OUR very friendly neighbor.

Our friend (we'll call her Carla (I'm watching Scrubs)) is the sweetest, most caring, talk-your-ear-off, friendliest, neighbor we have here at the Orchards, I'm willing to bet. She is also the most revealing, craziest, nosiest, dog lover here.

I say this because:

1. After living here over two years she told us one day that she no longer wanted to be called Carla, she's from now on going by the name of Natalie (also fake--but totally different from her real name) and thus the shock I'm sure she received from both me and Blair. She said she was doing a psychological test on herself, something about seeing if going by a different name leads to living a different life. (Would you mind calling me Jasmine?!)

2. Her daughter, excuse me, dog is named Katie Elizabeth--that name is real, I didn't make it up; sits on a purple pillow on our steps (why ours?) I have no idea. I think it's because Carla/Natalie loves to be outside taking care of the grounds. Even though we pay dues towards that.

Though whatever she does, our building always looks the best and very festive. Like the other day, we saw her taking down the Christmas lights down from around the tree that is outside her condo which is about 3 down from ours. But when we came back later that night the lights were still on around the tree. We couldn't figure it out because she was messing with the lights when Blair and I got home from work to the time we left. We finally figured it out a couple of days later that she took a couple of strands off of her tree and put them on the tree on our end so that both trees can be lit. Even though it's way past Christmas and time for them to come down. (Christmas lights are so fun! I wish we could have them up year round.)

3. She knows more about every single one of our neighbors. I once learned the names, occupations, family members and any other acquaintances that any of our building's occupants may have. I can't remember the one's I don't see every day but now I know for sure the one's I do. I also learned the kind of creepy guy that I always see out walking his pug, has the same color car Blair has and buys the hanging plants for our building and garland at Christmas. (I wonder if creepy pug walker named his car Arial, like Blair did.)

4. And the naked truth. Literally. Carla/Natalie/Marcie whatever the heck her name is today, wears the most scantily clad clothing an older woman can "get away with". Blair comes home from lunch and BOOM there she is in a swimsuit. A swimsuit! I mean at the time it was probably only like 50 degrees but YOWSER! I guess by the time he managed to get out of his car she had put a trench coat on.

I have also seen bare Bev.....oops Carla. At first I thought she was really really old because she wore giant sun hats. Then later she I saw her and I thought she could pass for early 40's. THEN I saw her legs and I thought WOW...she could pass for a 30 year old, straight up. (Maybe she's actually a ghost and I'm supposed to finish her mission on earth.)