Woke up today without the usual mental pomp and circumstance due to yet another night at home with the realization that I’m being forced to live on the time schedule of my neighborhood.
My apartment ceiling is the exact same surface as the floorboards of my upstairs neighbor who is a big guy and now has 2 new friends living above my head. What used to be one studious big guy who didn’t walk around too much (thereby creating the always present creaking in every square foot of the space) has become 3 pairs of feet seemingly in constant motion. Though they never seem to sleep; I wake up with them in the early mornings, shower with them, bathroom with them, make coffee with them for their feet locations seem to mimic mine, somehow. They are ever present in my life as of 2 months ago. Add to that mix the barking from play land as the new Silicon Valley bros that moved en masse (4 of them) next door each with his own new loud mode of transportation. Beneath my bedroom window, I’m imprisoned by the sonic assault of a souped-up motorcycle, a Tesla, a skateboard, and phone chatter. For some reason, the outdoors seems to be their office where they take their biz calls…When not on the phone, they love to hang outside together and yammer above the revving engine at any and all hours of the day and night. They don’t seem to sleep either.
It was so peaceful back in March…
Although one pain in the arse: since I first moved here, I’ve had to put up with a bunch of stupid drunks after midnight down the street at the one bar in the neighborhood that posts an ignored sign: “be mindful of the residents who live near this bar”. A group of raucous, inebriated smokers stream out every 1/2 hour or so for 10-20 minutes laughing and talking WAY TOO LOUD. When they return in for a drink, I fall back asleep only to be awoken again 1/2 hour later. People are rude and obnoxious. It finally calms down around 2:20a after the last of the morons has shouted to each other en route to their cars to drive off to wherever they live. I can’t believe that these bar folk don’t realize that working people are asleep all around the entire area where the bar exists and it’s the only thing open past 10p. Yes, the police have been called. Nothing happens. Perhaps it’s time to start a petition. I know I’m not the only one.
This is why I’ve taken to writing political rants like this one at my wordpress site titled “Stymie the Stigma”. I’m taking out my frustration and lack of sleep on the greater media blitz of the American political upheaval around all of us. I like my neighbor as a person too much to clobber him with my anger. Though he’s going to get a serious talking to tonight.
I will go out of my mind soon if I don’t get some full and deep sleep. These songs poured out of a sleep deprived soul who seems to lose family members weekly not ending lives but inside their living: