The Bentley and Me

Some of you might remember that last summer I purchased a model home that was going into retirement. Right, the house with the red walls. You remembered! (No worries, I took care of those). But the cycling out of those houses meant that the developer in my neighborhood was moving onto a new series of models. Kind of like when that fifty-year-old man leaves his wife for the twenty five year old cocktail waitress. With me? Great.

(I digress.)

In a genius stroke of luck for me, the NEW model homes have sprouted up directly across the street.

(Celebratory back flip!)

You might be thinking, why is that good news, you weirdo?  I don’t understand you. I’m not even sure why I’m reading this blog. Also, are there snacks for me to eat while I do read it? Specifically, are there Cheetos and where would I find them?

(But you digress)

You see, I’m a people watcher. Always have been. When selecting a seat in a restaurant, I’m aggressively eyeing the chair that will provide me with the best view of the room. I don’t mean to be nosy; I just want to see what you’re up to. Starbucks is a great place for such activities. Sit for an hour and you can watch up to five separate job interviews, an online couple meeting for the first time, and a bride going over details with her wedding planner. And if it’s really busy, (drumroll, please) a bible study group! Seriously. The barista banter alone is worth the price of that grande iced coffee. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Give it a shot (or you know, a triple one).

Thinking back, I don’t know how I got this way, to such people watching extremes. Perhaps it’s the actress in me that finds people utterly intriguing to study. Or maybe the storyteller within that wants some modicum of character inspiration to propel me in my writing endeavors. Either way, I wanna watch the world play out around me.

Here’s the skinny on my upcoming study. The house directly across the street from me is called “The Bentley” and it looks super nice.  They’ve even planted these really tall, skinny Christmas tree looking shrubs in the front to attract extra buyer attention. The landscapers (who wave at me daily) also threw in some palm trees. Hmmm. (Yeah, I live in Texas. I don’t get it either, but I’m running with.) You should know that  I’m extra friendly to The Bentley. As in, I say “Hello, Bentley” when I come or go from my house. So far, it’s a great start to our relationship, but, you know, it’s still early.

As you can imagine, the fact that individuals, couples, and families alike will visit The Bentley fairly often (especially on weekends) makes my front porch and the cute little chairs and table out there exponentially more attractive to me. I’ve logged a little bit of time out there since moving in, but nothing like what I have coming up now that The Bentley is open for business.

I kinda just like saying The Bentley. There. I just said it again.

I’m already making plans for the summer. Binoculars would probably be too overt. I’m thinking a newspaper with eyeholes cut out so I can just regard the world across the street is probably the sleeker approach.

I’ll keep you updated.

And while I’d love to stay and write more on this topic, I have people to watch.