Living in an Apartment....well, it blows if you really want to know the truth.....

As some of you may know, when Brad and I moved into our current apartment nearly 3 years ago, we had a lovely, old, Japanese man who lived above us. He had lived in the same apartment for quite some time, and as someone who lived below him for approximately two years, I can tell you--if you're going to live in an apartment--live below an old Japanese man!!! We absolutely never heard more than a peep from above us, which came from his younger cat who occasionally ran across the floor to chase the older cat.

Those happy, quiet days are gone now, and I am sad. You think I'm exaggerating but, oh, no, sadly, I am not. A little over 6 months ago...actually, it was the beginning of October as I now recall, (I was up late packing for a trip to my sister's in Arizona the next day) and at 1:00 am (yes, I really said, "a.m.") I was introduced to our lovely new neighbors. Now, since I've already told you they were moving in at 1:00 a.m. you can imagine that these people were quite inconsiderate and very loud. They were up at all hours. They were loud at all hours. They stomped across the floor at all hours. They stomped up (and, yes down) the stairs at all hours. They had belligerent boyfriends screaming at them at the front door at all hours (ok, that only happened once), but....you get my drift.

I thought it could get no worse, but, alas.....

Shortly before we left for our trip, these noisy and inconsiderate neighbors finally moved out. *mini party and celebration wave* Brad and I arrived home yesterday at 5 a.m. We pulled in and immediately noticed the new car in the parking space reserved for the apartment above ours, and I immediately noticed the small child's bike and tiny shoes outside their door. I immediately began to dread our new neighbors because I just knew that this meant there were children now living above us.

I met our new neighbors yesterday as I was carrying in groceries to replenish our empty fridge. Well, I can only assume I met "part" of our new neighbors as I was introduced only to a man and his daughter who looked about 10 or so. I say I assume I only met "part" of the family because, well--there is just no way that two people (one of whom is a grown man) can make SOOOOOOO much friggen noise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I observed yesterday and today that they do quiet down from about 9-10pm on, but, COME ON!!!!! We are talking RUNNING across the floor--back and forth--back and forth--like they've got A.D.D. and too much pent up energy or something. I'm not talking about running across the floor and then 15 minutes later running back across in the other direction--NO--I am talking running across the floor and then 5 seconds later, running back in the other direction!!!!! It is ridiculous!! And, it's the same thing with the stairs!! It's not like they're running in and out of the apartment either because I am not hearing the door open and close hardly at all. It's like they are playing on the stairs or something!!

When the man introduced himself to me, he said, "Hi, I'm so-and-so (*insert your own imagined name here* as the man's name has been withheld to protect his identity--if you know what I mean). We just moved in above you. Let us know if we get too loud and we'll try and keep it down." With that being said, I thought to myself, "ok, we've finally got someone who is considerate about noise and the people below them." How incredibly wrong I was.

I miss my lovely, old, Japanese man.