Nutty Neighbors: Uncle Boo and the Bros

I've been so busy watching old movies and preparing for summer school that I've neglected to introduce the new neighbors to you. They moved in about six weeks ago, just before the end of the spring semester. Once again, I can't really tell you how many people are living in the apartment, but I think it might be two guys. Just like with the last set of neighbors, though, it's a little tough to tell. Some nights we get the pleasure of having almost a dozen guys next door, and on other nights, it's seems like there's only one person there. Given the track record of people living in that apartment, I guess it's just a matter of time before I find out. After all, when the notice of non-payment of rent shows up on the door, all of the tenants are supposed to be listed.

I've nicknamed them the Bros because they are all guys in their twenties and none of them seem to have much going on in life. I think they work, but it's tough to tell. Most of the afternoons are quiet around here, as I've found out since I've been on break from teaching for almost three weeks now, but they don't have early-to-bed-early-to-rise jobs. Most mornings the shower next door doesn't start up until about 10 a.m. I know this because I've been sleeping in a lot of days, and a short shower wouldn't be a distraction. I clocked one the other morning that lasted 38 minutes. None of the guys I've seen entering or exiting the apartment are that big, so I don't know what takes so long to wash.

One of them has some sort of movie or TV production job. I know this because he had an extended cell phone conversation with his mother in the hallway outside the apartment. I suppose he wanted all of us on this floor to be able to hear him beg his mother for money. Apparently, the job isn't paying all that well and she only sent him 100 bucks last time. I just kept thinking as the begging continued how pathetic it must be to have a job and a place of your own yet still need to ask your parents for money. If he were in college, I would understand, but this is someone who is acting like he's a grown-up.

I think this is also the one who had a long conversation in the bathroom one night about marijuana. It was about 1 a.m., and the tile does lend itself to a very clear echo through the walls. He seemed high at the time too. Perhaps he's the one who giggles uncontrollably sometimes. I do know that they keep almost all of the windows of the apartment open all the time; you can see it from the outside of the building. Perhaps they're trying to make sure that the smell doesn't linger for too long?

By the way, just like the last tenants, the Bros don't have a lot of furniture. There's still a pronounced echo coming from next door sometimes, but at least, it's quieter than before. They don't yell all the time. The only problem I've really had with them is when they get home late at night and decide to watch TV to unwind. Loudly. Until about 2 or 3 in the morning. I called to complain a couple of times, but I've been joined by a chorus of other people in the building, and the Bros have gotten better about keeping the noise level down.

You might be wondering by now who "Uncle Boo" is. This past Sunday, I was awakened at noon--who are you to judge me?--by some loud knocking. Our doors are side by side, so it isn't always easy to tell if someone is knocking on my door or on theirs. One of them has a niece who's about 6 years old or so; there was a younger nephew too, but he wasn't talking. When no one came to the door, she called on her daddy's cell phone. She kept saying, "Uncle Boo, we're right outside your door." I don't know which one is Uncle Boo because I didn't stick around to see who opened the door finally, but I have a feeling I'm likely to snicker the next time I have to get in the elevator with one of them.

Just as an aside, to the best of my knowledge, the niece is the only girl or woman who's been in that apartment. Oh, they talk a good game--and they do talk about women a lot--but there's no evidence that any of them has any game.

All in all, these guys are much better neighbors than the last set. As you may recall from previous posts, I felt like Mr. Echo and the Woo Girls were there solely to torture me. I was never so happy as when they moved out. I was initially fearful when the new guys started moving in, particularly since they chose a Saturday at midnight to begin, but after a couple of rocky patches, they've quieted down. I'm hoping that we've reached a truce of sorts. Given my luck, however, they'll probably move within the year, and I'll be stuck next to that all-night roller disco and meth lab combo that I've been dreading.