Neighborhood Watch

As I was cleaning out the ol' minivan after a day of cruising with my boys, I heard my name being called from across the street.

It was my neighbor, nice lady 1 (name changed for blog purposes).

I froze in place, it was too late though, she had already seen me. No matter how hard I tried to play the "I'm so busy cleaning out the car to be bothered" look, I had been made.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my neighbors. Nice lady 1 and her husband (Nice guy 1), are very, well, nice people. And I enjoy talking with them, just not right after I become unemployed.

I quickly called back "Hi nice lady 1!" Gave the enthusiastic hand wave, and stuck my head back in the van. The universal sign for "I politely acknowledge your presence but I can't talk right now." Clean. Crisp. Done.

And then it happened. She began to advance towards the road, closer to my house, closer to me. And with a simple two-worded question from across the street, began a 20 minute conversation regarding my newest personal life changes.

"Anything new?"

She must be on to me. My car parked in the driveway this entire week. The kids voices radiating from our back yard when they're usually not home. And yet my husband Adam's car is gone everyday as usual.

"Well actually, I left my job" I shouted from my front lawn. Why not tell the whole neighborhood in one shot? And before I knew it she was pedaling her way fast and furious to dish out the details in front of my mailbox.

And with that, the deed would be done. Within a few minutes of completing our conversation nice guy 1 would be informed, followed by their good friends who live at the end of our cul de sac road, and eventually the news will spread through the rest of the neighborhood.

My neighborhood role has now transformed. I am officially the stay-at-home mom in the blue house on the right. In the words of my two-year old son, let's do this.