Meeting the neighbors.

So, after a mildly productive afternoon (captain called with a great story that I shall summarize for you at a more appropriate time), I came home to a frantic neighbor. Water was flooding into her apartment across the hall from upstairs. No one lives upstairs and there is no true emergency number here for maintenance (you leave a message). So, I started emptying anything that could hold water and passing it over to her. She kept going on about God and what goes around comes around and evil temptations sending floods.

As we wait for help to arrive, another neighbor from the other side of my unit comes over. They are buddies and also know the guy catty corner across the hall. Mary (across the hall) seems nice, but is definitely a little bit batty. Evidently she just ended a relationship with a guy here in the complex and is sure that God is for some reason sending difficulties into her life to get back at her for being stupid and pursuing a romance with him. (The guy, not God silly.)

Jay (apartment beheind me) is a middle aged gentleman from Illinois. He knows where Trumbull, NE is (wow!) since he used to truck. Basically, we just stood there and tried to calm Mary down as her apartment continued to flood and she started to rant about paying rent and being moved.

In comes Greg who lives beside Mary. He is an airport limo driver (nice connection eh?) who is moving out in November. Seems like a nice guy. He came in, surveyed his apartment, and left them to clean out his carpets.

As we waited for the carpet cleaners, Mary continues to rant/preach about her sins. As I come in and out of my apartment, she talks of us going for sushi with Greg. Okay, cool. I have friendly neighbors. Later, as I come out to dump my trash, she asks if I am her age. She is 39, I tell her that I am 26 and she asks what I do. I tell her and she asks if I had to go to college for it.
"Yes" I reply. "I have a Masters in Counseling Psychology."

Why I felt I needed to share the degree, I have no idea. I can see most of you just cringing as you read that. Yeah, you guessed it. "Seriously? Sweetie, we need to have some sessions and girl talk. I should come over and we can chat while you do your psychology thing."

Captain, you have told me numerous times about horror stories when you reveal a background in psychology. Well, this is my first official disaster. Then, the three of them continue to talk about how big of a dump this place is. Oh dear. Well, Greg has lived here for two years, Jay has lived here for longer, and Mary just moved in. So far, I have had no problems. I mean really, like a busted pipe indicates a dive. Happens all the time. That's why they created renter's insurance. I hope this is just high maintenance people living in economical surroundings. Hmmm......

BTW-This nickname thing is too fun. Kind of like building my own universe!