I’ll get back to my post on Homeless Alcoholics shortly. But, I wanted to mention something since it is a current event. As you know from another recent post, my next door neighbor was killed in a fight. He was cut in the leg with a knife and quickly bled to death.

It is sad that he died that way, but no one was surprised by this turn of events. This guy was not stable, had serious mental health issues, was a violent drunk, and was drunk most of the time. And so too were many of the people he invited over to his place. As you can imagine, it was not pleasant living next to him. He and his friends made loud noises at all times of day and night. I complained to the management of the facility to no avail. Management’s message to me was basically, “learn to live with it.” So, to drown out the noise I had to make noise of my own. I’d turn on the A/C or heater and crank up the fan. The white noise from that helped some. During the day I’d also put on head phones to make my own music louder than the crap they were listening to. My next door neighbor also though he was a musician and would play an electric guitar with amplifier. This guy and his friends would also get into fights and yell and cuss and generally make a racket. Sometimes they would go elsewhere to party, but then they’d all come back over here, sometimes 3 or 4 in the morning and wake everyone up.

Well, now this guy is dead. Eventually, management will move someone else in. Hopefully the next tenant won’t be so noisy. Still, the next one could be worse. As bad as this guy was, they guy in the unit before him was actually worse. I don’t quite understand it, but for some reason, management likes putting the rowdiest people in the units around mine. It makes me think they are trying to drive me out of here.

Another turn of events that has helped create some quiet around here is that the guy who lived on the other side of the man who was murdered was also a noise maker. He would also drink heavily. Sometimes I’d catch him sitting out front of his apartment with a large glass of beer at sunrise. By mid day he would be hollering at the women in the near by parking lot. After dark he would start howling and barking at the moon, literally howling and barking as loud as he could. This guy would also crank up his radio loud enough to be heard a city block and a half away. When other people came to talk with him, he’s ghetto it up with loud and foul and obnoxious language about women and how he would kick someone’s ass or how no one was ever getting one over on him, etc. If the one neighbor wasn’t making a racket, the other one was, and sometimes they’d start up together. Eventually they’d get to drinking and would eventually wind up having a fight of some kind. Well this other neighbor hadn’t been around for a few weeks, and someone in the building complex speculated that he had gone to jail for something. Today, I witnessed someone moving this guy’s stuff out of the apartment.

So, the two rowdiest and rudest neighbors of mine are gone, and for good. That is certainly relieving the stress of living here – by at least two thirds. There is one other neighbor who can stir things up, though I have a hard time making an issue of it, it doesn’t seem to be his fault. For him I really feel sorry. This guy is in constant conversations, and sometimes argues, with people who don’t really exist. He too can crank up the noise. Often I’ll be awaken in the middle of the night by his yelling – begging for his visions to leave him alone. Still, for the past few days even this guy has been mysteriously quiet. Heck, he might not even be home. Or, perhaps someone has gotten him back on medication. Whatever the reason, I know that I’m enjoying the quietest time I’ve ever had in this apartment. I only hope it lasts a while.