Background Noise

I've realized something about being home all day every day (mostly). Its friggin' loud around here in the daytime.

Not to be judgmental or anything but doesn't anyone work around here? Used to be I was out of here at 7.23, walking to the bus and it was so quiet. I assumed that everyone had either already left for work or were still in their units, drowsily getting ready to go, praying their coffee kicks in before they hit the road.

But no. I think I was the only person around here that actually had a job. And now that I don't have a job...well I guess we all just hang out here and hope for the best.

It wouldn't  be so bad if people just kind of kept to themselves and were nice and quiet. Not to toot my own horn but I am an excellent neighbour- quiet, considerate, polite, all around awesome. But not everyone around here is so awesome. Let me break it down for you.

The people above us are constantly moving furniture or bowling in their units. The mornings are usually pretty quiet but they really start moving around in the evenings. Sometimes it sounds like they are vacuuming? But it takes them like an hour. The woman below us likes to sit on her balcony and talk on the phone. Sounds like a nice ritual right? I'm sure it is for her. But when she sits out there and we sit in our living room with the window open (I'm a fan of air circulation) its like she is in the room with us.

Admittedly I live right beside a university campus. Which, in September especially, means that there will be students walking to and from class. Which is fine. I'm down with higher learning. Two years ago I was one of them. Except for the part where they yell and scream at each other while they are going to class. Or as is more often the case, as they are cutting through our courtyard to get to the bus, pissed out of their trees. This inevitably means swearing, sometimes girls screaming (hard to tell if they are being raped or not,  usually assume not since they are also laughing), and cell phone volumes that mean I can hear both sides of the conversation. Sure regular people have come to their balconies and told them to shut up but this really only serves to irritate the students and they carry on more loudly. I'm not against them having fun, I'm not that old yet. I just wish that they would be a little considerate on a Tuesday night you know?

Construction is another issue. They are building a bunch of condos in the area, the first ones right behind our place. And these guys? They start work early. I'm not sure what the bylaws state about construction noise and what time it can start at but apparently 7am  is perfectly legit to fire up that crane and get to work. I'm sure the finished product will be gorgeous (I've seen the show home) but personally I don't think its going to be worth the hours of sleep that I am losing. And yes I do realize that I am complaining about losing sleep at 7am, a time when most of you are probably already up and getting ready for work. Obviously this happens all day long, a soundtrack to my unemployed day.

So aside from the construction, which will end at some point, we also have garbage pick up at 7.30am. Sure garbage pick up is once a week. But then there is another designated day for cardboard, and another for the recycling. Which means, almost every week day morning we hear the BEEP BEEP BEEP of some big a$$ truck making its way into the courtyard (where the sound is magnified), taking what feels like an hour to take our garbage away.

Maybe I'm just jealous that all these people have a daily purpose.

New low: I envy the garbage man.