After the summer 2008

She or he was up doing bling bling ding ding glass bottle dropping last night again at 11:35 PM. Yes, you got that right. Right now, they are renovating their yard, and their yard is a mess. Of course, that gives George some more excuse to do his project during the night. Before I went overseas, this is their record:

5/7/08 8:30p circular saw one time
9:00p circular saw 2 times

5/8/08 12:30a hammering in downstairs bathroom

5/10/08 9:10p-9:30 circular saw

5/12/08 11:30p-? electrical drill

5/14/08 8:10p-9:30 intermittent circular saw

5/14/08 9:30p call and asked them to move their schedule earlier. Claudia said she had horrible schedule and couldn't do it earlier. Her husband needs her to hold wood pieces.

5/24/08 2:45 AM air compresor
called immediately to tell them the machine just went up. Claudia went to shut it off.
5/24/08 4-4:30p air compresor, circular saw

5/24/08 9:30, 9:31, 9:42, 9:44p circular saw
called 9:50, left message and asked him not to do it. He did not answer the phone.

9:53p hammering


What’s amazing is that, every time I called, Claudia would say that she has a horrible schedule and that she had no other time to work. So, that’s a refusal, whether she obliged later or not. Well, she chose to have a busy schedule and I’m left to be a victim that feels their life pressure all the time. Is that fair? Whatever they plan for their life is my business? Why do I have to be pressured? And she sounded so surprised that I knew what they do deep in the night. I could feel her suspicion that I’ve been spying on them from behind the blinds. No, Claudia, I don’t check up on you all the time. Wouldn’t you look out the window if there’s something loud so late on the street? You would be wondering what’s happening out there. It’s human nature. If there’s danger, we want to identify and make escape plan immediately. What makes you think I can be ignorant to what’s going on around me?

They have improved quite a bit since we came back. During the two months period, she came out the empty trash once in a while, and only bling bling and ding ding twice. However, I’m dreadful that their horrible lifestyle will come back again. Right now, their garbage cans are not right next to my window. Their side yard is full of junk. When all is done, will they start ding donging late in the night? How am I going to solve this? Anyway, I’m not saying anything right now. I will collect my evidence.

How did I find out about their side yard? Well, last Thursday, I opened the garage door to pick up my daughter. As soon as I walked out the door, Top came limping to me. I told him to go back but he didn’t listen. He kept walking down the street. He seemed to walk in pain, limping with each step. He was panting profusely for the weather is very hot. His eyes were full of liquid and he drools much. Out of sympathy, I grabbed his collar and started walking toward their house. If I don’t do anything, Top could die or be near death when he’s found after they come back. I dragged him over to their front door. Sandy was there. She was panting hardly too. The side door on that side has a big lock and was locked. So, I called for Sandy and dragged Top to the other side of the yard. Luckily, that one was not locked. I opened the door and the dogs immediately ran back in. I bet they were happy to get back in and perhaps had a drink of plenty of water. I was tempted to write them a note telling them to advise those workers close the doors well, but I didn’t.

Quiet for 7 days

Since the last episode, read the post below, it's been quiet for a week. I have a suspicion that they have been sick, for we have been sick, and I heard him sneezing in the garage. He was totally quiet for a couple days and started sawing again in the afternoon, mostly around 3 for an hour or two. Today, he's been working at about the same time, but the air compressor was on at 7. Seriously, who'd complain if it's normal household noise? The kids on the other end of the yard screamed all the time while we took naps, but never a time we felt like rushing over, telling them to be quiet. It's normal, happy sound. While the sound came from their yard has not been normal, usually vibrations and high pitched screeching sound. No, I don't even want to hear that during the day. This is a peaceful neighborhood, not an industrial area. Their construction work never come to an end. According to C, there's always projects going on in the house. Then one might wonder, when do they enjoy their home? Who knows. Maybe never.

So, there's always projects going on fixing the interior. The environment surrounding the house is terrible. Garbage lay around on the side yard which didn't seem to be touched for a long time. No, they didn't start collecting garbage on the side yard after I complained. It was like this when I moved in. They let the grass grow high at times before finally mowing it. Dirt and pebbles ran down the street to our curb with water. At times, they park their car half protruded, occupying half the street. The race up and down the street in their car despite the speed limit.

Sure they are nice people. They live their life and hardly bother anybody. However, they are inconsiderate, ignorant people. They are negligent to the welfare of the entire neighborhood. They are irresponsible as home owners. And I am the only person on the street who has the guts to tell them. All I wanted is to live my life peacefully and quietly. I don't intend to be any one's mother. However, I have no choice. I am sick of it. Every family has his own schedule. Why should I feel their stress because they chose their life this way? Why?

When is the next disturbance in the night? How long will they curb their desire to use the power tool deep in the night? Will I be waken up from my deep sleep again? I worry.

5/24/08

Here's today's record:

5/24/2008
2:45a
air compresor
called immediately to tell them the machine just went up. Claudia went to shut it off.
5/24/2008
4-4:30p
air compresor, circular saw

5/24/2008
9:30, 9:31, 9:42, 9:44p
circular saw
called 9:50, left message and asked him not to do it. He did not answer the phone

9:53p
hammering

What in the world does one have to do his construction work at night? It won't matter to me if heavy machinery or loud hammering are not involved. However, this guy just couldn't resist the temptation. He just had to do it late at night operating his heavy machinery, eg. circular saw, drill, blower, etc. Leaving his air compressor on is not unusual. What exactly is the reason that he couldn't wait? Why couldn't he plan so that he didn't need to saw or drill during the night? The houses are so close and the screeching sound is unbearably sharp.

Last night, well, it's early this monring actually, he forgot to turn off the air compressor again. At 2:45a, I am awakened by the loud vibrating humming. This time I wasn't going to tolerate any more. I called. Surprisingly, his wife answered the phone. I told her that the machine just went on. She said oh dear. I just kept saying I was sorry. To me, it wasn't polite to call somebody in the middle of the night. However, they hardly consider the well being of the others. I feel I've been taken advantage of and been abused. I kept my manners and never called them in the night until last night. I'm keeping all the records, just in case I may need it one day. If things get out of hand, I will have to contact the authority so that we can walk over together and have a talk. The thing is, they never try to communicate. It's always a one way street. They constantly break the law and expect the rest of the street to tolerate this.

An Email I Wrote To Sheriff

This is an email I wrote to our city sheriff on 10/2/07. I had called my neighbor G on 9/6. He had since then left his compressor on twice in the night. I felt extremely frustrated and was very afraid that he was continuing leaving his machine one and waking me up in the middle of the night, leaving me a walking corpse the next day. American constitution said that everyone should be free from fear. However, I live in fear, not knowing when I am going to be waken up by loud noises in the night. During the day, I have been anxious. In the evening, I am even more anxious if I see the light in their garage or the light in their extention is up for I don't know when they can't control their desire and have to make loud noise to finish their "schedule". I don't see why they could not do slight adjustment to their schedule so that there is no sawing, turning on the compressor or banging in the night. We all have freedom to do whatever we want whenever. However, the freedom comes when one respects another. Having a horrible or a tight schedule is not an excuse to disturb other's peaceful life. It is solely his own choice to live that way.
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Dear Deputy SA,

I have left you a message but you didn’t call back. I spoke to you last year. You mention that you have an air compressor. I would like to ask where you install your compressor and if you ever forget to turn it off after you work. Since I’ve talked to you I have off and on advised my neighbor to remember turning it off after he worked. However, every few months, I get to be waken up and lose sleep the entire night. The humming of the compressor is long and loud enough to pull me out of deep sleep into complete consciousness.

My neighbor has improved a lot and this is the only thing to complain about. However, I will give you a little history of it so that you don’t mistake me as whining at the slightest inconvenience. I don’t have the habit of bothering the authority at all.

We moved in about 5 years ago. They had two dogs. They kept the dogs at their side yard right next to my bedroom, away from theirs of course. One of the dogs barked at the slightest noise even to my turning on the bed. She also barked all day long. Whenever holiday’s near, I worried, knowing that they would leave their dogs outside and I wouldn’t get any sleep. Often I was waken up completely and started telling the dog to shut up, which did not work anyway. The lady must have heard and started training her dog. She would always do it 10:30, 11:30 in the night, whenever she felt was the right time for her. Later, she put them in the garage. However, being very sensitive, the dog would dream and bark rhythmically for half an hour to an hour. I know it sounded ridiculous, but that was what happened. Her non-stop rhythmic barking often woke me to complete consciousness. There were times I woke up crying and also times that I was so upset that I wanted to ring their door bell 2 in the morning. Thinking that the lady was already trying and I wanted to keep peace, I held any anger, which went quick away when the sun rose, and never disturbed them. I did one time mention about the dog but the lady simply told me she believed the dog belonged to the outside. Anyway, despite the disturbance, the two dogs ran out and got hit by a car and died, which was a relief. Yes, it’s incredible, but it’s true. They later got more dogs, but they put the dogs on the other end of the yard. The dogs are old so they don’t make excessive noise.

Along with the disturbance this sensitive dog was creating, there was also his compressor humming in the night occasionally. During holidays, they would be conducting home renovation. They would hammer or operate blower like machine deep in the night, say 2 in the morning. Sometimes, the lady would walk around all night and empty her trash, the latest was 1:30 in the morning. If she cat walked, I would not be upset. However, it was like nobody else existed. Anyway, the last straw was that one day the man was cutting metal like material from 3 in the afternoon until 11 in the night. I just couldn’t take that any more. I was constantly bombarded by different kinds of disturbing noise from day till deep in the night. And yet, the lady woke up at 6, some times 5:30 in the morning to feed the dogs. She would often throw the steel bowls on the cement. Yeah, sometimes I didn’t get to sleep 3 hours in the night and constantly had to nap during the day and could not function at all. When I was awaken in the morning, I often encouraged myself that it’s time to get up anyway.

The third year my father in law died, I was in great stress. I was so beat that night that I was knocked out in bed before 10. While deep in sleep, I was woken up by very loud noise. It was the lady pouring her collection of recyclables into the trash bin. It was so loud that it arise my nerve completely and I lost sleep until 3 in the morning. I went over to her house the next morning to ask her not to do her garbage that late. She held her newborn on her knee telling me that it was the only time during the day for her to do the garbage. This is of course not true, because she had been emptying trash like that since we moved in. Later, she did try to be careful, but would still put glass bottles making bling bling sound every night. I wasn’t so sensitive until being bombarded by so much for so long. So she came over one day and I didn’t smile at her. She started throwing trash making loud noise again. I called, she said that she had a busy schedule to keep, and she must throw out the shell fish they’ve eaten that night and her son was ok with the noise etc. Of course not, because the trash bins were right next to my windows but not her son’s. It wasn’t a nice conversation, but we didn’t call names. After that, I deserted my bedroom for a while and didn’t get to bed until past 11p. I wrote a letter to them, showed them our municipal code, and asked them to be considerate. She did much better, but would occasionally do her trash loud if she thought I was complaining.

During the past year, I left 2 note cards telling the man to turn off his compressor. For the 2 time, which happened within 2 week period not long ago, I called them. For a while, the couple was upset and would make noise with machine when we played or talked on the cell phone in the backyard. You probably know that cell phone reception sucks in residential area and there’s a small area in the backyard where there’s reception. I had to call the man one day telling him that nothing we do in the backyard was against them. It was the last couple weeks in the summer before the school started we just wanted to have some good time. Since then, everything has been ok. The lady would still occasionally make noise but was tolerable.

The past Sunday, I wasn’t knocked out until around 10:30p, the machine chimed at 12:30a. After that, I turned on and off the light, read books, put nasal sprays, elevated my pillow, nothing could make me fall back to sleep. I was awake for the entire night until 5 when it’s time to wake the kids up for activity. The entire day, I strolled in Sea World like a walking dead, not to mention how dangerous it was to drive like that. I called them on the way home, left a message, even gave a couple suggestions so that they could remind themselves to turn it off during the night. After all, what’s the point of leaving it on when not using it? Isn’t that a waste of our precious California energy? Now, the question is, what should I do when the next time the man “forgets” to turn off his compressor? Should I keep on calling them, or should I seek help from you? Frankly, I hate to call help from you, because they won’t be happy. They have improved a lot. However, if they are going to forget to turn it off and make me lose sleep, I would like to ask them move that thing away, maybe closer to the heart of the house in the garage so that they can hear it or feel the vibration to remember to turn it off. I need your advice.

Thanks for reading such a long email.

CM

Records

Here's a record of what our neighbor has been doing so far and the step I took to advise them. The thing went back all the way back in 2002. I tried very hard to put up with it because I believed in being a good neighbor. However, the couple did not think so. It took me almost 3 years now to negotiate with them from time to time. I felt like their mother having to tell them behave. Why do I have to do this, I often asked myself. I feel that they lack of discipline. They want to do whatever they want whenever. However, this is a community governed by city law. If they want to have the freedom to do whatever whenever, they should buy a house in the middle of nowhere. Who cares what they do whenever? I didn't choose to buy a house deeply nested in a community to be bombarded by noises day and night like I am next to an industrial plant. We are supposed to have peace and quiet in the heart of the community. I did not ask them not to work on their hobby at all. I try tolerating all the noises during the day, however, I still feel I deserve to enjoy my home. I wasn't this sensitive when I moved in. After being harassed by the noise for over six years, anyone would have a nervous breakdown.

He frosted the windows in his extention facing my house. No, I can not see anything from their windows. All I saw was the lights were on. When the noise was loud, I couldn't help but peek, but I saw nothing. They often wondered if I've been peeking through the blinds all the time. I don't have to. I know all their schedules by being forced to listen to their loud irresponsible noise, like dropping the dogs' bowls every morning, banging the car doors late at night, the beeping and honking of the cars when she locks it deep in the night. I'm not a crazy person who disapproves noises from the neighbors. The noises from them were not normal. It wasn't natural human conversation. They were humming of air compressor, screeches of the circular saws, heavy bangings to the wall especially in the deep quiet of the nights. When the dogs were alive, the female one barked all night long. Good thing that she ran out and got hit by a car.

What's funny was that I still know when he's working in their. He only frosted the window. I could still see the light coming out. What I feel comfortable is that he can't observe me any more. He can work all night as long as he does not create any loud noises to bother me. If he does, I'll call him immediately disregard the time. The couple had been testing me since last September. They would try making loud noises and see if that woke me up. I tried putting up with all these. However, I feel that they ARE abusing the situation because nobody complained. What morons.


5/15/2005
10:30-10:50
garbage

5/20/2005
- 9:00p
cutting metal like material. Called sheriff. Sheriff gave time period allowed for construction work.

5/22/2005
- 7:00p
cutting metal like material. Ended at time stated by law.

5/23/2005
7:42p
still cutting metal like material.

5/28/2005
11:30p
garbage

5/31/2005
1:30a
compressor, garbage until 11:30p 5/30

6/2/2005
8:20p
compressor, cutting metal

6/6/2005
8:52p
compressor

6/?/2006
11:00p
Sleeping was awakened by large quantity of bottles and other stuff into the plastic garbage bin

6/?/2006
Spoke to C about emptying trash before 10, she was upset saying she's busy and that's the only time she was able to do the garbage.

6/23/2006
wrote letter to C to advise the late night garbage emptying, mailed to them

11/26/2006
10:30p
compressor
tolerated it
11/27/2006
3:00a
compressor
wrote card to beg to remember to turn off, left in the mailbox

3/?/2007
2:00a
compressor
tolerated it
3/24/2007
3:20a
compressor
wrote card AGAIN to beg to remember to turn off, taped it on toyota truck

6/20-7/20/2007
We went overseas, L stayed home

8/2-8/12/2007
Our family in Colorado

8/14/2007
10:30p
garbage - throwing bottles into bin
put out garbage
8/17/2007
10:30p
garbage - dropping wood(?) onto ground

8/18/2007
9:42p
Screeching circular saw x1
garbage collection day
8/18/2007
10:15p
Screeching circular saw x1

8/22/2007
9:00p
Screeching circular saw x1
garbage bin collection
8/23/2007
11:59a
Screeching circular saw x3
we just came back from outside
8/24/2007
2:55p
Screeching circular saw x5
working seems like?

5:55p
Screeching circular saw
working
8/25/2007
2-5p
Screeching circular saw - intermittent
working
8/31/2007
10:50a
humming industrial air compressor x 1

8/31/2007
6:05p
Screeching circular saw x 1
pulling hose afterwards
9/5/2007
4:33
4:48, 5:13 Screeching circular saw x 1

9/6/2007
1:30a
humming industrial air compressor x 1

9/6/2007
8:00a
spoke to G about having vacation, just came back and the backyard noise is not directed to them

9/6/2007
9:00p
humming industrial air compressor x 1

9/6/2007
9:05p
Spoke to C and ask her to tell her husband to turn off the air compressor

9/18/2007
11:00p
C quietly lay wood like stuff on the ground, which is good, but she later went on the street slamming garbage bin lids and handled bins roughly

9/22/2007
12:14p
compressor

9/22/2007
1:59p
compressor


2:21p
compressor

9/23/2007
12:30a
air compresor
lose sleep since then, got up at 5 for day's activity

9:00p
call from cell phone. Left message to remind G to make sure compressor is off, gave suggestions to self reminder, 1. post note, 2. install light bulb with circuit, etc.

9/24/2007

left message for deputy st. amant to call back

9/27/2007

write email to deputy st. amant to ask advice

10/1/2007
18:00
circular saw 2 minutes, not exactly so loud
?
10/5/2007
0:00a
doing trash - not loud

10/24/2007
11:40a
compressor
came home 11:10a
12/15/2007
9:00p
hammering in their extention until 11:00p

12/16/2007
7:30
Left message at the L family answering machine
advice to arrange working time avoid loud banging and operation of heavy machinery.
12/19/2007
9:40p
hammering in their extention until 10



2008



Has been using circular saw way past 7 since April

5/7/2008
8:30p
circular saw one time


9:00p
circular saw 2 times

5/8/2008
12:30a
hammering in downstairs bathroom

5/10/2008
9:10p-9:30
circular saw

5/12/2008
11:30p-?
electrical drill

5/14/2008
8:10p-9:30
intermittent circular saw

5/14/2008
9:30p
call and asked them to move their schedule earlier. C said she had horrible schedule and couldn't do it earlier. Her husband needs her to hold wood pieces.

This is a post that I wrote last year. I'm leaving the date unchanged as the day I typed below. See, my neighbor C is a very weird person. Whatever you told her what's bothering her, she would refuse first. The first time I approached her about the dog, not even I said about the dog's barking, she immediately said she believed the dogs belonged to the outside. Well, I do too. However, when the dog barked ceaselessly, would you think they should do something about it?

When I approached her and asked her to do her garbage earlier, she said her schedule was tight and there was no way she could do her garbage before 10. Well, if she cat walked and respect her neighbor, who's going to say anything? The problem is that she would empty a bin full of glass bottles and the week's recyleable, vroom, down the huge bin. I was scared up countless times and could not fall asleep afterwards. Surely, she has a tight and horrible schedule and it's her choice. Why should I be involved and fit my schedule to hers? I still can not get it. Who will interfere with their schedule if they are not bothered? Although, she would make slight adjustment to her behavior, her attitude was reluctant. Do I owe her a million dollar? No, I don't. I sure don't deserve the treatment. God said "Love Thy Neighbor". I swear I tried.
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This is the letter I wrote last year. She did pretty well for the last year, I have to say. When we came back from our vacation, I decided to lead my children for exercise. So we started swimming in the backyard for two consecutive nights. She started throwing beer bottles in the garbage bin and making snapping loud noise after 10 again. Apparently, something snapped her.


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June 23, 2006

Dear C,

I would like to apologize if I offended you. My last phone call was an accumulated result of constant sleep deprivation over the near four year period. On the next page is an excerpt from some city municipal code, chapter xx.xx.xxx Noise Control, which can also be found on the following link:


I understand that I might not have been a good speaker; however, I possess no hostility. During our last conversations, I tried hard to explain that I have no intention to interfere other’s way of life, but it didn’t seem to convey well. Basically, what I would like to say is we are all entitled to do whatever we like, whenever we like on our properties which is the beauty of having a home. As the houses in CA are so close by, code laws are developed so that all of us can enjoy our home. The law says we can do whatever we like, but at certain time period, we need to tone down and be considerate to others.

With my bedroom window right next to where your trash cans are, the noises in the late nights often awaken me, and it’s extremely difficult for me to fall back to sleep once I am awake. I understand how busy you are and might not have time until late to attend to trash. All I am asking is please be mindful and keep the noise level down.

Again, I sincerely apologize if I offended you, it wasn’t my intention and I truly would like for us to be good neighbors.

Sincerely yours,

So it begins

I'm creating this blog just to vent. The book says writing journal is helpful in relieving the stress. There's definitely nothing important here.