Mrs. Cravitz is alive and well...

. . . or so my hubby tells me - considering i'm now the neighborhood "Cravitz". I don't TRY to be nosey - but i'm home a lot during the day (by product of being a SAHM) and i'm in and out of house while taking the dog out, getting home from the store, etc. So i see things - not that there's really that much to see around here, we live in a pretty quiet area.

But - i know that my next door neighbor's 16 year old son and his friends got home about 3 minutes before his parents yesterday - and the friend's had just pulled the cars around the corner as the parents drove up. I thought it was funny. I also know that the friends were all over there a couple weekends ago while the parents were out of town at one of their daughter's colleges. The best part is - these kids know that i know.... but they don't know if i'll tell.

I also am the mean lady that called the cops on the kids riding mini bikes around the neighborhood. Yup - that was me - i ruin all the fun. I did this because - 1) they were ages of about 7 up to 12 and most were never wearing helmets 2) they were going way over the 25 mph speed limit on our street 3) they were not stopping at the stop sign at our corner 4) i saw at least 3 different people almost hit them in a 2 hour span of time (and lastly - the noise was driving me insane - but i never mentioned that) I wonder if someone else complained because it never happened again after i called and it was becoming a weekend ritual. There are appropriate places to ride those bikes - invest a couple hours with your kid and take them someplace safe to ride - and teach them the correct safety.

I also am the one who keeps walking down the street harassing some neighbors about their two Jack Russel's constantly being out and about. They escape, hang out and poop in my yard, have been found digging under my fence into my backyard, terrorizing the other neighbor's toddlers in their own front yard (a house almost 2 blocks from where these dogs live). They've been aggressive towards my dog while i've had him out (on a leash) in my own yard. Quite simply - i'm tired of it.

I've talked to the "dad" of the dogs 3 times in person. I've left a note. I've called animal control (unfortunately it was a weekend though and they're not in - and it wasn't an emergency so i didn't bother with 911) Today the guy was like "yeah, the kids left the door open and they got out". Well then - TRAIN YOUR KIDS! PUT COLLARS ON YOUR DOGS! DOG PROOF YOUR FREAKIN" BACKYARD! I know these dogs - they're escape artists. They jump, they dig they wiggle through tiny openings - it's what they were bred to do. you don't keep dogs like that when you have a decorative iron fence around your back yard and 3 kids running in and out all day.

I hate seeing animals out running loose. I'm not the person who will adopt all the strays - i just don't have that in me (though i admire people who do) But i firmly believe in pet responsibility. You don't just get a dog (or a cat - and don't get me started on the outdoor cats around here) and they just let them run wild. I don't get it - why the hell did you get one in the first place? Either treat it like family or don't get one . Oops - i forgot - most of the people i see doing this also let their kids run wild as well so ... i guess they ARE treating the pet like family. I just don't like it - and i don't want your pet in MY yard. I understand that pets will get out and run amok on occasion (like the basset hound down the street - but you always see someone chasing him about 2 minutes later) - but 4-5 times a week or every day - that's insane!

So, there you have it. I'm the nosey neighbor. Maybe something really interesting will happen and i can let y'all know. Till then ....