Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #857 - Don't let your dog pee in my yard

Not Satchel. I never think to photograph my dog peeing

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #857 - Don't let your dog pee in my yard

Hi Mom,

So, I have a story that shows me acting in a manner quite unlike me. I am not proud of it. Well, I am and I am not. It's complicated. I waited over a week before sharing this incident on my blog. But in the end I decided to share because sharing is what I do and I am curious if there will be feedback from others.

I almost got in a fight last week. There's this man two streets over who doesn't think we dog owners should let our dogs pee in people's yards because the urine creates brown spots.

I unloaded on this guy. I called him an asshole and told him to mind his own business. He got right in my face, so I had to tell him to get out of my face. I also called him "sanctimonious." I am not sure he knew what it meant.

Nothing like making an enemy in the neighborhood.

Thing is, there's DOZENS of dogs in this neighborhood. More people have dogs than do not have dogs. I understand that he does not want brown spots in his lawn. On the other hand, I feel fortunate when the dogs pee outside the house. We don't have a back yard to use right now as it's still growing. So either the dogs pee in my yard, which they do, or they pee somewhere along the way during a walk.

How am I supposed to "control" where they pee? Seriously, he expects me to stop them from peeing and hustle them to the scrubby wetland area between streets?

A few weeks ago he called out to me from his truck to suggest that I keep the dogs from peeing on lawns. So, for the recent incident, I saw him standing out front of a neighbor's home as we were approaching, and he was actually waving us away. So I purposefully walked right through where he was standing with some other guy.

He told me not to let my dogs pee on his lawn, and I had already written my reply and had it ready:
"I have been trying to time things so that they pee on your yard for weeks, but I can't seem to get the timing right."

So, I was spoiling for a fight.

Actually, I told him to "mind his own fucking business" and that I was tired of his "sanctimonious
bullshit."

Like the George "jerk shrimp" Seinfeld episode, I thought of all kinds of great things to say later.

I have conflicting feelings about this incident. In one way, I am proud of myself as I am not a confrontational person by nature, so this reaction was outside the norm for me. On the other hand, this guy really deserved my ire. He was belligerent and not really "polite" as he kept insisting he was being simply he added the word "please" to his angry "request." I did get him to admit that he "hates" that there's so many dogs in this neighborhood, which seems to be the crux of his issue. For me, I unloaded a lot of anger about other things on this guy. In part, I was being protective of my dogs. But in another way, I made this guy the focal point of every frustration I have had since I moved here. Though he deserved some anger, he surely didn't deserve all of that vitriol that I unleashed. I do not like that angry person that he brought out of me. I do not intend a repeat of this incident.

Since it's been about ten days, I can share that there has not been a repeat. Though I have seen the man once since the shouting match, we have not spoken, and despite having thoughts of new retorts and barbs, or even explanations (though not apologies) for my anger, I do not intend to speak to him again.

For the most part, people are super nice out here in Washington state.

Who could not like these puppies?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Reflect and connect.

Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you, Mom.

I miss you so very much, Mom.

Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

- Days ago = 859 days ago

- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1711.10 - 10:10

NEW (written 1708.27) NOTE on time: I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of your death, Mom, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of your death, Mom. I know this only matters to me, and to you, Mom.