The Kindness of Neighbors

Our weather this weekend was splendid.  Well, my weekend, which consists of Sunday and Monday.  Sunday was a gorgeous warm spring day with budding trees and frolicking children.

Because it was so nice I decided to take advantage of the sun and do up some handwashing.  I was jamming out, dancing about in my best boho skirt and old men's flannel shirt when the worst happened.  As I leaned over to lay out my hand knit socks my ipod slipped out of the shirt pocket.  It was like watching a horror movie.  In seconds that stretched to minutes it drifted through the air and then hung from my headphones before disconnecting and dropping through the crack in the balcony floor boards.

I gaped.  Screamed.  Took a picture (because how can you not).  And then ran downstairs to knock on the neighbors' door.  Big surprise, no one answered.  Over the next five hours of daylight I continually walked downstairs and knocked on their door, but no one answered.

I began to work on a plan.  Our balconies are built into the exterior of our building, but there is a large beam that runs down the middle to the floor.  I could shimmy down the pole and drop into the balcony below.  But that left finding a way back up.  I could also climb over the railing with a long pole and some packing tape and grab the ipod that way.  But nothing in the apartment was long enough.  Plus at this point the first floor neighbors were noticing the way I kept leaning out over the railing and staring at the second floor like I was going to rob the place.

It went on like this until Chris came home and took away the hockey stick.  After I ran back downstairs when it got dark and I saw a light on I despaired of ever getting it back.

Yesterday morning I woke up and found this outside my door.

And it still works!  I've baked cookies and taken some down to leave on their door in thanks.  I don't know if I will ever actually meet these neighbors, but it was nice to know that people can still be nice.  And that an electronic device that I have had for over 5 years still works.