[Dejibo]

OMG! I am sooooo tired of this woman who lives down the street. She doesnt take the hint. She constantly asks if we can let her dogs out, or do little errands. "oh since you are already going to the store, can you pick up a couple of things for me?" and the list has 20 things on it! Every single conversation I have had with her for the last two years ends with "oh, btw, what are you doing on friday or Monday?" she will call middle of the day and say "we are running late, do you think you could pop over and let the dogs out?"

Well, Monday she called and asked DH if on Thursday he could let the dogs out. I was standing right here, and he said "no, im sorry, but we are helping another neighbor and cant be here. sorry" she dug for answers "where are you going? what is going on? when will you be back? Will you be back before us? if so can you still pop the dogs out?" OMG! He clearly said "NO, im sorry we cant let the dogs out." She pushed and pushed, and then he said "I gotta go, let me find you later." What she heard was "let me get more details, and I will let you know." UGH!

She called today and wanted to chat and chat and chat and I said "im sorry, but I am up to my neck in things to do today, I have to go." and she interupted me to say "so are we all set for Thursday?" I said "um...I dont understand. what for?" she quickly jumped in with a "Frank said he would let the dogs out while we are gone. We are leaving at 7am and wont be back till 7pm, and he said he would take care of the dogs. I am just making sure we are all set" (in her sing song voice) I cut her off before she could hang up and corner me and said NO! (loudly) we are NOT all set for you We CANNOT let your dogs out. and she started to protest about how WE would not be gone all day and someone has to let these animals in and out! I said "well, Im sorry but I CANNOT let your dogs out." I suggested the other neighbor may be helpful (she invites them to lobster dinners, clam bakes, boat parties and so forth, we only get the dog invites) She said "I dont know what I am going to do!" I said "neither do I, im sorry, I cant help you."

20 minutes later, she calls back, quite perturbed, clearly upset by my snub, and said "look no one can let these poor animals out and I simply must insist that you find a way to help. Can your son help? or Can YOU stay home while your husband does the errands so we are not stuck? I said Are you kidding? and then I unloaded on her. I said LOOK! we are NOT your personal dog sitters, house watchers, landscapers, dock removers, appointment waiters, or your fetch crew! I have MANY things of MY OWN to get done, and NO! I will NOT stop MY life so YOUR dogs get let in and out. I suggest you either put them in day care for the day, or call a pet sitting service! I may be gone a 1/2 hour or I may be gone all day, but YOUR animals are NOT MY PROBLEM! and quite frankly I am tired of you assuming that I am your beck and call girl. Please! take me off your rolodex. I am more blind than sighted, and I dont feel good. When I leave for a long time I HIRE people to come watch my animals. When my yard needs help i HIRE people to fix it. I suggest you start doing the same. I feel you are taking advantage of some very nice people, and I am truly sorry that you are stuck, but its not MY problem. Please stop calling here. and ...I hung up!

MY God! I am so tired of being afraid to answer the phone for fear of being trapped. AT least twice per week they want to run off on play dates and fun things and since we are home they want us to watch their animals, their house or their stuff....NO NO NO! I dont care if she is ticked off or not.

Have you ever been just tired of being nice to someone who has no desire to be nice to you? Sheesh! get a clue! So, she called back and said "dont cut me off! what is your cat sitters name?" So, with as many rich friends as she has, and as many contacts as she makes, she doesnt have one on call already? OMG! She has to use mine? NO other neighbor will help her? I can see why now. Sheesh! Get away from me!

[legzzalot]

get her deb! I had my neighbor text me last night to ask if i had plans today. I said yup, sure do. Her kid shows up less than 5 minutes after we got home last night and didn't leave until I made her go hom after 8. WTH?? When did I open a day care??

I don't mind trading them for dog sitting but I wont let my kids play over there because they talk about grown up stuff, such as their sex lives and don't care who is in the room.

GAHHH. I feel your pain.

[Dejibo]

I am as generous as they get, but DANG! I feel used. I feel like she is cheap, and thinks we are easy. She has the attitude that because she lives in this big ol house that folks are supposed to treat her like royalty. Well, if you are dumb enough to pay 17k per year for taxes alone before you turn on the first light, or get insurance or grow the first rose (which her home is manicured, not just landscaped) then good for you, but me? I spend my money on my animals, my family, our needs, and our comforts.

She is constantly telling me how broke she is, and how much money they owe, and how much financial details it takes to run her life. I DONT CARE! I large case of TMI I dont need nor want to hear about how you steal money from your husbands accounts because he makes you split the bills 50/50 and he has such a large income (because he cheated the state with a workers comp case) and you have a measly little baby income. I dont want to hear that you cant afford a new car when yours is newer than mine! I dont want to hear about how expensive your vacation was to st martin and how the prices have risen on your time share in Hawaii, or how much the jewels your grandmother left you were appraised for. STFU!

The neighbors had a very nice young grandson visiting, and all she could yammer on about what how this young man was wonderful because he was due to inheriet some large fortune from some very well known family, and how he will never want for a thing all of his life. I said "oh, so if he was a little poor boy from around the corner he would be trash and have no future, but since he comes from money, he is wonderful? Whats wrong with you?! its folks like YOU that tried to keep folks like ME from making any thing of myself. Had I listened to the folks that cried about how I would never go anywhere because my parents were poor, I would be in a world of hurt. Does it make me less of a person because I came from poverty? UGH! The thing is, she herself came from meager beginings and immigrant parents who worked hard to give her a nice start in life. Unless you are wearing YSL you really dont look dressed enough to visit her home. Excuse me, but my Target clothes are good enough. My walmart purse holds money just as nicely as your Tangello bag.

UGH! Im so fed up with this place. I am rearching for sale by owner styles of selling my home. I want out of here! This place is crazy and so are the folks that live here!

[missj]

check your inbox here!

[Dejibo]

Thank you for the messages public and private. I guess this lady touched a nerve in quite a few of us. I am nearly blind! She thinks I can simply drop what I am doing (cause I am only resting, right?) and run over to her million dollar house with unlocked doors and let the dogs out. you can bet your bottom dollar that if anything got broken she would be charging me the deductible from her insurance policy spouting how I was the last one there. so, NO! I wont put up with it anymore.

I have grown a strong backbone, and am fed up. I am no longer answering her calls, and she like me can HIRE help. I was out taking pictures of my house because I am going to list it, and she came over to tell me that I was doing it wrong. That I cant use shots of the lake because "YOUR house isnt lake front!" I said, "yes, but it IS lake VIEW and I am allowed to list it as such." She had several smarty pants comments behind that one, and I said "did you just stop by to harrass me, or was there something more important?" Said she just wanted me to know if I had any hopes of getting it done right that I need to listen to her. UGH! I said "well, unfortunatly for you, my camera battery is dead and I need to go recharge it before I can even consider which things I want photos of next. Can I put the mountains in the back ground in the photo or do I have to exclude them because I dont own those either?" She said "you know, you can be quite rude when you want to be." I said "honey, you have NO idea how deep my rudness can go. PLEASE stop talking to me like I am stupid. I can and WILL list my house anyway I see fit. thank you for the advice, but I will not be using any of it. Have a nice day!" and I went inside. I left her standing out on the edge of my garden. (which she is upset that I wouldnt allow her to transplant her flowers into my organic food garden)

Some neighbors make a neighborhood a joy. Others make it a terror. I cant wait for them to go south for the winter and wear out someone elses ears. What part of I am handicapped dont you get? The electric fence doesnt work so you have to chase them. One dog is a basket case and a nipper and you have to force him out, and the other is now blind/deaf and really needs to be carried in and out. NOT ME and NOT ANYMORE!

Thanks for the support. Seems we are all of like minds on this one.

[ewizabeth]

Have you put up that sign advertising the price of your services yet? I'm dead serious here!

[Aarcyn]

Originally Posted by ewizabeth

Have you put up that sign advertising the price of your services yet? I'm dead serious here!

EXACTLY ewi! If nothing else, Dej, it would be fun to put a dollar amount to everything. I wonder how much per minute I would charge this woman for taking a business phone call...and let her know that the minute she asks for a house service, the call just turned from social to business and the clock is ticking.

For your own fun, let her know, keep a log!

I was thinking about your situation a couple nights ago. If you are forced into a conversation, you should ask if they have personal injury liability on their property. Let her know you have been watching tv and really admire Nancy Grace and Gloria Allred as model professional lawyers that are able to sue for extraordinary amounts of money.

[Erin524]

Dog sitting fee - $20/hr per dog (you dont have to actually be letting the dog out for the fee, if she just asks you to watch them, the meter starts then)

House sitting fee - $40/hr (whether or not you're actually in their house)

Therapy services (because she tells you about her problems) - $200/hr

Waiting for the cable guy fee - $500/hr (because you never know when the cable guy will actually get there)

[Debbie D]

Definitely agree with others that you should say, "I will gladly let your dogs out. It's $20 per day in advance, cash. No cash, no let the doggies out."

That'll make her go away...

[Aarcyn]

Originally Posted by Debbie D

Definitely agree with others that you should say, "I will gladly let your dogs out. It's $20 per day in advance, cash. No cash, no let the doggies out."

That'll make her go away...

offer to call the humane society if she cannot let HER OWN dogs out.

Have fun with it Dej. Be as annoying as you want (but with a smile and sweetness) and be passive/agressive. If the dogs are not let out, they will find a place to use in her house...let her know the dogs will be okay if she does not let them out, it is only urine and poop she will need to clean when she gets home.