Wednesday, May 30, 2007

A bit tired

I was woken up before 4:30 this morning.

Don't go blaming my darling cherubs.

Although usually if I tell this story it involves someone under 7 years old yelling "MOMMY!" and me scurrying to bring the yeller back in our bed to get him/her to go back to sleep. Sometimes it works. But then I lay awake.

This time the story involves jack-hammers. At 4:30 in the morning.

We live on a state highway. That inherently brings traffic and noise. Several years ago we needed the gas company to come in the evening to dig a hole when there was a gas leak. I recognize when loud noises are necessary for public safety.

However, this was the town Department of Public Works (DPW) using jack hammers to dig up - I kid you not - two traffic islands near our house at 4:30 in the morning.

There is no public safety reason to jack-hammer traffic islands at 4:30 in the morning.

So my husband went down to investigate and call the police. They told him it was a DPW issue. We live in one of, if not the only, state that requires a police detail for all public works project. He told the dispatcher there was no detail at the site. That got their attention. There was a police officer within 5 minutes. He also left a message on the work number of the DPW director. He joked he should have found his home number to wake him up. I told him that if our kids woke up we were calling the DPW director at his home. Somehow the kids slept through the entire thing. I did not.

I left the house at 6:55 am and the jack hammers were still going. The DPW director called my husband at 7:05 am to apologize profusely and explain he didn't know how this happened.

When asked what the crew was doing, the director said they were tearing up the traffic islands to put in flowers.

Let me repeat, I was woken up before 4:30 in the morning for frigging flower beds.

11 comments:

Alex Elliot said...

I would have been so annoyed! I hope you sleep better tonight.

Nancy said...

Ugh! I like flowers, but not as much as I like sleep :)

Thanks for stopping by my blog the other day. Can't wait to read your post for TBE.

You've got a great sense of humor, btw. I've enjoyed reading some of your recent entries.

Jenn in Holland said...

Tell me true, SMID, once those flower beds are planted are you going to go over and STOMP them? I think I would just to make a statement.
I am pro-flower and all. I am just WAAAAAAY to fond of sleep to tolerate such shenanigans!

I hope as I am posting this comment from GMT+1 you are peacefully sleeping away...

soccer mom in denial said...

While I have to get to work early today (so woke up at 5:25am) I did sleep soundly with no interruptions.

Thanks for all the positive sleep vibes.

Sugar Kane said...

That's ridiculous! I would have been furious.

Jamie said...

OMG... I would have been so pissed!

Flower Child said...

so what kind of flowers are they?

Stacey said...

Oh good lord! Are you kidding me ?


You should make the Director do your job today while you get rest!

Ambassador said...

OK, I've seen where they are tearing up. Are you telling me that with all the traffic that zooms by there, those flowers are going to survive, much less thrive? Not to be too pessimistic, but this strikes me as a make-work project for someone's cousin's brother's friend's ex-finacee they owed a favor to.

Also, check your local ordinances - most municipalities have laws governing when work like that can be done in a residential neighborhood - did you think to take any pictures to document the madness?

Sleep well, my dear. K

soccer mom in denial said...

Well HELLO everyone. Who knew construction projects brought out the new friends.

Welcome Nancy and Sugar K, and welcome back Jamie. Nice to hear from all of you.

Flower child - I do not CARE what flowers they plant. As JiH notes they will be lucky I don't stomp them.

Ambassador - every ordinance was broken. Seriously. The cousin's brother's friend's lover's ex-fiance and the entire work crew were just demented, or drunk. With jackhammers.

jodifur said...

file a complaint. There is probably a noise ordinance that was broken.