weekly neighbors

It's interesting how living next door to someone for a week can give you a quick snap shot of the family dynamic. During the summer, we have the 'pleasure' of living next door to a beach rental home, and the reality is, it's like pot luck hit or miss or whatever else you want to call it in terms of the families who arrive each week.  It's quite a scene to watch them come and go each Saturday morning usually in a frenzy in both directions with lots of beach gear in tow, often in beverly hillbillies style.  Here's how the summer has shaped up in the neighbor department - we went from the "egyptian family" who arrived directly from Eygpt and they were lovely, but they happened to be here during a massive heat wave and the poor women in the family were on the beach with their full head dresses and long robes in the hot sun.  Another interesting thing about them was that their children went around selling (horrible tasting watered down) lemonade door to door.  Slightly different than how the local kids do it around here.  The following week was the "loud family"... they did not seem to have a volume button, maybe there were all hard of hearing?  After they left, we enjoyed the "singing family" from California - their little girls were singing all day long!!  One seemed to have a knack for the opera style, and they mixed it up with pop songs, often in the outdoor shower, but pretty much all the time.  They even went to kids karaoke one night - and honestly, it was pretty pleasant because they were a happy bunch.  The following week we welcomed the "quiet family" and needless to say we hardly knew they were around.  Not much to report about them because they were QUIET!  ha.  After them came the "mean family" and I don't mean they were mean to any of us, it's just that they were so nasty to each other!   They didn't seem to a normal tone when having a regular conversation.  It was a nasty rude attitude all day long and all night long, starting from the papa on down the line. The funniest part of the whole thing was that when they were leaving and they all pulled away, the dad was the last one left getting his car packed up and I happened to be on the front porch and heard him talking sweet baby talk to HIS DOG!!!!  I could not believe my ears.... "who's daddy's girl?!" he spoke to sweetly and I cannot tell you how hilarious it was after listening to him curse and bark at his family all week long. Whew, not sad to see them go. This past week we have enjoyed the pleasant company of the "Long Island family" and I wish they would not leave.  Nice and normal and sociable and sweet - every last one of them right down to the little boy who is about 2 years old and I want to hug him up so badly.  But sadly, they left yesterday and it is a mystery as to the new arrivals... so far they will be named 'the invisibles' because I know they are there (cars in the driveway), but there has not yet been a sighting!  Hopefully this is a sign of a peaceful week ahead, but either way, I will be working in NYC so I will miss most of their stay..... over n out and wondering what OUR OWN family dynamic would be called by an objective viewer......?