So - my neighborhood is more urban than sub-urban

Even though I technically live in a suburb, Minneapolis is across the street.

We get our fair share of crime (mostly non-violent) and, because we are near a hospital with a trauma department, we also get lots of ambulances.

About a year and a half ago my husband was home working on a car - 10am on a weekday - and someone stole a saw right out of our garage. He threw the part he took off my car and shattered their back window as they drove off... (The cop who came asked him why he did that...ummm, he was pissed off?)

This rambling leads me to the story of the morning. We have a neighbor, nice enough neighbor that says hello, asks about your family; but you see - he is an alleged CRIMINAL.

Like seriously.

Since we moved in there have been people coming and going at all hours, a woman smashed up his garage by ramming it with her car repeatedly - I helped provide a statement to his insurance on that one, drunk stupid girls who waken my five week old child need to be punished! - his car has been towed by the police or finance companies about four or five times, and there have been at least two raids by the police on his residence where the removed computers, etc.

This morning I come down and see a strange white car idling by his garage and stop in my bay window and see a guy in a big puffy jacket trying to open his garage...WTF? Should I call the police? Damn it is so early, like not even 7am and its dark...Maybe that is one of Bernie's buddies.

I go downstairs to fire up the computer to work and like five or ten minutes later there is a

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK"

at my door that makes me JUMP!

I tentatively go up the stairs and lift the curtain on our door - PRAYING it is my husband and he forgot his key or something when he went to the gym.

Nope.

Dude in strange white car and puffy jacket.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"NO!" - thanking god we have the alarm system, and noticing he has a clipboard like delivery men usually have...that is odd.

"I can't ask you a question? Do you know your neighbor over here B---- H----?"

ummm, you just asked me a question when I said NO, but playing along here. "Yes, I know him"

"Well he is behind on his car payments and I am here to reposses the car. I was wondering if this was a good address for him?"

WAY TO BURY THE LEAD BUDDY - THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST DAMN THING YOU SAID!!!! Idiot, wish I knew what company you worked for I would call and bitch them out...but no I am so PHREAKED THE FUCK OUT by this incident I just say...."Well, I have seen him a few times, but he comes and goes so I have no idea if he is living there."

"Okay..."

I promptly drop the curtain and go downstairs to shake for ten minutes.

Damn people.

This video is from when Boo Boo La La was about to turn 3 years old last year. We were talking about the holidays and she kept saying "Crazy Christmas"!

The last few days I was thinking about my neighborhood. I do not live in the "suburbs" per se. I live in more of an urban neighborhood with a neighborhood coffee shop, restaurants, the Minneapolis Parkway System, a corner gas station and the best thing of all....

The Bunny Store!

The store is actually called GOLD MEDAL but there are a boy and girl bunny on the sign - so most neighbors call it the Bunny Store!

We often find on holidays that we need something. And the regualar stores are farther away and may be PACKED with people (or closed), so we try the Bunny Store first. This time we needed WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE.

sounds fancy right?

I thought "No way The Bunny Store will have WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE."

But guess what? Not only did the Bunny Store have WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE -

it was $1.49
and I thought it was fancy....

Yesterday it began to snow while I was at work and I called the hubby - "Hey it will still be snowing tonight. Do you know where the sleds are?" "OF COURSE - they are right inside the garage." - Okay, let's go for a walk and look at the lights on the parkway.

Here we are off on the parkway...Boo Boo was VERY excited about all the snow. She actually started telling us to "Hurry up and get your boots on!" while we were still eating dinner - just a salad, so not much to clean up.

After a bit she wanted to pull the sled herself....
Weren't we lucky her new snow pants arrived yesterday from Land's End? Mommy is a good shopper.

Back into the sled.

And MOMMY! Take a picture of THOSE lights......

(remember Mommy can't take super good pictures of lights in the dark.)

Happy walking in your winter wonderland!!!