Day in Review - Barking and Shrieking

First..before I even start this post, I want to thank each and every person who is reading this.  Last week I hit 10,000 views on this blog.  That is HUGE to me and it makes me feel like it is worth writing (despite what past men have said).  Thank you so, so much.  In fact, as of the writing of this post, we are up to 11,000 plus views.  This is amazing and awesome. Thank You!!!!!!!

Now on to our regularly scheduled blog post.... 

This is the third week in the a row I have released an audible shriek during the final scene of "Glee".   (Don't judge me.) The shriek reminded me of something that has been going on in my apartment building. No, it is not the meth lab/garage door neighbor across the hall, this little problem is one that is directly below me.

Every weekday...anytime between 6:57am and 7:03am...I hear barking.  This is no ordinary barking.  This is the most annoying barking/howling combination that has ever met my ears. Luckily I wake up early or I would be even more pissed off than I currently am. The problem is, I tend to start work at 7am and it is very hard to write when you hear bark, bark, bark....bark, bark, bark....bark, bark, bark...bark, bark, bark....bark, bark, bark...bark, bark, bark...are you annoyed yet?  No?  bark, bark, bark...bark, bark, bark...bark, bark, bark...yes...it is a pattern...three barks and a pause.  This makes it even more annoying to me for some reason.  I don't like order or neatness so much. I like variety and three barks with a five second pause followed by three barks with a five second pause makes me insane. This has been going on for a few weeks now.  I actually suspect it has been going on throughout the summer, but since my air conditioning was on, I didn't hear it.


I did some research.  I can't help it, I am a researcher at heart.  There is actually a list of steps you are supposed to take when a dog is annoying and also several rules.  This first rule of dealing with a dog that barks uncontrollably is to remain anonymous.  There are (very surprisingly) several murders that have been committed by dog owners. These dog owners have murdered people who diss their dogs. Yes...MURDERED, which is why you are supposed to remain anonymous.  I knew the first rule was to remain anonymous and the first step was to write a simple, anonymous note. This note should be three to four sentences and politely slipped in their mailbox or under the door.

I wrote said note...it said "Your dog barks from 7am to 6pm. Please do something about the barking. It is not safe for the dog and it is very distracting."  I know...it is certainly not poetic, but this was the guidance I got from several websites and templates.  (You would be surprised by the vast amount of people who have dealt with this.  I was simply following the rules of "dog bark etiquette")  For almost two weeks, there was silence....

This past weekend it all changed.  Starting at 10am on Saturday til about 7pm all I heard was barking.  I know it was the weekend, but I still shouldn't have to deal with this noise! Sunday was identical.  Monday, the barking began at 6:58am. Today, it began at 7:01am.  (Yes, I have been tracking)

The second step, according to several websites I saw, was to write a second note.  This one should be more in depth and again, you should remain anonymous so you don't get murdered and should be totally disconnected from the first (so it seems like more than one person is writing).  My second note was slipped under the door today.  It said - "We have noticed that your dog is barking on an daily basis. As dog lovers, we are extremely worried that your dog is experiencing stress, which is not healthy. Additionally, the barking is distracting to the neighbors and our own dogs are stressed out as well since they can hear your dog. We would ask that you take steps to stop your dog from barking. Unfortunately, if you do not control your dog, we will be forced to contact the apartment management for further advice on this matter."  (We = my across the hall neighbor.  He has been "anti-dog barking" too. Furthermore, this is not the meth lab neighbor, but the other guy across the hall)  Fingers crossed that the note works.  I will certainly keep you updated.

Breaking news....as I am writing this, I just heard a strange noise in the hall...I looked out of the peep hole and my meth lab neighbor was spraying air freshener throughout the hallway.  Seriously...he looked like a soldier walking up and down...spray, spray, spray, spray, spray, spray.  Instead of time to make the donuts....well...who knows what he makes in there.  I can vouch that it smells awful.

Not my neighbor, but it is appropriate in this case...

Sorry for that message, but I felt that it was worth mentioning especially if you are a follower of the blog.

I do have an announcement to close this post. If you follow me on Twitter or you are my Facebook friend, you may have seen a special announcement that I have a second blog.  It is nothing like this one.  The new blog is called "The Flip Side" and will be much more serious, likely much more liberal and much more spiritual and  poetic. It will certainly not be for everyone who reads "Confessions of a Girl". If you think you may like "The Flip Side", I invite you to read it as it get's updated. "Confessions of a Girl" will continue as it is...random thoughts, random events, and I daresay, making fun of men I meet online, though I have given up on love (much to my mom's chagrin) I envision "The Flip Side" to be less about me and more about things that mean something to me including poetry, people, events and spirituality. 

Day in Review - For Jeannette

I know...it has been a really long time.  Too long.  I had my reasons for staying away. Though writing is like therapy to me, sometimes things cannot be shared that I want to be shared and sometimes it is too hard to have a blank page and not get on my soap box and give you every reason in the world why I am right and why I have been treated badly. I have no regrets on anything I have done.  In my time away I stumbled upon a song.  I am not a fan of country music, but I think the Dixie Chicks say it best in their song and video "I'm Not Ready to Make Nice".  When I found it a few weeks ago it was like I wrote it myself.  Some of you reading this will know what I am talking about, some will not.  It doesn't matter, really.  I won't talk about it because no one will really be on my side and no one will stand up for my side.  It's OK.  Really, I know what you have to lose because I lost it...but I am ok with that after this weekend.  As the song goes, I made my bed and I sleep like a baby...I'm not discussing it any longer.




Lets talk about Jeannette.  As you can see, this post is dedicated to her.  Jeannette is a loyal reader of this blog and has sent me several reminders to update this space.  Jeannette...this ones for you...

As I left off in my last post, I had a mystery to solve.  There was a possible meth lab with a rabid monkey across the hall from me and it's rancid scent was making its way to my apartment. Chloe and I were getting contact meth mouth and finally I made the call to my landlord.  Actually she called me to find out if I wanted to change my parking spot, but I took it as an opportunity.  As I explained it to you, I explained it to her. (I did leave the part out about the monkey and the meth lab, but fully described the smell.)  After a short conversation, I felt that she had explained everything.  I felt guilty actually.  I felt sad. I hugged my dog. This is what I was told...

Neil lives across the hall (Remember, this is the same guy who banged the garage door on the top of my car several times) Neil had a cat but no monkey. According to my landlord, Neil's cat was 21 years old. This cat was so old that she said it had some kind of illness that was causing it to literally begin decomposing slowly from within and all of these chemicals were leaking into the carpet. The cat was hanging between life and death.  My landlord convinced Neil that it was time for this cat to be put to sleep peacefully and she went with him to do it.  She thought the smell was probably the cleaning products he was using which she told him to stop using because this industrial grade cleanser had been actually eating through the carpeting.

As I said, this is a sad story...but I ask you...is it true?  I am telling you, I thought this was solved.  I was saddened for a person I don't like and a cat I had never met...but I think the story is bunk.

I am certainly not accusing my landlord of lying, I think it was convenient for Neil to blame the smell of his meth lab on cleaning his carpeting.  Now that the cat is gone (I believe that part because I haven't heard it) I still smell the nasty smell, I still hear random people coming in and out of his apartment and he still sprays his little air freshener outside in the hallway.  I have also started Febreezing when I smell it, so it isn't as nasty out there anymore but there is always a bit of "Ode de Methlab" lingering in the air.

So Jeannette...I told you this was a sad story, but I don't think it is totally true.  Only time will tell I think.  It has gotten better, I will admit, but I think because I am fighting Glade Air Effects with Febreeze.

Before I close up, because I have to work on a side job (a book about marriage, HA HA HA), I have to mention the last guy I dated....and if you are wondering if I spent my hiatus with a wonderful man, I didn't...I spent it with a Pentacostal Republican who played Dungeon's and Dragons and doesn't drink.

Luckily I did not have to purchase this....

 Long story short, I didn't know he was Pentacostal or a Republican when I agreed to go out with him and though I maybe could have possibly looked past the Dungeon's and Dragons part (wishful thinking because I probably couldn't), he just didn't fit well with me, someone who believes in God but not organized religion, who has broken most of the 10 Commandments, obviously quite Liberal and if I don't have a glass of wine every few days or so I begin to go a little crazy.

Finally, my "Thank You of the Day" - this goes out to Laurel (and Pippa), Devon and Brendan (even though he made fun of me for much of the time) for hanging out with me this weekend and sticking with me.