Guns, Machismo and Auld Lang Syne

**This is a repeat from a few years ago, but the neighbors still reside two doors down. Fortunately, we have yet to get a repeat of their first year's New Year celebrations. May we stay so peaceful.

Picture it - nearly midnight, all safe and cuddled in our bed watching the clock and poised for a super New Year's kiss. Closer our faces near, feeling each other's breath in the dark, lips almost touching, then...

In the pasture behind our house, a semi-automatic pistol disturbs the sleep of small field animals and our special moment. Shots ring out in succession, one, two, three, four, five, six. A pause, then repeated assaults of the peace of the night.

Kman is furious. He shoves his feet into his house mocs and heads out to the patio. I follow, asking him to be careful and convinced Superman never deflected bullets with Fruit of the Loom sweatpants. The hillside behind our house is illuminated in a small amount of waning moonlight, and we see three adult (a misnomer there, huh!)men slinking through the tall grass back to a house on our street two doors down. Hopefully, they are not so drunk they are senseless to using a safety on guns while clambering over fences.

Kman watches them climb back over the fence. These are new neighbors from south of the border and their shennanigans are not an especially good way to impress us. Loudly, I ask Kman to "CALL THE COPS" so they can hear. Maybe it worked, though I am not sure how much English ellos comprenden; at least I didn't hear anymore Shootout at the OK Corral crap after that.

Maybe it is customary in Mexico to shoot guns off willy nilly, but this ain't Nuevo Laredo, vecinos.

Doesn't exactly make me wanna bring homebaked cookies over to them now. An anonymous note explaining Texas urban etiquette might be more in order, with promises of a little visit from the local Mayberry boys if they don't straighten up and fly right!