Neighbours

This weekend I have had to consider how much I want to stay in my current abode. A number of events have made me wonder.

It started Friday evening when I had walked home and was ready for my sofa and cool lounge only to be unable to open the front door. The key was not turning and I suspected the latch had been dropped.
My upstairs neighbours have a door bell - activated by a pully. The pully has lost its tautness so pulling it doesn't seem to do anything. I suspected they were in - car outside - top windown open, but a nose through the letterbox told me the lady of the house was out - no bicycle. SO I called my landlord for their phone number.

I got my landlord's wife. I have never met her and I can imagine that at 8pm on a Friday evening it was the last thing she wanted to deal with. She didn't know their phone number either. So I got more and more frustrated. I just wanted to get into my flat. So I yanked the pully. Hard. Surprised the ceiling didn't come with it I soon realised it obviously had worked as the young boy opened the door. He just stood there looking at me. So I had to remind him I lived downstairs and asked if he knew why the latch was down. He just stared. So in the end I had to ask him to move aside so I could get in.

I fear for the lad - he lives in a weird place with bohemian parents who lack providing him with any proper discipline. I know I should not judge - I have no children and he is at least fortunate to have both parents at home. But frankly any parent that lets their son open the front door on a Friday pm is slightly worrying. Mind you he (the Pater) is a lazy so n so. Last week he left pints of milk on the door step cos the lady of the house and lad were away for half term. So day by day they piled up until by the end of the week their were 7 very hot pints of milk on the doorstep.

So Friday evening got back to normal. Until Saturday morning when at 8.30 the tinkly of ivories started. The blessed kid was 'playing' the piano. I am a patient person but random notes aove my head do NOT help me start my day the way I would like too. It was Saturday - I wanted to wake when my body was ready not when junior Beethoven decided to have a go at being my alarm clock. Later int he evening he played his favourite trick - elephant impressions. I have never known a small kid sound so heavy. Sometime living downstairs isn't all that.
The one plus of these events - my landlord rang to check I was ok - so I mentioned upstairs' leaky washing machine and today he came round - said he'd pop in and fix my dodgy light fittings and would replace my oven! So kids I will be able to bake at some point in the near future!! The choice of oven is mine - any recommendations for energy efficient fan assisted ovens? I have never bought an oven before.... that said its like an oven outside at the minute - so no urgency - just yet!