Meet the Klopeks!

I apologize for the sleepless night you all must have had, tossing and turning and wondering about the Klopeks. I'll get to their story today, but first I have some other interesting neighbors...

First, the best of the interesting: Venessa. When Venessa moved in across the street a couple of years ago, I immediately launched Operation Get to Know My Neighbor. (This is actually what I called it. Yes, I know, apparently I am also an interesting neighbor.) After bribing her with baked goods (she has a weakness for my Peanut Butter Temptations), we became fast friends. Having her across the street, reminds me of home. My parents lived next door to their best friends when I was growing up. Of course we took the best yearly vacations together and their kids became like the siblings I never had, but it was the most fun getting together for those spur of the moment things. Brownies fresh out of the oven? Come on over. Bored during a blizzard? Shovel a path and walk. Saturday morning cartoons? No need to even change out of your pajamas! That is what Venessa and I have. Making meatloaf and realize you have no ketchup? It's only a knock away. Have too much for supper and don't want the leftovers? Pick up the phone and call (all the other has to bring is 6 oreos in a bag!). So if you think you might be living next door to your very own Venessa, I highly recommend you implement Operation Get to Know Your Neighbor.

Then there's Dave. When we first moved in, I wasn't too sure about Dave. He worked from home and had a vast arsenal of weaponry and equipment in his living room. I kind of suspected that he was the Unabomber. Sorry, Dave! I'm happy to say that I was wrong. He and Jon have gotten to know each other over the years and they share a lot of the same interests: remote control gadgets, saltwater fish tanks, scuba diving, and machine guns. Dave is great to have next door in an emergency (like when your favorite clown fish dies and is about to be eaten by the rest of the tanks inhabitants and your husband is out of town and you're crying hysterically and wondering what to do) and/or in the event of WWIII.

Finally, the Klopeks. The Klopeks are Romanian and they are obsessive about their landscaping and their driveway. I'm sure they've never received a warning letter from the HOA. The unusual part is that they prefer to garden and clean in their pajamas. Mr. Klopek wears a pair of boxers and a T-shirt. Mrs. Klopek wears a cartoon character sleeping shirt that barely covers her rear end. When she bends over I tend to avert my eyes, so I'm not certain if she wears anything underneath it. Grandma Klopek wears a housecoat. They too rarely leave their house (other than to venture outside into the yard, work like elves in pajamas, and retreat). The really shocking part is they have a son, a son you almost never see. I once saw the boy outside when he was about 10. The next time I saw him he was 15. For five years, he never made an appearance. I'm hoping he's not locked up in their basement - otherwise my life will have come full circle.

There are more unusual suspects on Wisteria Lane, but I won't bore you with any more stories... at least not today...