A major source of aggravation last week was the fact that one of our neighbors (and I'm pretty sure I know which one) complained to our apartment manager that we were, gasp, doing laundry during quiet hours. 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, to be exact.
Now, one of my biggest pet peeves is being accused of something I didn't do. And I wasn't doing laundry at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday...I was taking a damn shower.
Use of any appliance is restricted during 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., as is any other "unacceptable" noise. Showering, is not. If it was, there would either be a lot of rule breakers, or a lot of smelly people heading into work.
Adding fuel to my fire are three things:
1) I have had friendly, casual conversations with both of my neighbors, which makes it extra offensive that they ran off and tattletaled to the apartment manager.
2) I have overlooked an awful lot of noise from both neighbors, on the grounds that it was brief or infrequent, and that if it isn't important enough to talk to the offending party directly, then it isn't that important.
3) I had already imposed even tougher restrictions on myself, such as not using my very, very noisy Kitchenaid mixer past 9 p.m., a full hour before quiet hours start. Because I was trying to be a nice neighbor.
So, after being so clearly wronged, I felt a little righteous revenge was in order. Yesterday, I got up at the obscenely early (for a Sunday) hour of 7:30 p.m., to meet some visiting family for brunch at 9. These family members were planning to come "see our apartment" (code for "perform a spot inspection") afterward. I didn't have time to vacuum on Saturday, so....at 8:01 a.m., barely but clearly outside the quiet hour ban, I not only put a load of laundry in the washer, but I whipped out my trusty Dyson vacuum and started cleaning up a storm.
Now, I legitmately needed to launder my culinary school uniform that I wore to class the night before (which, golly, gosh, gee, I wasn't "allowed" to wash when I got home after 10 p.m.) and I legitimately needed to vacuum (don't want the family to think I'm a slob). But, before last week's Vicious Unfounded Allegations, I would have at least felt guilty about vacuuming, et al, so early on a Sunday morning, when most normal people are sleeping in. But not this time. No, I really don't think I've ever enjoyed vacuuming more. And if I lingered a bit when I was near the wall I share with the tattletale neighbor...all I have to say is, THEY STARTED IT!
And damn, a little passive-agressive revenge can be tasty!
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