Now I know how Noriega felt

Since The Great Plant Massacre of 2008, a truce has taken effect between Next Door Neighbor and everyone else on the street. The form of this truce is that we don't talk to her and she doesn't talk to us. We also make an effort to stay off of the part of our lawn that's adjacent to hers, even though we don't have to.

But two things happened recently. First, she put her house up for sale. There was much rejoicing when the sign went up in her yard, though in this housing market, I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for the place to sell.

Second, she has fired a shot across the bow, so to speak, by playing loud music. Lots of Michael Jackson, Bobby McFerrin, Herbie Hancock, Donna Summer. Motown and disco. Not stuff that I mind much, but when it's blaring through my kid's walls as I'm trying to put him to sleep, it's kind of annoying.

But it usually didn't last too long, so we didn't make an issue of it, and the truce continued.

Then last night, a bunch of us were sitting out in front of our house, on The Part of the Lawn We Usually Avoid, Even Though We Don't Have To (see above). And truth be told, some of the lawn chairs might have been sitting on parts of the street in front of NDN's house, with even a stray leg actually touching her grass (gasp!).

It wasn't anything nefarious, just hanging out, having a few beers before dinnertime, getting caught up after a long week at work. I had my banjo out, but I wasn't really playing loudly, just quietly practicing some picking rolls and goofing around. I didn't even have my fingerpicks on, which are what makes the banjo loud. Anne asked if I could be persuaded to sing a song, so I sang a couple of verses from Will The Circle Be Unbroken, one of my all-time favorites. Zeke even joined in, pulling himself up on my chair and banging on the head of the banjo (the front of a banjo has a cover similar to a drum skin). He was actually keeping really good time. It was a lovely moment.

As I was playing, NDN came home. She pulled her car into her garage, closed the door, and went in the house.

We were then blasted with the dulcet tones of Peabo Bryson. It was kind of hilarious, and so absurd that we couldn't get mad. We just laughed. I picked up Zeke and we started to slow dance. Then Etta James's "At Last" came on, which Jason and I danced to at the Australia wedding, so we started singing along. I think NDN was annoyed that we were enjoying it, so she turned off Etta James and started playing Morris Day and the Time's "Jungle Love."

Big mistake. I love that song. So I started dancing with Zeke to that as well.

But dinnertime was upon us, Zeke was tired and ready for a bath, and we all had our evenings to attend to. So we said goodnight and went inside. Score 1 for NDN in the music wars.

I have to give her credit on her taste in music, though. I defy anyone to listen to "Jungle Love" and not have the urge to shake their booty just a little bit.