I live in a village-style neighbourhood with houses with a ground floor and second floor/roof. So that, I have the ground floor, garden and basement, and my upstairs neighbour has second floor/under the roof which is tilted. It is like a village. It was built in 1948 (just after WWII) for the mediocre wealth-wise. It looks/feels like a village to the point where last year, we had 4 film-crews (tents and all) in to shoot commercials and or dutch movies. Well, we all know dutch movies are useless re box office, but good for Cannes, right?

Anyway, there is a railway/subway station real close by, which is becoming increasingly important since big bucks companies discovered the area. There is also a supermarket, belonging to the biggest national chain supermarkets (1,5 times the price that they would charge in an ordinary neighbourhood, but I'm happy that I CAN get toiletpaper whenever I did not realize I was running out).

Anyhoo, I was in line for the counter and I got to talking with a lady possibly at most 10 years older than me and so very much OUR KIND OF PEOPLE. You know the type, high class civil servant, whole family always been that way, etc.

We were walking out of the store, out of the station, towards this neighbourhood all the time acknowledging the other, by glances and smiles. Then when it was obvious we live in the same neighbourhood, she said "So you live there too" and I went "yeah, (description of exactly where I live, with the kiddies playground in front of my door) and then she said: Ooo, where the cat lady lives. Well you see, the cat lady is a perverse narcissist and she was offered money by my mum to seperate me and my daughter under false pretences when my daughter was 14. Sore point. Totally.

What am I so proud of? Well, instead of launching into a tale of how this "seemingly innocent catlady" brainwashed me, my kid, her teacher, child security services and whatnot into believing I am a horrible parent, I did something else. I said YES, in a very dead tone of voice. And proceeded to enthusiastically say how gorgeous of an evening it was, weatherwise, the first of its kind this year really, which was true. She did get the message and she is, I think, someone I would like to know. She seems worth knowing. But the thing is, I did something that most people learn to do when they are 3 years old, and I never knew how to do. I did it! It worked! I felt good/mature aboot it. I hope there is at least one person around here that understands.

I am not stoopid, just socially maladjusted.