Sunday, April 25, 2010

Pints and Half Pints

This post is also something of a repeat from almost three years ago edited to include new information. I'm fairly certain that most of you haven't read it since it was early blogging days for me.

Over the years, our street has seen its share of difficult and unusual neighbours.
Like most residential areas, we've had the codger who has called the police over urgent issues such as kids playing basketball or street hockey. We've seen those who literally could not mend fences due to opposing tastes. There used to be people next door to me who played their music so loudly that the mirror on the connecting wall would vibrate - at four in the morning. We still have one post-middle-aged male who has spent most of his summers walking or biking around, dressed in nothing more than a Speedo. And yes, it looks as ridiculous as it sounds.

Ours is a very transient area and most of our colourful characters have moved on, but a couple of my current neighbours have caused me some consternation. Here is what I wrote about once such neighbour two and a half years ago:

One of my neighbours gives me pause for concern. Don't get me wrong - he has a very lovable personality. With his engaging smile and flirty eye contact, he has endeared himself to the women, and even the men on our street. Although new to the area, he has become a welcomed part of our
regular get-togethers, but during these events it has come to my attention that he clearly has a serious drinking habit.

Despite his obvious charm, he can be loud, demanding, and at times has been known to show a significant temper. The young couple with whom he resides seem to be unconcerned with his frequent liquid dinners, lunches and even breakfasts. Like the rest of us, they have become quite enchanted with him and so they turn a bit of a blind eye.


We all pretend not to notice when he lets out a loud belch or fart, and we're all too polite to complain about how he sometimes eases his way through the women in the crowd, in hopes that he can land a subtle grope at a nearby breast. We don't really mind. We all know that he'll soon imbibe his next fix and pass out shortly afterward - a trickle of drool running down his face. All too frequently, he's been carried home and put to bed in just that state.
In spite of my concerns, I have big hopes that our neighbour will cut back on his excessive drinking one day. Right now he appears oblivious to anything edible that is spread out before him when we congregate for barbecues and planned parties, but I believe that our charismatic friend will eventually come around.

Another newer neighbour who has moved onto our street since my original post, usually comes across as really friendly and loving. She has an engaging smile and never has a bad word to say about anyone. She's smart, beautiful and always seems to be learning something of importance from the world around her. And yet sometimes, for no apparent reason, she'll look you straight in the eye and then do something incredibly rude - she'll stick out her tongue. What else can one do but laugh at her? Sometimes she'll stop and smile. Most often, she'll keep on wagging that protuberance at you. Once, she unexpectedly burst into tears. She's an odd but lovable person, so I'm willing to endure her rudeness from time to time.

Both of these neighbours are different than most of the adults on our street. They're unusual but quite lovable regardless of their behaviour. It just so happens that they're siblings. Just look at their lovely faces and tell me if you wouldn't be willing to forgive their anti-social ways...

Here's Winston, who is now 2 and a half. You may recall him from last autumn's leaf-throwing activity with Benny.



He was at the pint of no return.


And this tongue sticker-outer is Lilianna, his adorable baby sister.

Liliana Elizabeth and Winston Ripley (believe it or not) both belong to our neighbours Erin and Ron




Try not to be too offended




That thing's gotta dry up eventually




Don't forget to get a good look at it from the side.




Maybe she's had enough of this game.




How could you not forgive this face?

57 comments:

Tabor said...

I did NOT see this coming. Although I have read your blog long enough to know that gossiping about your neighbors without some purpose or lesson at the end was not in your nature. Got me!

Maggie May said...

You had me going for a moment...... I was thinking out what strange characters we had in OUR street and then, wham....... found out it was a delightful baby.
BEAUTIFUL photos of a beautiful baby you were talking about.

Nuts in May

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

What a charming post Hilary! Pics are adorable. Funny how easy it is to fool us by referring to a 'person' ... why do we immediately assume it must be an adult and could not be a baby? Strange ...

Hilary said...

You had me going......I am not fond of slobbery drunks anyway, so I was trying to stay with you...and you got to the part about him groping breasts...and I was like....ACK.....WTH.......is she talking about..
GOOD ONE, my namesake.
GOOD ONE.
Loved it.
And yes, they have faces to be forgiven.

Anonymous said...

That is THE most adorable baby EVER in the history of beautiful babies!

Steve Gravano said...

You got me too! I was wondering were this was going, but I had no idea. Excellent photos, they are adorable.

christopher said...

Very well done...I like the surprise (and cute) ending.

ellen abbott said...

How could you be offended by that sweet face?

Country Girl said...

I love the way you write. Your words just flow so nicely. And I love your sense of humor.
And I love this little baby.

Daryl said...

Oh what a face .. I think at that wee age they are discovering now that thing in their mouth moves and feels ...

the Bag Lady said...

Love it! I remember reading about Winston, so was chuckling about his sibling before I even got to the adorable photos!

Brian Miller said...

wow. what an adorable baby...i love it! could not help but smile.

Joanne said...

Anyone who can put a smile on one's face as effortlessly as these two would make the very perfect neighbors! What a nice tribute to these children :)

Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats said...

That was a surprise ending! You are a great story teller! I started reading your post because of the title, as I have a funny memory of being in England and ordering beer at a pub and it happened a few times, where when I asked for a pint, I got both a pint and a half pint. My husband didn't drink, so I either finished off both myself, or passed one on to someone in the pub. I finally figured out when I said "I'll have a pint of Speckled Hen" the barkeep thought I was say "A half and a pint". I so wish they sold half pints at the bars here, but even the microbrew type establishments don't...odd.

Zuzana said...

The images are adorable. Make me miss my new niece that I have not seen since she was born six months ago.
As for the neighbors, I truly enjoyed reading your post, who doesn't recognize a thing or two?
I have nice, but odd neighbours too; once one of them walked away from me in the middle of our conversation once. Left me a bit bewildered.;)
Have a lovely Sunday dear friend,
xo

Sueann said...

Well you had me going on this one too! I was thinking how could you love these strange characters! LOL! Then I saw the most adorable faces appear!! Ya got me good!!
Hugs
SueAnn

Linda said...

You had me going too!

Redbush said...

What a gorgeous little one! I really fell for it, the neighbour thing that is. I could just visualize the drunk adult, smiling, and belching. Ha! Very cute!

Dawning Inspiration said...

OH my goodness you had me going!!!

Great pictures of such preciousness!

Mage said...

Oh, delightful. :)

CiCi said...

Great way to tell the story. I was just getting over the drinker when you started talking about the tongue wagger. Such sweet pictures.

Frank Baron said...

Well, I wasn't fooled. But I was entertained. :)

However, I'm considering whining about not getting a "supporting cast" mention since either my hand or leg was keeping Lily (mostly) upright for those shots. ;)

Anonymous said...

You had me briefly, but it just seemed so unlike you to complain like that... and then I saw the top of the first photo. If I still had a uterus, it would be whimpering!
Waiting on grandchildren -- I figure I have at least another 10 years, but I could be wrong.

Pauline said...

such marvelous writing designed to keep us interested right up to the first photo and then entranced again when it showed up!

Karen said...

Oh, I love those neighbors!! You were too funny. Got me!

MaggieGem said...

Great story and fantastic photos!

Paul C said...

Love the endearing anti-climax.

Rosaria Williams said...

Beautiful pictures,and fun set up too.

Mental P Mama said...

LOLOLOLOL....here I was picturing these old folks....Thank you so much for you generous donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! I met many, many lovely ladies and gentlemen from Canada at the Nashville Marathon!

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Oh, my, Hilary!! You are a real Dickens!! You really had me going! What a "hilari-ous" post (sorry, couldn't resist...wink, wink)...You are incredibly witty! And these photos are phenomenal! What gorgeous close-ups! That little girl with the tongue stuck out? Priceless!! Your photos are perfection! My week has just had a HUGE jump start! How can it not be terrific after such a post?! I loved it! Oooh, can you tell? Is my admiration showing? Love you, Janine XO

Hilary said...

• Tabor, you have me pegged. Blogging about my neighbours this way just wouldn't be right. Plus some of them read my blog! ;) Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thank you, Maggie. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Sometimes I worry that the strange character on my street might just be me! ;)

• Thank you, Bonnie. I was being pretty deliberately misleading but you're right - we do jump to certain conclusions. I had some fun exploiting that. ;)

• Hilary, I know you're feelings about drunks and even wondered briefly that if you had read it, would you stick with it. I'm glad you did. It would have been a lot harder to forgive what you actually imagined in your "ACK WTH" moment. ;)

• ED, isn't she a doll? :)

• Thank you, Steve. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)

• Thanks, Christopher. She's had many surprise endings.. not all so sweet smelling. ;)

• Ellen, you simply couldn't. :)

• Kate, thank you so much for your kind compliments. That means a lot to me. :)

• Daryl, you're right. Those photos were taken about 3 weeks ago and she already seems to be out of that habit - at least when I see her. So she's accomplished that skill and moved on. I told you she was smart! :)

• Baggie you were one of my early bloggie buddies. Thanks for re-reading. :)

• Brian, she's a cutie, eh? Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thanks, Joanne. They certainly evoke a lot of smiles, these two. :)

• Teri, thank you. I love your half-pint story. That's hilarious! Thanks for sharing it here. :)

• Zuzana, you truly do have strange neighbours. Unless you were also talking about a wee one. They tend to do that all the time. ;) Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thank, SueAnn. I'm glad you were surprised by my neighbours and that it gave you a laugh. :)

• Thanks for stopping by, Linda. :)

• Redbush, we do have a few of those but they'd lose a hand at the first sign of a grope. ;)

• Thanks, SD. I'm glad you enjoyed. :)

• Maggie, thank you. :)

• TechnoBabe, thanks. It's a diverse neighbourhood. ;)

• Frank, it's always a plus to know that I keep you entertained. I'll have to remember that supporting cast mention for next time.. unless you'd prefer a starring role. Lemmie hear your best belch... ;)

• KC, you had me laughing out loud with your whimpering uterus. I know the feeling. Lilianna's mom breast feeds her and I can just about feel my milk let down! Frank and I are enjoying the pseudo grandparent role with these kidlets. :)

• Thank you, Pauline. I'm so glad it worked out that way. :)

• Karen, thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

• Maggie Gem, thanks kindly. :)

• Paul, thanks. Much appreciated. :)

• Lakeviewer, thanks very much. :)

• MPM, I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I'm so happy for you that you attained and exceeded your goal. You're so inspiring. :)

• Janine, thank you so much for such kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the post and that it gave you a good start to your week. That wee face is just right for that. Thanks for stopping by with such kind comments. :)

Kathleen said...

How utterly adorable, Hilary! Thank you for brightening my day, er, evening!

LadyFi said...

Oh so funny and adorable!

järnebrand said...

Cute and funny! :)
I love how we got a good look from the side, as well... :)
/Jo.

SandyCarlson said...

I didn't see it coming, either. And that was funny as all get out. Thanks for a great start to my Monday, Hilary!

Shrinky said...

Oh, you are such a rascal, you really had me going there..! When you announced you were about to post pictures, I almost fainted, thinking, "Doesn't she care about outing them? They might asassinate her!"

Haaaaaaaaa, too, too funny.. oh, and the pictures are adorable.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Hilary: Very cute story, you had me going to the end.

Pat - Arkansas said...

My word, dear Hilary! You are SO clever! This one blind-sided me. Loved it! The babies are beautiful!!! XO - Pat

Suldog said...

You got me, completely. The part about copping a feel had me wondering, "That's a pretty laid back bunch of women in that neighborhood!" Then, you sprung the surprise. Great stuff.

Lulda Casadaga said...

Too funny...I'm glad you have such colorful neighbors. I'm very lucky myself to have some very good neighbors. We do watch out for one another.

I had to laugh yesterday, as I looked out my front window I watched one of the little neighbor kids ride his bike on my driveway and ride right on through the plants and suddenly crash. He was ok.

He just picked himself up and kept on riding...but, always looking back towards his house to see if anyone was watching! :D

steviewren said...

haha You sucked me right in with this one! Both sister and brother are adorable.

ethelmaepotter! said...

How entertaining! I was totally convinced you had cuckoo adult neighbors, so after I saw the ADORABLE photos, I had to go back and reread the whole thing. TOO CUTE!!

Kat said...

OH. MY. WORD!

What is better than a close-up of a beautiful baby face? NOTHING! Those are wonderful shots! WOW! And what a cutie! I love sticking out the tongue. So cute. :)

Unknown said...

I was seriously concerned for a moment !!
You did get me, because I guess we don't really "know " each other.

Those baby pictures are drop dead swoonable.

Makes me want another. Almost.

Michael said...

Now that kid has an Emmy winning tongue. Famous one day. I just know it. You heard it here first.

Dave said...

Ha ha. Cute kids. I love 'em! - Dave

Joanna Jenkins said...

What great story telling-- you really had me there. Your baby neighbors are so adorable and sweet, it's easy to see why you fell in love with them.
Have a great week,
jj

Clowncar said...

Nice lead in to the pix.

and may I just say...TOOOOO CUUUUTE!

Debbie said...

Those photos are adorable! Loved the tongue.

Hilary said...

• Kathleen, thank you so much. I'm glad this was a day-brightener for you. :)

• Thanks, Lady Fi. :)

• Jo, thank you. She's an accommodating little thing. ;)

• Sandy, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks, my friend. :)

• Shrinky, I'm not that gutsy. I'd have to be moving soon if I did that! Thanks for the kind words. :)

• Fishing Guy, thank you. :)

• Pat, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind words. :)

• Suldog, it's not easy to reel you in and somehow I knew that the gropes would be the teetering line for you. Thanks kindly for stopping by. :)

• Lulda, I wonder if that little guy was more worried about being admonished for wrecking the plants or just the embarrassment by being caught. Thanks for stopping by. It's good to see you out and about again. :)

• I'm glad you enjoyed it, Stevie. Thanks for the visit. :)

• EthelMae, we DO have cuckoo adult neighbours, but I'm afraid to write about them! ;) Thanks so much for the kind words. :)

• Kat, you're SUCH a mommy! ;) Thanks for the visit. :)

• Deb, I'd have to be pretty sure my neighbours didn't read my blog to be that candid.. and I know that some do. ;) I know what you mean about that "almost" part. I get my baby fix in with these two now that I'm well between parenthood and grandparenthood. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Cabo, you might have something there. I'm thinking "Tongue Jury" or "Tongue Frankenstein." Maybe "Untongue Heros." ;)

• Dave, they're quite lovable. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Joanna, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks so much for your kind comments. :)

• Clowncar, thank you. Yes, they really are. :)

• Thanks, Debbie. She's a sweetie pie, that one. :)

Unspoken said...

you had me hook line and sinker :)!

Kerri Farley said...

FABULOUs post Hilary! I did not have any idea that you were talking about babies ......

They are sooooooo adorable!!

Tammie Lee said...

oh my gosh this is such a fun post. You got me...! So funny how some kids stick their tongues out- often. Others need to be upside down as often as they can, others take off their clothing every chance they get. Kids are so much fun as is your post.

Hilary said...

• Thanks for reading, Amy. :)

• Thank you, Kerri. They're gorgeous kiddos, eh? :)

• Thank you so much, Tammie Lee. You're so right about how kids each have their own little quirks like that. Who doesn't know a child who had to strip naked no matter where they were? Thanks for stopping by and for such kind words. :)

lime said...

liliana is just too cute even when she is sticking out her tongue!

NJ said...

I love this post Hilary. It really made me smile. Heading off to the coast of Maine for a few days but you've inspired me to finally blog again and I want to blog about some of my intereting neighbours as well.

Hilary said...

• Lime, I totally agree with you. She's a doll! :)

• NJ, I'm so glad you're going to be blogging again. I'm really looking forward to it. Enjoy your holidays in Maine.. I love that place! I hope you get great weather. :)