My daughter Violet is accustomed to street noise. We live on a busy road, near dowtown. Cars, planes, skateboards, yelling-- it's all par for the course. I don't let it bother me and Violet seems to be able to sleep through it-- most of it. There is a house across the street, a partially occupied duplex, that consistently manages to trump even the loudest traffic noise. Numerous families have lived there over the years. Perhaps the altitude of the house or it's unique accoustical qualities cause the phenomenon, but it is truly disruptive. Noise seems to amplify, multiply in relation to this house. At midnight there are children running around the sloped lawn screaming obscenities at each other. In the middle of the afternoon a grown woman holding a beer bangs on the door so loudly that I check to see if someone is at MY door. She only stops the knocking and yelling long enough to take a long sip from her bottle. So, today I put my little angel down to sleep. I carefully turn on the fan, pull down the shades and point the baby monitor at her. No more than 30 minutes later, a huge Ram pick-up truck starts honking. It honks continuously for 2 minutes. It blocks an intersection and causes other cars to honk at it. I can hear all of this live, as well as through the baby monitor. The driver of the truck gets out and heads straight for that stupid, white duplex! She starts banging on the damn door! This is apparently a hillbilly equivalent of an alarm clock/ telephone. Why get your own ass out of bed, when your shady employer will drive by and honk to see if you're interested in working today! It is sooo infuriating! Of course, Violet woke up. I am now writing with one hand and trying to thwart a sqirmy baby with the other. ARRRGGGG!
