Construction Everywhere

We are doomed. We are surrounded. Forget about finding parking. It’s bad on an average day and is even worse when the whole neighborhood is under construction. It’s a never ending nightmare that never goes away. Once the equipment, noise, and aggravation ends, it starts all over again. Not only is the street behind us and down the block being ripped up - again - the building across the street is having some major rework done. The equipment alone blocks up sorely needed street parking spaces. Aside from those projects that have nothing to do with us, there is now an extensive water mediation French drain renovation surrounding our building. Every morning I am awakened by tapping and drilling and feeling like we live in a fishbowl because the workers are right in our windows. Access to the courtyard is limited, our patio is destroyed, and it’s taking a very long time. Hopefully it will accomplish what is necessary to maintain and protect our 1890’s building. This is one time being retired and living at home during the day can test your patience. We could leave the neighborhood for errands, but we will never find a place to park on our return. We won’t have a choice sooner or later. I will never get used to it even after living here twelve years. 

Flents Quiet Please vs Hearos Earplugs

One set is blue and the other is neutral. One set is long and thin and the other is cylindrical. One has a noise reduction rate of 33 while the other is 29. My husband just picked up a few for himself while I order them by the jug after wearing them for forty years. Sometimes you just need Earplugs to sleep at night. In my case, snoring is the reason. Luckily for me the Flents Quiet Please Earplugs have worked so well that I am reluctant to try something else. My husband thought the Hearos Earplugs he picked up worked so much better than mine. He tried my brand a couple of times for the once in awhile time he feels the need to wear them - which is on very rare occasions. So the other night I gave the Hearos Earplugs a try and I have to say that they work almost too good. However, sometimes you are left with a bit of ear pain because they fill up the whole ear canal. Between the constant ringing in my ears, snoring, and whatever noise keeps you awake, Earplugs are a solution for me. I’m guessing things continue can improve over the years - even as it relates to the lowly earplug. 

The Good Neighbor?

When you live in a single family home you can get away with making loud noises, tramping about, and having a surround sound on your tv. But when you live in an 1890's old building without insulation, even the lightest footsteps can be annoying. And when you live on the first floor there is no getting away from it. We have been living in our tiny condo for eleven years. Since this is a very transient neighborhood, our neighbors have come and gone. Some are better than others. But it seems that with every new upstairs neighbor, they don't realize - or don't care - if they make any disturbing noise. So after a few months of a breaking in period, we usually have to write a note about the fact that the walls are like paper. Such was the case last week. I have a draft note I keep on file because invariably it needs to be used. So we reprinted it and left it on the mailbox. Generally, the occupant complies - to a point. This time the gentleman came down to leave a written response on our door. But when he saw my husband in the hallway, he introduced himself and asked if there was anything more he could do. I am sorry to say that most people who live in this town react in more of a hostile manner, so this was a pleasant surprise. Luckily this person is only here during the week so there are quiet times as well. It just amazes me how people in general seem to have little regard to whatever goes on around them. There are certain rules of etiquette that apply when one lives in a community setting. Or at least we always thought so.