I remember the first day I moved to the neighbourhood. I was driving down my street and kids were riding their bikes, smiling people were out mowing their lawns and chatting to their neighbours and as I drove by they were waving to me. Where I had just moved from, if you had a bike it got stolen, there were no lawns, I didn't speak the same language as my neighbours and if someone waved as you drove by you ducked incase he had a gun in his hand.
Over the course of the 1st weekend my wife and I had a big fight about whose fault it was that we had ended up way out here in Leave it to Beaver Land and she left me to return to the comfort of the noise, smog and congestion of our old neighbourhood. I was jealous of her escape from this happy world and would have followed her except she had taken the car and I feared that if I walked to the bus stop I may be accosted by some pleasant mower that may ask my name or worse, offer to weed my lawn.
Eventually my wife returned home because although she had the car I had the cash.
At the time the area was a mix of retired, original owners and young families with kids. We were neither. We were in our 30's, kid free and happy. We threw alot of noisy, outdoor parties, had a revolving door of tenants living in our basement apartment and the street in front of our house looked like a parking lot for rent-a-wreck.
I remember our first Oct.31 in the house. We had invited friends over for dinner and we heard a knock at the door. I went to answer it thinking it was our guests and heard that horrifying sound... TRICK or TREAT. I turned out the lights and told my wife to lie on the floor and crawl for the back door as I phoned our friends to warn them of the invasion. Needless to say we ate out that night and every Oct. 31st until our first child was born. Then everything changed.
Over the course of the 1st weekend my wife and I had a big fight about whose fault it was that we had ended up way out here in Leave it to Beaver Land and she left me to return to the comfort of the noise, smog and congestion of our old neighbourhood. I was jealous of her escape from this happy world and would have followed her except she had taken the car and I feared that if I walked to the bus stop I may be accosted by some pleasant mower that may ask my name or worse, offer to weed my lawn.
Eventually my wife returned home because although she had the car I had the cash.
At the time the area was a mix of retired, original owners and young families with kids. We were neither. We were in our 30's, kid free and happy. We threw alot of noisy, outdoor parties, had a revolving door of tenants living in our basement apartment and the street in front of our house looked like a parking lot for rent-a-wreck.
I remember our first Oct.31 in the house. We had invited friends over for dinner and we heard a knock at the door. I went to answer it thinking it was our guests and heard that horrifying sound... TRICK or TREAT. I turned out the lights and told my wife to lie on the floor and crawl for the back door as I phoned our friends to warn them of the invasion. Needless to say we ate out that night and every Oct. 31st until our first child was born. Then everything changed.
5 comments:
I gotta admit I have turned off the lights and hid in my own house on Oct 31! Nice writing Andy! And I gotta say that picture of you and your family next to the writing is very nice! You look a lot like Mr Cleaver! LOL
www.WhyAreYouWeighting.com
This is hilarious! i can't wait to read what happens to this urban couple trapped in paradise.
The good ole days eh! How times change ... now Andy breaks out into hives if he has to go west of Vic Park.
The good news is that we have not had a good fight on the front porch in ages ... too tired
This is amazing and has officially become the first blog that I shall follow.
Rememberance Day is next - I can't wait to see what happens to the Cleavers!
I think I too am going to break out in hives if I go west of Vic Park again. Today I was in High Park and a few Mom's had strollers that cost more than what my car is now worth... I would not move out of the area for the sake of a cup of coffee...
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