Dear Mom,

The weather here is not as bad as what you are dealing with up there. It rained the other night but is nice and sunny today.

I’m still seeing Billy but I don’t think things are going as I had hoped. The other night I noticed he was paying more attention to the waitress than he was to me. Decided to stay home this weekend and think about things.

Work is OK but people just aren’t spending money. I come home every day at noon to let Roger out and take a break from the stress. I’m still able to make payments on the house but little else.

The car is still having some kind of problem. I’ve taken it into the shop three times and they can’t find anything wrong with it, but it has a problem starting. Billy used to tinker on it, but I’m not sure I want him to any more.

The neighborhood has been pretty quiet. Just the usual folks walking up and down the streets. Yesterday a city truck pulled up with lights flashing. I thought there was some problem but it was my neighbor’s water meter.

You wouldn’t believe this guy. He’s got a yard like you’ve never seen. The other day I had to tear some bamboo that was lying over the fence out. Yes, he has bamboo. Lots of bamboo. And trees all over the place and lumber and well, I just can’t explain.

He’s some kind of weird old grey haired guy who leaves the house around noon and gets on a bicycle. Yes, a bicycle. He puts on a helmet and rides off on a beer run. Every day he does this, even in the rain. Then he goes into this ratty green shack he has out in the yard and just does whatever he does out there. Sometimes I hear this strange music and other times something like a 60’s television series.

He looks like some retired rock guy with a beard and a ponytail. I think you used to call them “hippies”. He is always wearing a baseball cap and some dirty sweatshirt or torn up jacket. He seems to wear the same dirty jeans everyday. Uck! I’m not even sure he takes a bath.

Then everyday he gets out on his little porch and throws peanuts out into his yard. He keeps yelling “Petey Pete” and “want a peanut” and all these squirrels come down from all his trees and run around his yard. This seems to entertain him. The peanut shells are everywhere and it is such a mess.

He didn’t rake his leaves but let them just sit there and rot. He waters the yard sometimes but I don’t know. He even has this big hold in the back yard with a blue tarp in it. I guess it was a pond but it just sits there now. And he’s got all these pots and birdhouses and boards and chairs all over the yard.

Not only that, he spreads birdseed all over the place. Birds come in from all around and poop on my deck. Dick told me about that before he moved.

He even has all his windows frosted so who knows what goes on in there. Maybe he is some kind of a drug dealer, but no one ever goes in or comes out. I can hear his classical music every morning but other than that, I don’t even think he lives there. He is so weird.

When it is warm and rainy I’ve seen him sitting out on his front porch in a rocking chair. He just sits there and stares into space. He is so weird.

Well, mom, I gotta go. Roger has already had an accident so I want to make sure he goes out. Will talk later. XXOOXX

Your daughter….