Old and Crotchety

I live next to an empty parking lot. Approximately 5 days a year, the lot is used as overflow parking for the neighborhood festivals. The other 360 days, the lot is not being used for it's intended purpose.

When I first moved to this house, I watched a son and a dad play baseball in the empty parking lot. And I thought to my pregnant self...Geesh! That's just lazy! Can't they walk to a park and play in the grass! When my baby's born, I wont be making her play in a parking lot. I'm above that! I know we live in the city, but come on!

I eat my words.

I love living next to the empty lot. K loves living next to the empty lot. She can ride her bike whenever she wants and all we have to do is walk across the street. We take sidewalk chalk to the lot and create huge masterpieces. We've flown kites in the lot. When there's snow, neighborhood kids flock to the big hill that empties into the lot. And I'm proud to say, we've even used the lot to play soccer and softball.

Last night I did not love the lot. See, there is one problem with living next to an empty parking lot. When the small kids go to bed, the big kids come out to take their turn playing in the lot. And I hate the damn kids for turning me into that old lady, cell phone in hand ready to call the cops. Somehow I don't find it enjoyable to be awoken at 2:45am by morons, drunk no doubt, doing doughnuts in the icy parking lot, tires spinning as loud as possible in an attempt to free their car from the ice. Maybe I'm just becoming old and crotchety. I'm also not a fan of the fireworks displays the empty lot is known for. Or the motorcycle races. Or the truck races. Really, I see no reason for any vehicles to be in the parking lot. I know...its a parking lot...but it's supposed to be an empty parking lot.

That's the beauty of it.