Monday, August 15, 2011

AoA: Plonk Plonk, Thump Thump

Another anecdote of my life with Asperger's syndrome when I didn't know I had it.

After I'd joined the Army, but before I shipped out, I had more than a month before I had to be anywhere.  So I rented a small efficiency apartment which was half the converted upper story of an older woman's house.  The parking was terrible, which ended up being a good thing because I hated backing my car in and out so much that I walked wherever I wanted to go a lot.  I ended up being in a much better condition for basic training.

Anyway, apparently my landlady liked to play piano.  A lot.  Normally I don't mind piano music, but this woman's piano was out of tune.  Not just "normal" out of tune, but that warbly, wavery kind of out of tune you hear on pianos in Wild West movies.  Like there's also a cat stuck in the string bed and it's sitting on a vibratory sander.  Now, I didn't know it was my landlady at the time, I just thought it was another tenant.

So it'd turn 10pm, and I'd start tapping on the floor for her to knock it the hell off.  Only I can't quite tell what direction it's actually coming from so I can really make my point, so I just start rapping on the floor in random spots that I think the direction might be.  She keeps playing, and I keep tapping, because the off-key plonking is getting on my last nerve.  (Aspies are very sensitive to pitch, and quite frequently have perfect pitch)  An hour (!) later, she finally stops.

She served me an eviction notice two days before the month was up.  I was leaving anyways, and I know she knew I was leaving anyways because my shipping out date was coming up, but she obviously felt the need to make *her* point.  It was probably against state renter's protection laws too, but whatever.

The funny part is, I don't remember her name, and probably couldn't find the house again if I wanted to, but I remember that the house was blue.

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