David's Daily Diversions

It’s a Beautiful Day in

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood

The house move is almost complete.

Moving house is a lot of work. The old flat is devoid of all possessions, save a table my father-in-law is taking, a fan we use on both days of summer, and the radio we listen to while cleaning up and painting. Most of the things have found a place in the new flat, though the lounge is littered with boxes of miscellany.

Even though the new flat is somewhat bigger, the layout is different, so the nooks and crannies are different. The other difference is furniture. The old flat came with built-in wardrobes and associated cabinets, bedside tables with three drawers, and two dressers. It is that sort of storage space which is sadly lacking.

Since this new place is temporary while we look for a more permanent pad, we don’t want to invest too much in furniture that fits the layout here but not where we end up. We could be here a matter of weeks or it could be a matter of months. It just depends on what sort of suitable houses become available.

This afternoon we got more of an idea of the neighbourhood. A group of about 6-8 boys decided to break into an empty first floor (or for Americans, second floor) flat in our building. They moved a dumpster up against the wall and then one boy stood on another boy’s shoulders to reach up and open the window. At least two boys got inside the flat. Another repeatedly kicked a football against the side of the building, reaching the window occasionally.

Mrs Holford noted that she wasn’t about to interfere for fear of being stabbed or otherwise violently assaulted. Nor was there any intervention by the many passers by. I considered ringing the police. However, a brave woman also living on the first floor screamed out her window at them. The authority in her voice indicated that she may have been the mother of one of the perpetrators. So the fun was over (and there is no telling what they did on the inside), they climbed out and off the dumpster.

The window remained open, so a boy repeatedly threw a beam of lumber up at it until he hit it and it closed. It may have broken the pane of glass, but I wasn’t about to venture over for a look. It is often said that kids don’t play outside enough anymore. In this case, somebody needs to invest in a PlayStation or Nintendo.