HOA = HELL

I received an email from the President of my Homeowner's Association Friday morning. Apparently she was walking down the sidewalk and slipped in some mud that had run off from my yard. Keep in mind - on Thursday we had a HUGE storm and tress/fences were uprooted and down all over the place. See her message below:

Stephanie, I was walking the community today and almost slipped on the dirt/mud that has washed onto the sidewalk from your yard during the recent rains. For the safety of our walkers and to protect your liability, we would appreciate you removing the dirt and mud as soon as possible.

If you need the name of a couple of good and reasonable landscape companies to get quotes on fixing the problem and preventing it from happening in the future, we can certainly provide references for you.

Thanks so much for your immediate attention to this issue for the safety of our community.

Warmest regards, D

Denise S. XXXXX

Manager, Sinequanon Group
President, Rockcreek Place Homeowners Association
Secretary, Plano Symphony Orchestra Guild

Now I go out running in the neighborhood at least twice a week. If I see something on the sidewalk that might present a hazard (water from the sprinklers, gravel, or any other kind of debris, I AVOID THAT SECTION OF SIDEWALK. Since there is little to no traffic on the street, it is less dangerous to step out onto the road and run past the aforementioned danger zone than to continue running into something that I KNOW might cause me to slip or fall. I have to wonder about this HOA President:

1) Why is she out walking around critiquing people's yards/connecting sidewalks right after a major storm? Does she think that none of us noticed the damage/debris on our property?
2) Why is it important that we know that she is not only the HOA President, but also the Manager of the Sinequanon Group (WTF is that?) AND the Secretary for the Plano Symphony Orchestra Guild? This just seems like overkill on a personal email account. I think I should add a signature line on my MSN email that says I am the President of the Addicted to Deadwood - Plano Chapter group, as well as the Secretary for the Hal Sparks fan club. I mean, it IS important that people know these things, right?

and finally......
3) Why the hell did she walk through the mud?? Maybe she was deep in thought, organizing symphony activities and all of a sudden she realized "Whoops, I am walking through some mud". And instead of scolding herself for being lame enough to walk in the mud, she decided to take her anger over her ruined Keds out on me.

I hate the suburbs.