The once dreaded 3 to 5

When I was working in the corporate world, I hated two things. Early morning staff meetings (this is when I started drinking coffee) and the 3 to 5pm time frame. My sister-in-law used to call me and we would laugh about how to survive the 3 to 5pm hours. One trip to the breakroom to buy a diet coke, two trips to the ladies room (walking slowly along the way), one trip to the stock room for post-its or mail, and so on....those alone would waste about 45 minutes.

Now that I'm unemployed, I have a different feeling about 3 to 5pm. Usually, I'm doing some chore around the house or preparing dinner. But yesterday, I found something that reallly made me smile.

So yesterday I was painting the house and was outside from about noon until 8pm. I found myself paying a lot of attention to what was going on in the neighborhood and I can now see how you can go crazy when you retire and have nothing to do but watch the neighborhood.

Side Story:
(Last week, I called one of my neighbors at work to see if he had another neighbors phone number because his garage door was up. He came home and told me my new profession would be the neighborhood watch captain.)

While painting yesterday, I waved at the school bus (not kidding) as it drove by after 3pm, said hello to Keith, our mailman, and greeted the DHL guy on his pick up.

It made me laugh how the neighborhood was silent until about 3:30pm when the mail was delivered and school was let out. With the exception of the occasional passing car, all I heard were birds, dogs and of course, the re-run of One Tree Hill I was watching on Hulu

But then, after 3:30pm, you gradually heard bikes, rollerblades and kids walking home or playing in the front yard. Suddenly, within about 15 minutes, the neighborhood was no longer quiet. Neighboring stay-at-home moms plugged in their extension cords to inflate their giant inflatable halloween decorations, sprinklers were turned on and dogs were walked. It was as if life was on hold while school was in session.

Around 5pm, Dads started coming home from work. Kids ran out to greet them yelling "Daddy" and I even saw a woman with one of those half aprons on, walking out to greet her husband. It was like I was transplanted into the 1950s and it was amazing.

It makes you realize the energy and excitement (and noise) that children generate. Although it doesn't seem as though this is the right time for me to go into teaching due to the economy and the fact that there are no teaching jobs in this city, I can't wait to one day become a part of that world. Until then, you can bet that each day I'm unemployed, I'll step outside sometime after 3 to witness the neighborhood transformation.

Maybe I'll even make a batch of crystal light or sweet tea for old times sake.