Picture Perfect Day with the Neighborhood Jerk

Yesterday afternoon was one of those perfect afternoons that you hope Heaven is like.

Maybe it was because it was an off running day. Maybe it was because I did my jump rope routine and some stretches first thing in the morning so the day was mine. Maybe it was Oriana perfectly tracing the big A's and little a's on her "worksheep".

The sun was shining. The birds were chirping. The wind was blowing. Ahhhh :)

I got to try out the new grill. It is the first time we've ever had a grill (thanks mom and dad!) and I was a little bit nervous. I watched Rescue 911 religiously as a kid and can remember a family getting severely burnt while the dad was trying to ignite the gas. Anyhoo...

My dinner was FANTASTIC if I do say so myself. I had a pot of leftover turkey noodle soup that needed to be eaten up so I decided to make some yummy, healthy grilled chicken breast sandwiches.

I put some of my favorite seasoning on them, Montreal Chicken seasoning from McCormick's, some of the raspberry chipotle sauce my dad left here (sorry dad!), and some spicy pepper jack cheese. I grilled up some red peppers and onions and to make it absolutely perfect, I threw the 15 grain bread on the grill to toast it a bit. Viola, my masterpiece :)

After dinner Daddy and Ori went outside to fly a kite and blow some bubbles and I got to relax with Jocie indoors.

As we all began to settle on the couch for some good ol' Wheel of Fortune I see it...

The Neighborhood Jerk walking his boxer down the road unleashed.

Why must people be so stupid?

There is another guy in our neighborhood who walks four small dogs daily - two on a leash, two not. Why?!?!? For the love of Pete, why only two dogs on a leash?

I was running one day when the guy with the small dogs actually asked me to slow down because his dog was chasing me and he couldn't keep up. I couldn't respond nicely of course. He told me that his dogs were harmless and the worst thing they would do was sniff and lick me. I told him I had as much of a right not the be sniffed and licked as I did not to be bitten.

Back to The Neighborhood Jerk ...

On Valentine's Day Octavio and I were packing the kids in the van (two weeks old and three and a half at the time) and the boxer was standing at the end of the driveway staring us down. I have seen the guy many times before but never felt comfortable talking to him. We got in the van and started driving down the road. I stopped and very nicely told the Neighborhood Jerk that I would feel much safer if he would put the dog on a leash. The conversation went something like this...

The NJ: Let me ask you this? Do you feel challenged by my dog?

Me: It really doesn't matter. There is a leash law and you must follow it.

The NJ: He's not a pit bull. He's a boxer.

Me: *wide eyed* Like that makes it better. The law is the law.

Seriously, does this guy not watch the news? It was clear to me that his response that day has been rehearsed and probably stated many times. I am sure I am not the first person to ask him to put his dog on a leash. He was so cocky about it almost as if he was walking the dog without a leash just to find someone to confront him about it.

So last night I see him walking. Again, the dog is standing at the end of the driveway.
I run and grab my camera to make a video clip.

What you can't hear in the video (because my own dumb dog is barking like crazy) is The Neighborhood Jerk saying "I've been walking my dog back here for a long time. Nothing's ever happened."

I have contacted my councilman on this matter and feel like maybe I am destined to meet my favorite TV spitfire, a one Judge Judith Sheindlin. I have watched enough of both her and Judge Milian to know that neither of them likes idiots who don't take safety seriously when it comes to animals.

The dog may be good natured and have a sweet personality. Most days I am good natured and sweet. But when I am not, watch the heck out! I shouldn't have to worry about whether or not this dog is having a bad day.

My next course of action will be to send a certified letter along with a copy of the leash law to his residence (once I figure out where he lives). I will inform him that should this irresponsible, unsafe behavior continue I will have no choice but to sue him for harassment.

Judge Judy, here I come!

I worked the heck out of my resistance bands last night while watching The Biggest Loser. I think somewhere in my mind I was pretending I was showing the NJ how to use a leash :)

Challenge:

Work out those calves!

Find a step. Stand out it with your heels hanging off the edge. Slowly go up on your tip toes and come back down. Do 20!

If you can't find a step, do it on the floor and don't let your heels touch the ground.