I don't. But I'm certainly considering it.

As I mentioned a few posts ago, some of neighbors are being evicted for body-slamming too early in the A.M. Meanwhile they've complained about other neighbors for playing their music too loudly during the P.M.

One such neighbor thought it'd be a jumping-good idea to throw a party this Saturday. I actually like this neighbor, though I thought his birthday festivity was in poor judgment, particularly given the situation. He told me that "if the music gets to loud, just come over and join us!"

I didn't take that to be an outright invite, so I made no plans to attend. And I gritted my teeth awaiting the wrath of the evictee — who lives directly above the birthday boy.

In which case, I wasn't the least bit surprised when a confrontration occurred a little after midnight.

"Callll girrrrllll!" I heard shouted in the hallway, followed by a loud THUMP.

I retired to my door, thinking a drunken partier had mistakenly knocked on my abode.

What I saw instead was the evictee kicking the door of birthday boy.

Now, we've been advised by management to not open doors when the evictee(s) come knocking. And whether my neighbor was drunk — or simply felt emboldened by the presence of friends — I'm not sure. But he opened the door.

Words were exchanged. Insults were exchanged. And then one of my neighbor's friends joined his buddy in the hallway, ripping the evictee for his clothing choice just as he was walking away.

Oh, great I thought. That's just what you want to do. You already know he's angry and on the verge of vengeance. Insult him! That's a great idea.

The evictee slammed the front door. Someone at the party shouted "call the police!" and I spent the rest of the night jumping to my feet whenever a door was opened or closed.

It was not a restful sleep.

***
The situation became all the more real for me Monday night after I returned home from the gym. There was no music in the hallway when I walked in, so I knew the guy across the hall wasn't home.

And there was no music above me in my apartment, so I knew the guy upstairs wasn't at home. And the other tenants tend to be gone more often than not.

So imagine my surprise when I heard a knock at the door when I got out of the shower. I crept to my door, and was at least relieved to realize the knock wasn't intended for me, but rather the guy across the hall. But that relief was immediately followed by horror as I recognized the evictee as the one doing the pounding.

Splendid! I thought. He and I are only ones here.

I finished getting ready, but was constantly on edge. And then later bemused when a loud crash outside my backdoor turned out to be a bag of something (I have no idea what) thrown over the ledge above and onto the walkway below.

Suffice it to say that, when I needed to leave my apartment later in the evening to run an errand, I made sure I was on the phone with someone who could call the police in case I suddenly stopped talking.
***
I stayed home from work Tuesday out of sheer lack of sleep, which results in migraines when left unchecked. I rarely take sick days even when I'm genuinely, disgustingly sick. But I was in such dire need of sleep, I was bordering on collapse. I had to stay home.

And though I was successfuly able to sleep until about 10, attempts to nap later were thwarted by music once again radiating from above.

And to make matters all the more beautiful, it never got above a chilly 59F in my kitchen. In fact, the only room to make it to the city-mandated 68F was my bedroom, where I can trap in heat by shutting the door.

So my list of grievances is long, considering my living environment is both hostile and freakishly cold. I want to move.

But, again, it's only 7 degrees outside, with no signs of improving.

Who wants to move in weather like this?