Hmmm. I am not sure where to go with this. In passing, we could note that this is nearly illiterate. I guess they were going for "respite," but mangled it so badly that spellcheck changed it to "rests pit"? Not sure. Then there's the "mouse like quietness," which has a kind of poetic quality. The missing hyphen defamiliarizes the hackneyed "quiet as a mouse" image, and confuses the grammar, causing the reader to wander through the sentence. The effect is almost wonderful in its strangeness. Not to say that the overall effect isn't dumb as a bag of hair.
But mostly, I'm wondering what the heck this is doing on the door that leads from their garage to their house. Their kids are four and three, so it isn't like a Mommy-and-Daddy-are-napping-so-play-quietly note. And these people have no friends, so it isn't like folks are dropping in unannounced. They're reclusive. And since it's not on the front door, it's not like a No Soliciting sign. So who is the Whom It May Concern? I first thought, is this for my Laura? But probably not, because 1) she NEVER knocks on their door--the little girls run out of their house and pile on her when she appears outside our house, and 2) she is seven, and I don't think that the crazy neighbors would think she could decipher this. So what in the sweet heck?
I've been feeling a blog post about these people and their children bubbling up from inside me for a while, and it will follow in the next few days. I am taking part in the November NaBloPoMo, 30 Posts in 30 Days, so I don't need to lay it on you all at once.
I would appreciate any wild-ass theories you may have, or snarky remarks you care to share. And yes, I saw this note, felt a thrill of delight, walked across the street to my house, went inside to get my camera, went BACK into their garage, and surreptitiously photographed it. So who is the weird one?
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12 comments:
Ok, well that is just weird on so many levels. For one thing, I didn't know having a rests pit meant you got to let your tiny kids just go play outside completely on their own. Gotta start doing THAT more!
I doubt the note has anything to do with you, as we all know that you are the IDEAL neighbor. Maybe they're stressed by the election?
Personally I'm wondering what the heck a Rejuvenation Club is? Maybe you have to belong to one to get it.
Or be a tiny mouse.
I got nothin'.
Dude, that is just weird! I can see why you blogged about it, I would have too.
I love the idea of a rest pit though. Like a pit full of pillows and softness and sleep. Ahhhhh.
I'm thinking it's a translation of an ancient haiku, translated by someone whose first language is not English. Maybe they got it at a meditation retreat (they do that in Atlanta, right? or does that only happen in Santa Cruz?) and one of their kooky friends gave it to them as a funny souvenir.
I need to have a time of rests pit...I really do. I'd like to meet your neighbors so they can tell me exactly what that is and how they plan to accomplish this mouse like quietness with children. I think I love them because they may be stranger than my neighbors and I didn't think that was possible!!
I'm doing NoBloPoMo too...good luck!!
Ok, mayyybe the note was for one of the inhabitants of the dwelling place. Like, the wife was trying to be funny and put it there for her husband to see when he got home from work one day. That might explain the weird Rejuvenation Club signature (inside joke?). And, maybe the strange, illiterate wording is another inside joke?
This is a stretch, but it's all I got.
Rests pit?? Good for you for thinking of the camera!! I'd love to hear the follow up, if you ever find out.
LOL... what i wouldn't give to have surreptitiously photographed *you* surreptitiously photographing that!
Kudos to you for even interpreting that. I think everyone should have an insane letter hanging on their entry door. I have to get started on mine right away.
I also think it's totally awesome and ballsy that you got photo evidence. You are like the Jane Goodall of Suburbia.
The Jane Goodall of suburbia! I like that, Sara. Maybe time to rename this blog! And I did wonder what I would say if the guy opened the door and saw me photographing his sign. I was going to go with the truth, I guess. "I thought this was funny." I am certainly going to ask the inhabitants about it when I get the chance.
And Kate, I do now think that it must have been some kind of joke between the husband and wife. Which makes me feel TOTALLY like a creep, because now I've invaded their privacy and posted it on the tubes. Oh well.
Wow. I don't even know that that means. But you need to submit it to passiveagressivenotes.com, for sure.
"rests pit"
That is just awesome.
And Sara wins a gold star for identifying you as the Jane Goodall of Suburbia. Wonder if that blog name is taken....must check.
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