Finally! A small victory!

Yes, Maman has finally had a satisfactory outcome when dealing with the Schmitts.

See we were trying to get the phone and cable installed. And yes, that means that something had to be installed on the west wall of the house. So I warned the installer that there might be trouble and he started going about his work.

Sure enough, I could hear the dog next door, Ellis and my neighbor, Tom Schmitt both barking like rabid dogs. I went outside to check on what was going on and found that the installer, known only to me as 6874 was backing away from the work site. "He said that he would sic his dog on me," he told me. I came around to find Tom holding his place behind the pitiful broken down and locked fence.

Me: No, you can't do this... this is the installation of a utility.

TS: They can't step on my property

Me: (Pointing to the space where 6874 needed to stand) But that is my property. And you have blocked access to it.

TS: Fine, then he can jump the fence

Me: Or I can get the snips and cut it right here where your fence is on my property to give him access. The choice is yours. Shall I get them?

TS: (Hesitating) Fine, I will open the gate.

Yes folks... I managed to make an argument that even Tom Schmitt could understand... at least for a moment.

Of course, the discourse while he was standing over me and the Comcast installer was not pleasant....

TS: Are you enjoying yourself?

Me: No....I am just trying to figure out how to get my house finished. Are you enjoying yourself?

TS: No. You better watch out. I am going to be around alot more. (Presumably referring to his recent unemployment)

Me: Oh yes, congratuations on that.

TS: I don't have to find a job for a while... I can retire if I want.

Me: Congratulations.

TS: It is going to be a really hot summer

Me: Fantastic. Oh and by the way... I hope I never find out that you have been surveilling my house.

TS: That is just a satellite radio

Me: Maybe. Maybe not. I figured out what the range extender was...

TS: That is just an antenna

Me: Yes. That says linksys. I can read you know.

TS: Well it isn't there now

Me: Don't worry. I have pictures that I took of it when I was trying to figure out what the all electronics were on my side of house. It seemed a little suspicious that it all appeared just before you went out of town.

TS: It is just a radio

Me: Whatever.

TS: (Removing a piece of siding from his decrepit house) See what your people did to my house?

Me: (Thinking about it for a minute... remember he has fussed about stuff that was big, small, real and imagined) So you say... Where is the proof that my people did that

TS: They did this to my house.

Me: We would have fixed it for you anyway even though you can't prove we did it.... but then you kept calling the police and stopped us from putting up the gutters... so, I hope you hold your breath waiting for your extortion payment of $2,500. Because it is never coming.

TS: I had to take 4 days off of work... that is $1,000

Me: A. You didn't HAVE to take off from work. And B. there is no way that the amount of money you lost as a result of coming home early was anywhere near $1,000

TS: Are you saying that I don't make that much money?

Me: Yes... that is what I am saying

TS: I used to make $30 and hour

Me: I guess the operative words there are "used to"

TS: Oh I have flyers up... I will be back to work soon

Me: (rolling my eyes) Whatever... good luck with that. Hope nobody runs a Google search on you before hiring you.

TS: I don't care

Me: No doubt.

So hopefully that is the last I will have to do with any of them for a while. I was hoping that they would move. But that doesn't seem likely at this juncture. After threatening the Comcast guy with bodily injury and using his dog as a potential weapon, I suppose I should take his statement about it being a "Hot Summer" this summer as an additional threat.

With their penchant for fireworks, I suppose I should be prepared for an arson attempt. I am going to feel better when the security system is installed in the house. How sad that I am now trying to protect myself and the girls from my neighbor.

Oh and I called the folks at Comcast and called in a commendation for good old 6874.... No one should have to be threatened with physical violence in the course of their day at work. I told his superiors what happened and that he remained cool under pressure and did a great job with the installation.