One day to go and almost no nerves left…..the committee meeting yesterday evening and an incident this morning put my craving for a holiday on a new level. I was already prepared for yet another mentally nerve-wracking committee meeting (I actually had the will to remain absolutely silent yesterday evening, but it just wasn’t possible…), but this morning it also happened that my work meeting was cancelled (about which I was only informed about when I arrived in the office together with the little one on my coat-tails) and on my way back to our flat we were held hostage by one of our neighbour who felt the urgent need to critize everything that is going on around our house.

“Hello Freddie, how was your committee meeting yesterday?”

“Hello XY, I….”

” You guys didn’t look too happy when you walked around the construction side!”

“I…”

“I saw no happy faces! Well, there is nothing to be happy about anyway, is there?”

“Well…”

“Even your husband is not happy with all the things going on!”

“??”

“I mean, look at the steps they built at the playground! They are far too steep! It’s far too dangerous for little children! Even your husband says so!”

“Well, I think we should wait how everything looks like when it’s finished – it’s hard too imagine it right now”

“But the steps are horrible! You’ll spend all the time watching your kid or driving to the emergency unit. Even your husband thinks they are horrible. But I guess they are not taking them back, are they?”

“No, I am afraid they are not changing the steps anymore”

“Well, that’s too bad. We should have been informed about this!”

“But everyone was informed about it last winter and nobody said anything against the steps. The committee can’t take the steps back now that they are already built. Also, they are not really supposed to be used as steps but more as seats for the soccer field”

“I didn’t know how steep they would be. But the committee  doesn’t listen to us anyway, does it? And what else is gonna change?”

“?”

“How abot that ugly stone garden?”

“Well, there will be more plants…”

“Why are they never finishing anything? Why can’t they just finish the stone garden?”

“They explained to us that it is easier to plant all the vegetation around the buildings at once because it is going to be cheaper if everything is delivered within one day”

“No, you know what? The stone garden doesn’t need too many plants. It would all fit into one car load! It’s an excuse for them to make more money!! All they want is money!”

“(insert a silent prayer for the little one to throw a tantrum)”

“And the path to the garden is far too narrow!. Have I mentioned this? (As a matter of fact she already mentioned it at least three times during the last week) I am not happy with this whole project! I would have done it in a different way! It’s horrible! But noone ever listens to me!”

“I am very sorry, XY, but I really have to go. The little one is getting rather impatient!”

…

(And for your information, my phone call three minutes later: “Darling, what in gods name have you said to XY about the steps on the playground???” – “What? I haven’t said anything about the steps!” – “Well, she is convinced you find them horrible and dangerous!” – “I can’t remember saying anything about them. But she caught me on my way home a few days ago and I might have nodded and said “yes, yes, sure” a few times while she was talking…”)