{"id":5474,"date":"2024-11-01T23:43:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T23:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/?p=5474"},"modified":"2024-11-01T23:43:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T23:43:00","slug":"my-neighbor-threw-rotten-tomatoes-at-my-front-door-because-i-didnt-put-up-halloween-decorations-soon-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/my-neighbor-threw-rotten-tomatoes-at-my-front-door-because-i-didnt-put-up-halloween-decorations-soon-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"My Neighbor Threw Rotten Tomatoes at My Front Door Because I Didn&rsquo;t Put up Halloween Decorations &lsquo;Soon Enough&rsquo;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>You know those days when life hits you so hard you can barely catch your breath? That\u2019s been my reality lately. Between double shifts at the diner and spending every spare moment at the hospital with Lacey, I\u2019ve been running on caffeine and sheer determination.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/7e4ef3a9b187d4048a6110f407f98672ca5499497bd3a84ecfdbabe7cdf48e08.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman standing in a hospital source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman standing in a hospital | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>It started with what I thought was just a cold. Lacey came home from school one Tuesday with a slight cough. It didn\u2019t look like anything serious. But by Friday night, she was burning up with a fever.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cMommy, I don\u2019t feel good,\u201d she said while trying to catch her breath.\n\n\n\n</p><p>The doctors moved fast, thank God.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Words like \u201csevere pneumonia,\u201d \u201caggressive infection,\u201d and \u201cextended stay\u201d flew around while they ran tests on her. After what seemed like an eternity, the ER doctor finally sat down with me.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cThe infection\u2019s in both lungs,\u201d he explained gently. \u201cShe\u2019s going to need intensive treatment. We\u2019re looking at a minimum of three weeks in the hospital.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cThree weeks?\u201d I looked at him with wide eyes. \u201cBut\u2026 but I have to work. The insurance\u2026 it doesn\u2019t cover everything.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>https:\/\/googleads.g.doubleclick.net\/pagead\/ads?client=ca-pub-9597212463741597&amp;output=html&amp;h=410&amp;slotname=2357769988&amp;adk=3353806398&amp;adf=3752731451&amp;pi=t.ma~as.2357769988&amp;w=393&amp;abgtt=6&amp;lmt=1730504448&amp;rafmt=11&amp;format=393&times;410&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Flezizmutfagim.net%2F2024%2F11%2F01%2F7772%2F&amp;fwr=1&amp;wgl=1&amp;dt=1730504448159&amp;bpp=1&amp;bdt=71&amp;idt=98&amp;shv=r20241030&amp;mjsv=m202410280101&amp;ptt=9&amp;saldr=aa&amp;abxe=1&amp;cookie=ID%3Dc9451f467e2e142e%3AT%3D1730504297%3ART%3D1730504297%3AS%3DALNI_MZ-qsOaOLSevcp-eEp7FQb6vQ88bg&amp;gpic=UID%3D00000f4cb38eed8e%3AT%3D1730504297%3ART%3D1730504297%3AS%3DALNI_MY_uVCIx20CM3tkdvQAEKPDczBZKQ&amp;eo_id_str=ID%3De7441cf79e62fd86%3AT%3D1730504297%3ART%3D1730504297%3AS%3DAA-Afjb_zbMsB2V_cl6mY9NrMtwJ&amp;prev_fmts=0x0%2C393x327%2C393x410&amp;nras=1&amp;correlator=2754388047945&amp;frm=20&amp;pv=1&amp;rplot=4&amp;u_tz=60&amp;u_his=5&amp;u_h=852&amp;u_w=393&amp;u_ah=852&amp;u_aw=393&amp;u_cd=24&amp;u_sd=3&amp;adx=0&amp;ady=1428&amp;biw=393&amp;bih=651&amp;scr_x=0&amp;scr_y=0&amp;eid=44759876%2C44759927%2C95346096%2C95344189%2C95345472%2C95345789%2C95345962&amp;oid=2&amp;pvsid=2672829805734669&amp;tmod=782149214&amp;uas=1&amp;nvt=1&amp;ref=https%3A%2F%2Flezizmutfagim.net%2F2024%2F11%2F01%2Fmy-neighbor-threw-rotten-tomatoes-at-my-front-door-because-i-didnt-put-up-halloween-decorations-soon-enough%2F&amp;fc=1920&amp;brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C393%2C0%2C393%2C651%2C393%2C651&amp;vis=1&amp;rsz=%7C%7CeEbr%7C&amp;abl=CS&amp;pfx=0&amp;fu=128&amp;bc=31&amp;bz=1&amp;ifi=4&amp;uci=a!4&amp;btvi=1&amp;fsb=1&amp;dtd=104\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/209ef383ce769a516374536d42152ccd365a98917146089404239892793fc0a1.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman talking to the doctor source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman talking to the doctor | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>He squeezed my shoulder. \u201cLet\u2019s focus on getting her better first. You can speak with our financial department about payment plans.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>I\u2019ve been doing this solo parent thing for five years now, ever since Mark decided his twenty-something secretary was more appealing than his family responsibilities. The divorce knocked us down hard, but my daughter Lacey and I aren\u2019t the type of people who\u2019d give up. We\u2019re fighters. We didn\u2019t let Mark\u2019s poor decisions affect us \n\n\n\n</p><p>I worked as a waitress and picked up extra shifts after the divorce. Living on a single income taught me how to stretch every dollar and avoid unnecessary expenses.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/255ef138638b93887e910050c25813a33b3305ca15ce28f55d063bc7a4d0ff72.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"A' person holding their empty wallet source: pexels>\n\n\n\n<p>A person holding their empty wallet | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n</p><p>Last year, we even managed to move into this supposedly \u201cbetter\u201d neighborhood. You know, the kind where people treat their HOA guidelines like they\u2019re the Constitution.\n\n\n\n</p><p><br>\u201cAlice, hon, you\u2019ve got tables 4 and 6 waiting,\u201d Maria called out during another hectic dinner shift.\n\n\n\n</p><p>She\u2019s been my rock through all this, covering for me when hospital visits run long.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cOn it!\u201d I called back, tucking my phone deeper into my apron pocket after checking another message from Lacey\u2019s doctors. These hospital bills were piling up faster than I could count, but what choice did I have?\n\n\n\n</p><p>My baby needed me, and I had to work harder for her.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/966ee1991eadff9a4e4f4141543cb9c271eccec588c1d36e46cce8402d9649f8.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman working as a waitress source: pexels>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman working as a waitress | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cYou look dead on your feet,\u201d Maria said while refilling coffee cups. \u201cWhen\u2019s the last time you got some real sleep?\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>I just shook my head. \u201cSleep\u2019s a luxury I can\u2019t afford right now. Between the hospital visits and these double shifts\u2026\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cAt least you\u2019ve got good neighbors to help out, right?\u201d Maria asked.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I let out a bitter laugh thinking about Carla from two doors down. That woman could give surveillance cameras a run for their money.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Ever since we moved in, she\u2019s appointed herself as the neighborhood\u2019s personal CNN. Carla\u2019s Nosy Network.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/4a1feb34e16ef4421cc76efac511828ea00f50eb6db8fe82b90563598178b35b.png%5C%22" alt='\"An' older woman standing outside her house source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>An older woman standing outside her house | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Just last month, she caused a whole drama with the Hendersons across the street. They\u2019d painted their front door navy blue. It\u2019s a perfectly normal color, right?\n\n\n\n</p><p>Well, Carla didn\u2019t just notice it. She measured the paint swatch against the HOA handbook, took photos at different times of day, and then sent a 500-word email to everyone about how it was \u201cMidnight Navy\u201d instead of the approved \u201cClassic Navy.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>The poor Hendersons had to repaint their door to avoid a fine.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/5a747d358fdd7f299807f3c831d31e6b4463994e346afa0450c0e22f8db17a75.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' house with a blue door source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A house with a blue door | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cRemember that time she counted how many people came to Janet\u2019s book club?\u201d I told Maria. \u201cShe actually reported Janet to the HOA for \u2018running a business from home\u2019 because there were more than six cars parked on the street. It was a book club, for heaven\u2019s sake!\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>Carla\u2019s the type who doesn\u2019t just check her mailbox. She watches everyone else check theirs too. She keeps a literal notebook of when people bring their trash cans in and out.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I swear I\u2019ve seen her peeking through her blinds so often.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/140e867fe2e84c30e266371df5e2164a49cbe8093b4c6dfff37fc0216f91c55f.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"A' person hand on window blinds source: pexels>\n\n\n\n<p>A person\u2019s hand on window blinds | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n</p><p>That\u2019s why I wasn\u2019t surprised when she started blowing up our HOA group chat about Halloween preparations in mid-September.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Every day brought a new message about \u201cmaintaining neighborhood standards\u201d and \u201cpreserving property values through seasonal charm.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>But with Lacey in the hospital, festive decorations were the last thing on my mind.\n\n\n\n</p><p>That\u2019s when my phone buzzed again. Another message from Carla, but this time sent directly to me. My heart raced when the notification popped up on my screen.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I couldn\u2019t believe my eyes when I read her text.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/2f3af7639eac269321f165905cc4b41444dd5361e3ae79fb6253d216cb8a7f20.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman reading a message on her phone source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman reading a message on her phone | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p><em>Are you special or something? Why isn\u2019t your house decorated for Halloween? It\u2019s almost the end of October, and your house is the only one ruining the vibe. Do you want to spoil Halloween for the whole neighborhood? It\u2019s embarrassing.\n\n\n\n<p>I had to read it twice to believe someone could be this insensitive.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I took a deep breath before typing out a response, trying my best to keep it professional despite my rising anger.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/8055e1e06daf9d88110948688f310713f7fd6f3dd49be913c27b30a1f939bf1e.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman using her phone source: pexels>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n</p><p><em>Carla, I\u2019m sorry I haven\u2019t decorated. I\u2019ve been in the hospital with my daughter for two weeks now. She\u2019s really sick, and all my money\u2019s gone to medicine and bills. I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ll be able to put anything up this year.\n\n\n\n<p>Well, I didn\u2019t get a response from Carla, so I thought she must\u2019ve found something else to worry about. I had no idea how wrong I was.\n\n\n\n</p><p>After three long weeks, Lacey was finally well enough to come home.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/645ffd81a860ca97c0a787235ba304182b558ff3aedeea6dd6ddb3f0ea149d42.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman driving source: pexels>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman driving | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n</p><p>We pulled into our driveway at sunset as we discussed how good it\u2019d feel to finally sleep in our beds.\n\n\n\n</p><p>That\u2019s when the smell hit us. A putrid, sickening odor that made my stomach turn.Our front door was completely covered in smashed, rotten tomatoes. The red pulp dripped down the wood and seeds stuck in every crevice. But the pi\u00e8ce de r\u00e9sistance? A note was taped right in the middle. It read:\n\n\n\n</p><p><em>Now at least it looks a bit like Halloween. No need to thank me.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/3040bacb0f39feff6e0a60fdebdfe81e218177ce6dcafed0215d52ed98ee1e2b.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' door with a note smeared in tomato pulp source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A door with a note smeared in tomato pulp | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cMommy, why does our house smell bad?\u201d Lacey asked.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I didn\u2019t have an answer to my daughter\u2019s innocent question. I was so angry that my feet were almost shaking.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I got Lacey settled inside despite the garage, made sure she was comfortable in bed, and then stormed over to Carla\u2019s house. I could see her peeking through her blinds as I approached.\n\n\n\n</p><p>When she opened the door, that smug smile on her face made me want to scream.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cOh, hey there. Enjoying the Halloween decorations?\u201d she asked.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/f40b0e6d2e18d25ab112990a3373d6712f7ee9ee3147dd200f7c51c5f41d2987.png%5C%22" alt='\"An' older woman smiling source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>An older woman smiling | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cAre you kidding me, Carla?\u201d I snapped. \u201cI told you what I was dealing with. You know my daughter\u2019s been in the hospital, and you still did this?\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>She rolled her eyes like I was being dramatic. \u201cLook, I just thought you were making excuses. Everyone decorates, and it\u2019s unfair for you to spoil it for the rest of us. I thought a little tomato juice might remind you to get into the spirit. You didn\u2019t put up the decorations soon enough. Not my fault.\u201d\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/180d3d46548d813ffc73fb9259a8f0e53bd2240e0615575c6aed51238a919c88.png%5C%22" alt='\"An' older woman talking to her neighbor source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>An older woman talking to her neighbor | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Before I could respond, her husband Dan appeared behind her. He was horrified after hearing his wife\u2019s confession.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cCarla, what the hell is wrong with you?\u201d he demanded. \u201cYou did what?\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>The next few minutes were pure chaos.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Dan pulled Carla inside, and I could hear him confront her. The muffled argument was punctuated by phrases like \u201ccompletely unacceptable\u201d and \u201clost your mind.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>When Dan returned to the door, his face was red with embarrassment.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/a47cf8719eb0dc61b31c40d2b841d300fea6b1fab9a5077f29b9285d898c7aae.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' close-up shot of an older man face source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A close-up shot of an older man\u2019s face | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cI\u2019m so sorry,\u201d he said. \u201cI had no idea she\u2019d do something like this. I\u2019ll clean up your door and pay for any damages. Carla, you better apologize right now.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>Carla emerged and muttered what had to be the most insincere apology I\u2019d ever heard.\n\n\n\n</p><p>But this isn\u2019t where the story ends. Karma intervened a few hours later and taught her an unforgettable lesson.\n\n\n\n</p><p>That night, the strongest storm of the season hit our neighborhood.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/feb38db3ad21c16b846faa68e6a4fde69c91e2e28e53a3b76129ab71f9d92901.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"A' stormy sky source: pexels>\n\n\n\n<p>A stormy sky | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n</p><p>The wind howled like a banshee, and the rain came down in sheets. When I looked out my window the next morning, I couldn\u2019t help but laugh at the irony.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Carla\u2019s elaborate Halloween display \u2013 the one she\u2019d been bragging about for weeks \u2013 was absolutely decimated. Her precious inflatable decorations were scattered across three yards, her meticulously carved pumpkins had turned to mush in the rain, and her collection of \u201cpremium\u201d skeletons lay broken and tangled in the bushes.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Mother Nature had delivered the perfect revenge.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/75551310b89784b32392e38d4a9e208c6a778f53b4dd5eb04208a9d1a6a9d468.png%5C%22" alt='\"Broken' halloween decor source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>Broken Halloween decor | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Dan followed through on his promise, showing up early the next day with cleaning supplies and groceries.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cI can\u2019t apologize enough,\u201d he said while scrubbing the last bits of tomato off my door. \u201cHow\u2019s your daughter doing?\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cShe\u2019s getting stronger every day,\u201d I replied. \u201cThanks for asking. And thanks for, uh, everything else.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>Carla hasn\u2019t spoken a word to me since then and I\u2019ve been loving the silence. When I pass by her house these days and see her bare lawn, I can\u2019t help but smile a little.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image' is-resized><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/e080534108327e6bf8f65868641143ad84e422260bb8df833f52b1a4e17576be.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman smiling source: midjourney style='\"aspect-ratio:1;width:377px;height:auto\"\/'>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Sometimes karma doesn\u2019t just come around. It blows through like a hurricane.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"</p><div class='\"mh-excerpt\"'><p>You know those days when life hits you so hard you can barely catch your breath? That\u2019s been my reality lately. Between double shifts at <a class='\"mh-excerpt-more\"' href="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/sciencesandnatures.com%5C/my-neighbor-threw-rotten-tomatoes-at-my-front-door-because-i-didnt-put-up-halloween-decorations-soon-enough%5C/%5C%22" title='\"My' neighbor threw rotten tomatoes at my front door because i didn put up halloween decorations enough>[&hellip;]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5474"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5474"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5475,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5474\/revisions\/5475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</a></p></div></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></em></p></figure></p></em></p></figure></p></em></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p>