Vent: annoying emails my neighbor sends

[Anonymous]

We live in a row house and when it snows, we shovel for the lady next door. Not because I like her (I don't), but because she's old with bad knees and I don't mind shoveling snow. So I shoveled our walk and hers on Wed. night. Here's the email I got in reply:

"Your shoveling down to me was appreciated; I felt that you must have been tired as you shoveled and dumped the snow from the shovel toward the road, and the last shovel full of snow was dumped in the [house] sidewalk.............oh well, it is very exhausting, and I felt it was a help to just see the sidewalk. Thank you!
......
Please tell your husband that I appreciated it very much that he shoveled the sidewalk to the house. I thinK I can appreciate soundproofing more and more. Some days, I can hear your clock chime in the living room just like I owned it, so I am assuming that you can hear the clock here and all sorts of other regular activities. I think they call it row house living..........oh well......God willing I'll be gone one day."

I am just so annoyed by this woman, who does not like my shoveling (but frankly, wouldn't do it herself and certainly wouldn't hire someone to do it) and then just has to remind me of how she can hear what's going on in my living room. Oh, and did I mention that she had three yappy dogs that I can hear all the time. UGH. Posting here rather than writing back to her.

[Anonymous]

WOW, what a piece of work! No good deed goes unpunished.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like my MIL!

[Anonymous]

What a major "B". I think the next snow fall she can hire someone to shovel for her. What an old bitty.

[Anonymous]

OMG! That is classic! Yes, she's annoying but those emails are classic!

[Anonymous]

She sounds like the character, Marlene, on The Big C.

Annoying, yes, but a sad old thing. Probably lonely, too.

[Anonymous]

It also sounds like she just doesn't know how to say thank you. I *think* she is trying, but I agree its hard to tell from the email!

I would just respond with "you're welcome and enjoy the snow!"

[Anonymous]

I hear you, OP. We have an annoying neighbor and we don't live in row housing.

We have a lot of retirees around and we always shovel or rake, etc for them. Often times they refuse, and come out at the same time to tidy up their yards and chat. So here are people nearly 70 (maybe older) shoveling and raking despite any health issues, yet the mid-50's lady next door does NOTHING. We don’t mind shoveling all of her sidewalks, but now feel like she just expects it to be done. One day we didn't rake for her so she offered to pay our boys a $1 each to do it. Of course they did it for free; it just aggravates me that she now expects it when she is capable of helping, or at least coming out to talk to the rest of us.

If she complained about our dogs or about the job we had done I think I’d blow my cap. Good on you for venting here and letting her comments roll.

[Anonymous]

Do you live in Georgetown? This reminds me of a neighbor of mine.

[Anonymous]

Funny pp -- I live in Georgetown too and it sounds like my annoying neighbor. Do you live near the water by chance?

[Anonymous]

OP here. No, not in Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Come on, it's an old lady saying thank you. Nothing wrong with it.

[Anonymous]

This is someone who has no one to talk to. Instead of a simple thank you, she has to share two or three thoughts, because otherwise she has no one to share with. Sad.

[Anonymous]

Agree that she is probably lonely and might not know how to express herself. Let it go. You have a lot more time and life situations to live through before you can step into her shoes.

[Anonymous]

I'd also be annoyed if I got those emails. Wow. Good for you for venting elsewhere and not responding to her.