Recently, we were told that our town is one of the riches towns in the United States. Hubby and I roared with laughter and Evil Twin peed her pants. She had just returned from ringing doorbells trying to sell the knock-off Girl Scout cookies I made. Anything to make a buck. Sheesh.
Yeah. We are rolling in the cookie dough.
Let me explain. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "raised on the wrong side of the tracks"? If not, it basically means you're not rich. Our town has imaginary tracks. A different way to look at it is "old" vs. "new". The "old" part of the town is primarily a bunch of farms, smaller established neighborhoods, and open space with a few rolling hills.
Within the last 20 or so years, a hotel and a business complex popped up and somebody got the vision disease, dreaming about a charter school* is this here country town. The school became a reality. Developments with large homes, large gates, and a golf course joined in the fun, filling out the "new" part of our town. More business appeared but we don't have our own grocery store!
Meanwhile, back on the other side of the tracks, our little neighborhood decided that rather than be annexed to another less-inviting neighboring city, we needed to be a part of this quaint little town with the vision. We were annexed in the 1990's.
The "new" part of the town is where you might possibly find the Jonas Brothers, professional athletes, neurosurgeons, and the rest of the rocket scientists.
Evil Twin reminded me that she is a rocket scientist.
I think this must be because of her experience with the aliens.
We have people drive through our neighborhood quite often looking for homes and lots for sale. Last year, a lady stopped me while I was working in the yard, badgering me with questions. She was rude. It's like she was getting mad at me because I couldn't tell her what she wanted to hear. Evil Twin finally gave her the stink eye and she quickly wrapped up her inquiries. Ahem.
We like our little neighborhood, with our retirees and their RV's, and a few playful little tykes to keep us young at heart.
We think you might be from the wrong side of the tracks, Rude Lady.
*In Texas: A charter school is a type of public school usually developed by a local community. Charter schools provide education through a "charter," which is a type of contract granted by a chartering entity such as the State Board of Education or the board of trustees of an independent school district. The purposes of charter schools are to: (1) improve student learning; (2) increase the choice of learning opportunities within the public school system; (3) create professional opportunities that will attract new teachers to the public school system; (4) establish a new form of accountability for public schools; and (5) encourage different and innovative learning methods. Our local school teaches an International Baccalaureate program.
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24 comments:
Evil Twin is invaluable. If you ever lose your mind and want to rid your world of her, please send her to me.
No one has asked me about homes and lots for sale here, but I have been asked "What lake is that?" as they point out to Penobscot Bay with the lobster boats and endless Atlantic. I like to freak them out and tell them it's Lake Erie. Now you know why I want Evil Twin.
Gee nobody drives in MY neighborhood wanting to buy.
I guess I live on the wrong side of the Continental Divide Tracks!
Ha!
*grin*
BTW, I need an evil twin or I just need to hone my stink eye stare. It hasn't been working too well lately.
I remember growing up looking across the tracks thinking how much greener the grass was. We didn't even have grass on our side. With no grass to mow you find things to do- like cow tipping and freestyle mooning. Now that I am a mad scientist and can afford grass, I realize it isn't all it's cracked up to be. (Pun intended)
Oh, I relate. I grew up in a neighborhood on the low-rent side of town. Of course, being a kid, I didn't realize there even was a tonier part for a long time.
@Deb - Lake Erie. That's hilarious! Evil Twin will always be with me. ;-)
@Quirky - Haha! Practice that stink eye in the mirror.
@Jamie - Cow tipping I get but freestyle mooning? I'm not sure I get the freestyle part. Hum....
@Kablooey - It's an eye-opener to see how the "other people" live. My grandmother's house was right next to the railroad tracks. We were never sure which side she was on, though.
there is worse
You know- freestyle mooning as opposed to team mooning.
@wheatgerm - Hum....I do like where I live. I found the article humorous and it gave me some blog fodder.
@Jamie - Hee Hee. I've never mooned but I've been mooned. "I see Houston. I see France. I don't see your underpants." YIKES!
You can't fool me. You're stinkin' rich, you're just afraid that we're all coming down to rob you after reading that article. Well, maybe we are, and maybe we aren't. Sleep tight!
Jayne is right. I'd like to borrow Evil Twin, too. Maybe you should patent Evil Twin and rent her out.
People can't find my neighborhood, including the garbage truck driver. Excuse me, Sanitation Vehicular Manager. He hasn't been here in several weeks 'cause he can't get up the access road to our house.
It seems we've had a bit of snow lately. Tonight we had more snow, a blizzard in fact. I know because I was outside snowplaning behind the dog.
@Michael - You're on to me. I'm rich with blessings. Now where did I put my deodorant? I found my shotgun, though. ;-)
@Lauren - I'm sending a helicopter for your trash. Sheesh. You guys get all the fun. Snowplaning is the new sledding right?
Except I'm guessing that the shotgun really isn't a shotgun, but an antique rifle from the Civil War. I'm not judging from which side you got it, though. But that's what I imagine the rifle is: an antique worth millions that you just have laying around the house, waiting to shoot someone like Michael with it. Of course, if I had an antique Civil War rifle, I might want to shoot somebody once in a while with it too, especially Michael. ;)
Oh, your post, yeah, you and Evil Twin don't fool us, all three of you are rich beyond belief. Your mansion rivals that on the South Fork Ranch.
I grew up on the "new" side of town, but out house was the oldest one in the neighborhood, they hauled it down from a logging camp in the 40's and built rooms and a second story around it. Now there is no "new" side to my old town, it just all old.
our house... our house, not out house. wow, Freudian slip there or what!
@Unfinished - My brother has all the Civil War stuff a few towns over in his mansion/shack. You did mean shack when you said mansion, right?
@Madge - That sounds like my grandmother's mansion/shack near the railroad tracks. Well, that is, before the new owners tore it down to build a lawyer's office. Pfft.
I see you won't be parting with Evil Twin anytime soon - or at all - but maybe she can give lessons on that "stink eye" manoever. It's hard for me to be rude to PEOPLE WHO JUST DON'T GET THE HINT AFTER THE FIRST FIVE TIMES AROUND (i.e. Joho's) before I pull out the cutlass (machete) and, unlike a cross against a vampire, the mezuzah just ain't workin' for me anymore.
;-)
my small town is so small we don't even have tracks.
and no one bothers to tip cows anymore....youth these days
I could always move in next door and bring down the property values for you.
00dozo - Uh oh. I think I'd better send Evil Twin for some tutoring.
@Jean - No tracks? What about a pond?
@Boom Boom - I'm sure you would be a great neighbor. Can I borrow a cup of sugar?
My neighborhood isn't even listed on a GPS. I don't know if that's good because aliens usually come to those places.
Maybe you can auction Evil Twin out on weekends?
I could use her authority in such matters.
(-:
I live in an old house in an old neighborhood where I grew up, so basically it's just like the TV show Cheers where everybody knows your name, except that it's not. Wait...what? I don't know where I was headed with this comment.
Man, I hate those "charter communities!" They just seem to attract rude ladies, don't they? My husband and I are in the process of checking out neighborhoods in our area, deciding where we want to buy.
One was a gated community. The gate was closed. On a Sunday afternoon. While we were trying to figure out the complicated call box, a resident in a Lexus SUV pulled up, pushed in her code, then pulled JUST inside the gate so that we couldn't get through, until the gate closed. Apparently, us "Riff Raff" in the non-luxury vehicle were not welcome! Message received.
I wrote a letter to their homeowners association! I told them that anyone trying to sell a house in that neighborhood was SOL!! No THANK you!!
@MrsBlogalot - Maybe it's good if you can't be found. I will have to work on a fee structure for Evil Twin rentals.
@Leeuna - Me, neither, but it's cool you are still in the same house!
@Joan - Three raspberries and a couple of eggs for that lady and her Lexus. Good for you for writing that letter.
Oh the joys of greediness, er, um development.
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