Ugh, I am a grinch but the neighborhood kids are SO LOUD

[Deleted]

Our immediate neighbor (adult) LOVES Halloween. And Christmas. And Disney. DH and I nicknamed him "Flanders," from the Simpsons. So, anyway, every Halloween he goes overboard decorating his house and any common areas in our cul-de-sac (basically, 6 houses in a "U" shape, off the main road, with our own courtyard, separate from the rest of our very large planned community). The other neighbors are less enthusiastic but everyone decorates, then on Halloween all the neighbors set up folding chairs and tables in front of their houses, hand out candy, and enjoy adult food and drinks among themselves. The children of all the people in our immediate neighborhood also spend the evening playing in our courtyard.

I am working from home today. I am writing briefs, which requires silence, and am trying to do it at the dining room table which is near, but not right next to, the courtyard (my other option, the den, has a big balcony that opens out onto the courtyard). And the children are SOOOOO LOUD. They are normally pretty loud, but we have good sound proofing and if we close the doors and windows it is normally possible to shut them out. Today, though, they are clearly crazy excited about Halloween, and feeding off their parents' enthusiasm (OK, Flanders' enthusiasm, but he has three kids and their insanity is obviously catching).

I obviously can't say anything but OMG they are making it impossible to work and driving me crazy. And I know that as soon as it gets dark the whole night will be a write off because Flanders will get the Halloween soundtrack on and we won't just have our own group's 12 childredn but all the children from all over our community. And they don't do a quick in and out, they stay and play with the decorations. This would be far more enjoyable for me if I was less busy and could dress up the huskies and start drinking, but that is not in the cards.

[HiC]

So pack it in, get your butt out there and have fun with the neighbors. Work on the briefs later.

[flex]

Use earplugs!!!

[tripleshot]

Bah humbug!

[ginap]

That's rough and I feel you. We used to have 2 tween kids next door and from the moment they got home from school around 2:30 until dark they were out playing basketball. Used to make me crazy when I would work from home. The hoop is only like 30 feet from my home office desk so for hours it was constant ball bouncing and laughing.

[leeluu]

Can u work on the briefs tomorrow when the kids are all sick and tired?

[polarbearfans]

Go out to the party! Or go work elsewhere. Get a quiet room at the library if you have to get the stuff tonight, but today is party time in your neighborhood!

[Deleted]

Oct 31, 2014 18:53:39 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

This was foreseeable. Bad day to attempt working from home.

Umm, no, it would have been a moronic day to work elsewhere because I wouldn't have been able to get home without hitting a child, I would not have been able to park and walk because I have seven binders and a computer that go everywhere with me, AND my office was also overrun with children for the office party.

I'll be working all weekend too, so it wasn't like I could shuffle. I'm working on an M&A case, plaintiffs are trying to get an injunction stopping the acquisition of a public company (my client) by another public company. The whole case happens in 30 days or less -- discovery, hearings, briefing, the preliminary injunction hearing which is like a trial -- and if we lose a half billion dollar deal could be derailed. And I have all my other cases, too. So it is not a situation where I can take a night off. I took 15 minutes off to go see the children but that's basically it for me.

[Deleted]

Oct 31, 2014 18:32:21 GMT -5 littleduck said:

Noise canceling headphones!

Now THIS is something I failed to plan ahead for. I went over to take them out and they were dead. They're charging now but they won't be ready until it winds down, which should happen in 15 minutes or so.

[Gato]

That sucks, Elle (both the loudness and that you can't be part of the loudness). Hotel?