Mar 08 2005
Rise’n’Shine!
Slothful Suzy is quite challenged by the neighbors. All of them.
Everyone gets up ridiculously early. The birds take over from the juvenile delinquent crickets, who yell all night at the top of their voices. When they punch out in the early a.m., the birds take over, squawking and hoo-hooing and cawing at the top of their voices and ensuring no interruption of annoying noises to keep you awake or get you there (I’m beginning to have sneaking sympathy for those folks in France who merrily massacre songbirds and eat them, too). This sets off the senior delinquents, who come out of their “estates” and start hollering good morning to each other. Why they don’t just walk right up to each other and converse in a normal, non-annoying-to-Sleepy-Suzy tone of voice is beyond me. Maybe it’s a sport: lawn hollering. All you need is a yard and a loud voice. Hearing is optional (and undesirable, as far as I’m concerned).
Not only do the oldsters get up really, really early (presumably so as not to waste what little time they have left), they find it perfectly reasonable to mow the lawn and use power tools at 8 in the morning or even earlier. No sleeping in for Suzy. I have to admit that it has made me go to bed earlier, and get up earlier, though filled with resentment instead of caffeine.
And it makes me feel all youthful, despite being 30-12 going on 30-13. I actually got asked for ID in the Kash N’ Karry liquor store yesterday! I was floored and told the guy how old I am – not something I normally care to admit. He didn’t believe me, so I showed him my driver’s license. He squinted at it, put on his reading glasses, examined it carefully, and gave it back, saying, “I shore do ‘pologize, ma’am.” Hee.
3 Responses to “Rise’n’Shine!”
Age is a funny thing. You can get offended for being thought too young (as by our parents) or for being thought too old (by anyone under 30). I remember someone from a video store running after me a few years ago, shouting “Sir! Sir!” because I’d left something behind. Sir?! Who the hell are you yelling at, kid?
Modern earplugs are a miracle of science. They work, really.
You think 8:00 is early? I was walking to work the other day and somebody thought it okay to snowblow at 5:45 a.m.!!!! I mean I know it’s their job, so they’re awake, but 5:45 AM???? Just rude and wrong. At that hour, break out the shovel, you lazy-ass!