The Continuing Saga...

...of my life next door to Mr.Manly Man.

Some of you might remember about two years ago, I mentioned the guy next door in more than a few posts about him, Mr.Manly Man. He's late middle aged, has a wonderful nice wife, and three grown-and-now-living- away kids. This guy has the horrible habit of being demeaning to women and being sexist. He's made comments to me and even to my then 15 yr. old niece. He also thinks he owns our property (yet he's seen our survey several times), loudly announces to anyone his political leanings and how he's right, and once even loudly told his wife "no woman should be mowing the lawn or working outside." This was right after I had finished mowing our lawn because my husband and sons were sick.

Well, for the past year his mind has been on one of his daughters who is battling leukemia so he's been more to himself. Sort of. And I've tried to turn a blind eye and deaf ear toward him.

Anyway, today I left the house for only a half hour, and came home to find a huge pickup truck parked way up my driveway. My driveway is side-by-side with his, but it is not shared, which to this day, 26 years after he moved in, he still thinks it's part his. We've even shown him our survey. Several times. His wife is out most of the day away from him and he just wanders around.

So today I parked my car in front of my house and went around to see who the %!&# was all the way up my driveway by my back deck. It was a landscaping company tearing out Mr.Manly Man's trees. Mr.Manly Man gave them the okay to use my driveway. No asking me or my husband first, he just waited to see if I'd leave the house, I guess. Of course I contained my stormy side and nicely asked them to cease and desist from my property. I have rosebushes and herbs growing there and they were inches from all of that. (We don't park our cars that far up the driveway.)

Mr.Manly Man just sat on his side steps and stared. No apology, nothing.

I swear if it wasn't the middle of the day, I'd be raiding my freezer for my Rumpleminz pepperming schnapps. Straight, no ice.

Ah, Mark, you're right. "Mr.Manly Man" is actually too good a monicker for my neighbor. This was my parent's house before we moved in, and my mother used to call him "Dumb A**." Probably more suitable. Yet he considers himself to be a such a manly man, and that's when I coined the term a few years ago.

Unfortunately now his backyard is wide open to the upper part of our driveway, whereas before, tall evergreens created a wonderful natural defense fence to his roaming ways and loud pronouncements..

Susie--I like your idea of a sign. Might just do that.

Thanks, guys, for your posts.

And now it's Rumpleminz time here on the east coast of the USA.

Wish we could put a dividing fence of some sort up, but there would be no room width-wise for my ol' rustbucket van to fit. I'd be tearing up my siding and herb garden and rose bush. The driveways are side-by-side for about fifty feet. Then they veer off, mine to the left, his to the right toward our garages. He had his workmen part the truck on my driveway just where it vears off. His trees were between both driveways. (Yep, he could have had the truck on his driveway. Easily. He is a real jerk.)

As for a chain link across the apron, the town won't go for that. It's a small community with a lot of large old houses and trees.

I'm seeing his wife tomorrow and am going to say something. I know it won't make much of a difference since he doesn't listen to her, but at least I'll have the satisfaction of her knowing his audacity of telling people to use my driveway when I'm out.