March 6, 2000

So it's been a while since I wrote about my next-door neighbors, and they have been up to some shenanigans. I decided to steal a bit from Rob and make up a special graphic so you know when I am going to talk about my neighbors. Plus, I got some new fonts from Font-a-licious and wanted to test them out. First, a few disclaimers. One, yes, I am a nosy haus frau with nothing better to do than peek out my blinds at my next-door neighbors. Two, I make snap judgments based on my observations that may or may not be true, and sometimes I may exaggerate for the sake of the story. Okay, here we go...

First, a little review for those of you who are coming in late. For a long time, I thought my next-door neighbors were a cult. They have a big house and there are always a ton of kids there. When we first moved in, I thought it was a daycare, but no one ever got dropped off or left. And it seems like a lot of the school-age kids never went to school. So then I thought it was a cult. One day, some young men rang my doorbell and explained that they were from the LDS (Latter Day Saints) church, and asked if I knew my neighbors, who were also of their faith. So it all clicked in. I knew there was something in the LDS faith about "multiply and replenish the earth" so that explained the numerous children. And the fact that they are gone every Sunday for a long time.

So, I have nothing against my neighbors, but I find them fascinating. They have so many kids that they have to buy their food in bulk, and they have one of those vans like the group home uses to transport their clients. I've tried to count how many kids they have, but it's hard to tell because they have friends over all the time. My best estimate is probably 8 kids, and I think the mom is pregnant again. The oldest is about 14 maybe.

The most exciting developments in the past year have been that the father bought or rented a backhoe, and the erection of a trampoline. The father had a backhoe and would do earth-moving at like 9:00 at night, with his headlights on. I'm still not sure what he was doing. Then they put up a trampoline in like November, right before the snow started falling. I have to say, they have gotten a lot of use out of that trampoline though. They were out there on the coldest days we had.

My one problem with them is that they don't treat their dogs well. Less than a year ago, they got a beautiful chocolate Lab named Cocoa. They never walk her, they rarely play with her. They just put her out on a leash for a few hours per day, and she barks at everyone and everything, because she's bored. She is a beautiful dog though. Then, a few weeks ago, they got a new puppy -- a Siberian Husky. Now Justin has a Siberian Husky, and he's a dog trainer, so I know that they are difficult to train and require a lot of attention. And it's just a puppy, so it has even more energy. And again, they just hook it up outside and ignore it. I swear, I am going to go steal both dogs soon. Anyway, today, one of the kids (maybe 11 years old) was outside jumping on the trampoline and for some reason, Cocoa got loose and was wandering around IN THE ROAD! It's not a super busy street, but it's busy enough and people tend to speed. I couldn't watch, because I was sure she was going to get hit. The kid was unconcerned. A few minutes later, I heard brakes screeching and so I peeked out to see what was going on. A woman stopped and started yelling at the kid about how she had nearly hit the dog, and he should chain the dog up. The kid seemed pretty unconcerned still, and made a few half-hearted attempts to call the dog over. I almost ran out the door and brought the dog into my house. Finally, the dog wandered back up and the kid hooked her up. I swear, I am going to steal them.

In other news, I started working out yesterday. I've been trying to wait until I felt better so I wouldn't have a coughing fit. Jim and I did the Tae Bo yesterday. I nearly collapsed. Today, I'm going to go for a walk as soon as I finish this entry.

Also, yesterday was our six-year anniversary. We went out for dinner, and it was delicious. Six damn years. Wow.

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4 Days Until Freaks and Geeks! A new episode of the very best show on television airs on Monday, March 13th at 8 PM on NBC. Please, please, please watch this show. It might get cancellend, but I'll feel better knowing that I did what I could to save it.

The dot com world has more opportunities for women, or at least is more gender neutral, than other industries.

The Census Bureau is experimenting with using the Internet for counting. I'm all for anything that makes it easier for people to respond, and thus might result in a better, more accurate count.

An interview with Kimberly Pierce, director of "Boys Don't Cry". After seeing the movie, this interview helped clear up some of my questions.

What was the original ending of "American Beauty"? I'm glad they changed it, but I wish they had cut the big scene with Thora Birch talking about killing her dad because it was foreshadowing a scene that never happened.

Where are people moving from, and where are they moving to? The Census Bureau has released some new statistics that answer those questions.

Call me cynical, but I think there is more to the story here. A little girl who was kidnapped in one town just shows up in another?

I just found out that SU lost to Georgetown in the Big East Tourney. Oh, for crying out loud.