Neighbors Being Evicted

A family who has lived on this street for many many years is being evicted. Their landlord gave them 30 days to move their lives out and be gone. He wants his college student son to move in. They seem frazzled and worried, as would be normal. This has happened to me and there is nothing easy about it.

Contrary to a landlords belief, tenants feel rentals are "home" and most behave as such. When evicted, everything secure and of comfort is ripped away.

Including deep roots.

Landlords weild a terrible power over their tenants. They can take everything from them with the stroke of a pen.

That's why you have to play kissy face with them and kissy yo feet games. Even when those feet you must kiss stink to high heaven and are rotting in fungus.

This family loses their home because a college kid son is going to live there.

Guess I better take back some of this post. They came over and they're actually pretty happy to think they're getting out of this neighborhood and she says all things happen for a reason. They think the people up the next block with the zillion cars there all the time, all Mexicans, are scary, as everyone else does, and they hope to find a friendlier happier neighborhood. She gave me a big huge fat compliment. She said "You have a Corvallis yard, full of life and freedom." That was a nice thing to hear. (the rest of the block thinks my yard is an eyesore)

I'd never met them before because they're often gone most of the time. They're not typical yard nazis like many of the folks on the block. It's too bad we only meet when they are about to leave.

I told her "It's too bad you can't use this to move to Corvallis." They also love the parks in Corvallis and have had trouble fitting into the culture here. I confided, to these neighbors whom I've not met before today, "I'm lost here. I want out so badly."

She said they would move to Corvallis with this eviction opportunity, but their daughter has lots of friends in her school and it's important for kids to stay in the same schools, if they can, with their friends.

I met them because I stopped my car when I saw a brand new cat to the area, a terribly skinny orange tabby teenager, climb into their truck. I asked them who that cat was, and they said they didn't know, that he showed up a couple days ago and they figure someone nearby got him as a kitten, then tossed him out like trash as he grew out of kittenhood. Despite their eviction, they're feeding the poor little guy.

There's another abandoned cat, an all white one, show up. It's Albany. When people move, they dump their cats like so much trash.

Another neighbor came over, chided me for not spraying the yard to get rid of dandelions. I told her I don't spray. She urged me to spray often. She said she doesn't want them in her yard. I didn't say anything else, just came back inside and looked out the window at the people who are soon to be leaving this street behind. With envy.