Chit Chat

Awkwardness found me

edited July 2014 in Chit Chat
Background: My next door is an older lady who lives by herself. Whenever I am outside doing yard work, she comes out to talk. She will literally follow me around the yard when I am mowing until I stop and turn the mower off to talk to her. She will not stop talking or take any reasonable conversational hints that I need to get back to work (I have been stuck out there for 2 hours just talking to her). If I am weeding, picking up sticks or the like, she follows me around the house as I work and just keeps talking. I mow the half of her yard on my side of her driveway and the neighbor on her other side mows the part on his side of her driveway because she doesn't own a lawn mower and just lets it grow. In the winter, I go dig her and her car out when there is a huge storm because she isn't able to do it on her own. This is the extent of our relationship.

When FI moved in, she came over while his mom was outside and asked her if we were getting married. FI's mom said we were just moving in together and didn't have marriage plans yet. Neighbor then came around to the back door and knocked. When FI and I answered the back door, she asked us if we were getting married. I explained we weren't engaged yet, he was just moving in.

So in hindsight, I should have seen this coming. 

Fast forward to yesterday. We told her we were engaged a bit after it happened and she knew the wedding was coming up (though not when it was). Neighbor lady saw me walking to the house from our detached garage yesterday after work. She stopped me and asked if she was invited to the wedding! She caught me off guard, but thanks to frequenting TK I knew how to respond. I explained that unfortunately we weren't able to invite everyone we would have liked and we were trying to keep the wedding small, so she wasn't invited. 

She said "That's ok. I understand. How about the reception? Am I invited to that?" OMFG. Way to make an awkward situation worse. So I gave her the same line about not being able to invite everyone. 

Good grief. I just know that her not being invited to our wedding will be the topic of conversation for the rest of my life whenever I have to do yard work.

ETA:  TK ate my paragraphs.  Hopefully this worked when I put them back in.

Re: Awkwardness found me

  • Ew. 

    Oh well. It seems like you handled her right. If she's offended, best case scenario, she'll stop bugging you!
    image
    This baby knows exactly how I feel
  • lc07lc07 member
    Tenth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    You are so sweet. Poor lady sounds really lonely.
  • Yeah, this would make me stabby.  I dislike nosey people like that.  Who the freak invites themselves like that?  And doesn't take the hint the first time?!?

    Wedding Countdown Ticker




  • FiancBFiancB member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    Aw man, lady is embarrassing herself. It might be my mom and in that case, I'm sorry. Headphones? 
    image
  • Aw but you did a great job handling her. You're so sweet.

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  • I would talk to her for a few minutes, then say that you need to get the yard finished because you have other stuff to do, so you need to stop talking now. Then turn the mower back on and do it.

    I think it's pretty obvious why she's so lonely, but she's also oblivious to it. Poor lady.
  • Thanks all!  Headphones wouldn't help because she just follows me around or stands there until I acknowledge her.  I know she's probably lonely, which is why I don't want to just ignore her.  But sometimes you just want to work in peace!  I have just turned the mower back on eventually, I just always feel bad about it.

    And no way am I trading neighbors with @smichek.
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