I’m amazingly productive when my husband works late and I decide to stay away from INTERNET.

This article (and the associated ones) really resonated with me, so I’m trying to spend less time in front of The Machine (yes, I’ve said that weekly for the past year or so). Today was a start.

Sure, the productivity was handwashing and cleaning and watering the plants, but it is stuff I won’t have to do on the weekend – when hopefully we can get on to that gosh-darn sweater – damn that v-neckline and its scarifying effect.

But I will conquer it! Oh yes, I will conquer it.

NewNeighbours moved into the hideously overpriced downstairs flat over the weekend and parked a giant van in the “parking spot” (which is not really a parking spot at all, but which some dude in another block has appropriated for himself: ParkingDude) opposite our garage – which would have made it impossible to get GerryScotti out of the garage if BuffNeighbour downstairs was parked there.

I was totally stressing about it and Don wasn’t much further down the stress level – I think we were ramping each other up (What if there is no-one there to move the van when we need to get out? What if we have to get Joe/Frank to an appointment? What if I have to pick up Bessie? ). I hate confrontation because most people are complete and utter jerks, so I was anxious. So very anxious.

Arrived home today and van wasn’t there. Hurrah!

In the midst of haus-werk, heard yelling from CrazyLadyOfTheNotes downstairs and saw NewNeighbour was in CLOTN’s spot unloading aforesaid van. I Desperately needed to make bin visit (I avoid CrazyLadyOfTheNotes as much as I can, lest she bail me up and rant of NSW Government Departments, but it was a bin emergency), so headed out and encountered new neighbour, smiled and said hello. He responded with, “finally, a welcoming face!” and asked me all about CrazyLadyOfTheNotes, told me his van had broken down and that he’d parked there until his mechanic could order a part – and was really just quite lovely. Then he regaled me with the problems he’d had with the ParkingDude, who had apparently been quite shrieky and called the cops on him(!) – “why, didn’t he just call me? I would have explained!”. Then apparently ParkingDude had threatened the vehicle (“nice van … parked out in the open and all …”).

I advised that we and BuffNeighbour were all of the opinion that it wasn’t actually a spot at all and that ParkingDude was totally squatting, and suspect revenge in the form of investigating the DA and involving the body corporate might happen in the not too distant future.

And me, I (and Don) need to examine why I (we) think everyone is unreasonable and fighty.

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