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short story competition - link
Monday, January 28th, 2008 11:32 amConDFW Short Story Contest -- amateurs only (= no fiction sold for money), sf/fantasy/horror, prizes.
Monday, January 28th, 2008
Going to the Dogs
Monday, January 28th, 2008 06:21 pmMy upstairs neighbours have dogs.
The dogs are out with Mr Neighbour all day, but stay in the cellar overnight.
The dogs are not happy, at least if the last two nights are anything to go by -- whining, howling, barking at random intervals throughout the night. The cellar is, obviously, closer to my bedroom than to the dogs' owners'. And it is extremely close to where poor![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ladymoonray was trying to sleep on Saturday night post-holiday.
I just went round to read my electricity meter (conveniently located in their hallway) and casually mentioned thatYOUR BLOODY DOGS ARE KEEPING ME AWAKE yes, they've been making a bit of a noise recently.
1. very apologetic
2. not sure what they can do
3. hopefully it won't happen again, but if it does I must let them know. (Oh, believe me I will.)
and, my $64K bonus answer (elicited by a suggestion that the letting agency might consider soundproofing),
4. actually, the letting agency don't know about the dogs.
I WIN.
I don't really want to be the sort of neighbour who makes Complaints. But this is getting beyond a joke. And I do feel sorry for the dogs (though obviously cats are nicer).
I'm giving them a few days grace: maybe they can sort something out. But if not I will feel obliged to mention it when the lady from the letting agency comes round next week to check I haven't demolished the place.
The dogs are out with Mr Neighbour all day, but stay in the cellar overnight.
The dogs are not happy, at least if the last two nights are anything to go by -- whining, howling, barking at random intervals throughout the night. The cellar is, obviously, closer to my bedroom than to the dogs' owners'. And it is extremely close to where poor
ladymoonray was trying to sleep on Saturday night post-holiday. I just went round to read my electricity meter (conveniently located in their hallway) and casually mentioned that
1. very apologetic
2. not sure what they can do
3. hopefully it won't happen again, but if it does I must let them know. (Oh, believe me I will.)
and, my $64K bonus answer (elicited by a suggestion that the letting agency might consider soundproofing),
4. actually, the letting agency don't know about the dogs.
I WIN.
I don't really want to be the sort of neighbour who makes Complaints. But this is getting beyond a joke. And I do feel sorry for the dogs (though obviously cats are nicer).
I'm giving them a few days grace: maybe they can sort something out. But if not I will feel obliged to mention it when the lady from the letting agency comes round next week to check I haven't demolished the place.
More Dog News
Monday, January 28th, 2008 07:08 pmFollow-up to Going to the Dogs.
Just had a visit from a very distressed Mrs Neighbour, who clearly realises she shouldn't have told me that the agency didn't know ... This is her story and it corresponds with information I have from other parties:
- she and Master Neighbour, 14, used to live in Spain, where they had 4 cats and misc. reptiles etc. Had to come back from Spain due to family and financial stuff, leaving all the animals behind.
- council wouldn't house them together so Master Neighbour went to live with his father -- not a good idea apparently -- but father bought him a kitten. Kitten didn't make up for major problems between father and son but Master Neighbour was devastated at having to leave it behind, and still visits though he can't stand his dad.
- Mr Neighbour, meanwhile, was going through messy divorce and living in camper van with his dogs. For eighteen months. (I do wonder if the dogs are simply unhappy at not having a human in their sleeping space.)
- This is their first home together as a family.
- They'd looked at a lot of places that were 'horrid' but this flat is lovely and they thought the cellar (heated, lit and ventilated) would be good solution to the ABSOLUTELY NO ANIMALS rule the letting agency have imposed. (The upstairs flat has been gutted and redecorated. I have no such rule in my lease, though had to pay a deposit against Animal Damage.)
- They had no idea that the noise carried so clearly into my flat. (Mrs Neighbour looked horrified when, standing in my hallway, she heard how clearly it carried.)
- Master Neighbour v upset at the thought of having to leave.
- Mr Neighbour v upset at the thought of giving up his dogs.
- Mrs Neighbour v upset at both of the above but would rather move than have the dogs continue to cause me sleepless nights.
Prime motive obviously to persuade me not to shop them to the letting agency; but I do sympathise.
We've agreed that I will let them know if (if! when) I'm disturbed by the dogs again: if the problem persists, Mr Neighbour will use his trade contacts to get the cellar professionally soundproofed.
Also, Master Neighbour would adore the opportunity to feed Sam and Shiva* whenever I am away. Any time. No problem.
*who came and sucked up shamelessly to Mrs Neighbour while we were talking. Yep, even Shiva.
Just had a visit from a very distressed Mrs Neighbour, who clearly realises she shouldn't have told me that the agency didn't know ... This is her story and it corresponds with information I have from other parties:
- she and Master Neighbour, 14, used to live in Spain, where they had 4 cats and misc. reptiles etc. Had to come back from Spain due to family and financial stuff, leaving all the animals behind.
- council wouldn't house them together so Master Neighbour went to live with his father -- not a good idea apparently -- but father bought him a kitten. Kitten didn't make up for major problems between father and son but Master Neighbour was devastated at having to leave it behind, and still visits though he can't stand his dad.
- Mr Neighbour, meanwhile, was going through messy divorce and living in camper van with his dogs. For eighteen months. (I do wonder if the dogs are simply unhappy at not having a human in their sleeping space.)
- This is their first home together as a family.
- They'd looked at a lot of places that were 'horrid' but this flat is lovely and they thought the cellar (heated, lit and ventilated) would be good solution to the ABSOLUTELY NO ANIMALS rule the letting agency have imposed. (The upstairs flat has been gutted and redecorated. I have no such rule in my lease, though had to pay a deposit against Animal Damage.)
- They had no idea that the noise carried so clearly into my flat. (Mrs Neighbour looked horrified when, standing in my hallway, she heard how clearly it carried.)
- Master Neighbour v upset at the thought of having to leave.
- Mr Neighbour v upset at the thought of giving up his dogs.
- Mrs Neighbour v upset at both of the above but would rather move than have the dogs continue to cause me sleepless nights.
Prime motive obviously to persuade me not to shop them to the letting agency; but I do sympathise.
We've agreed that I will let them know if (if! when) I'm disturbed by the dogs again: if the problem persists, Mr Neighbour will use his trade contacts to get the cellar professionally soundproofed.
Also, Master Neighbour would adore the opportunity to feed Sam and Shiva* whenever I am away. Any time. No problem.
*who came and sucked up shamelessly to Mrs Neighbour while we were talking. Yep, even Shiva.
Dear Google
Monday, January 28th, 2008 07:48 pmDear Google
I love you, you know I do, but that does not mean I will forgive you for suddenly (in the 30 seconds while I stopped typing to look something up in a Genuine Paper Book) logging me out of Google entirely, so that instead of Gmail, iGoogle, Google Docs and a Google Document I had four pages asking me to log in.
And it most certainly doesn't mean I will forgive you for the work I lost in the document I was editing.
Nor for the lack of any clear method of reporting this problem. If you have multiple-choice error reporting, you need an option that says 'None of the Above'.
Grrr
I love you, you know I do, but that does not mean I will forgive you for suddenly (in the 30 seconds while I stopped typing to look something up in a Genuine Paper Book) logging me out of Google entirely, so that instead of Gmail, iGoogle, Google Docs and a Google Document I had four pages asking me to log in.
And it most certainly doesn't mean I will forgive you for the work I lost in the document I was editing.
Nor for the lack of any clear method of reporting this problem. If you have multiple-choice error reporting, you need an option that says 'None of the Above'.
Grrr
Gran Canaria photos on Flickr
Monday, January 28th, 2008 11:34 pmwell, the ones I took on my camera ... for which I omitted to pack the USB charger lead (stupidly assuming that the other mini-USB lead would fit, which it doesn't). Luckily ladymoonray was at hand, as was her trusty Fuji!
Anyway, your starter for ten: blue blue sky ...
ladymoonray was at hand, as was her trusty Fuji!Anyway, your starter for ten: blue blue sky ...