UN. BE. LIEVABLE...

After a long dry spell, something has happened that is so utterly ridiculous and outrageous that I cannot keep quiet about it.

Unfortunately I can't get the link to work so just use Google and you can read more about Chick Edwards.

Mr. Edwards is a residential developer in Kennewick, Washington who also happens to be the only member of his neighborhood's homeowners association. Seems ole' Chick, when he sells his properties, makes the homeowners sign covenants stating they will landscape within a certain amount of time. That's pretty standard.

We've signed that kind of covenant, but on the first one we never planted one tiny little sapling in five years and nobody came after us.

That's because we hadn't bought our property from Chick, who had threatened to sue a property owner for not landscaping in the prescribed time. What was this "clown" doing that prevented him from landscaping his lot?

Um....FIGHTING A WAR IN KUWAIT!! After he moved in, his reserve unit was called up and he had to leave. His pregnant wife and young son moved to another state to be with family. The nerve of these people!

Well, that's not good enough for Mr. Edwards. He doesn't give a (beep) where the guy is, he darn well better put in some grass and plant some marigolds. And he's really mad that this "clown" gets to be off doing whatever he wants and the lawn isn't being landscaped.

SOMEBODY PLANT SOME BUSHES!!!

Because, evidently, this young soldier and his pregnant wife, are just so selfish worrying about his personal safety, the birth of a baby and raising their young son that they can't be bothered with urgent matters like laying sod and planting some marigolds.

Thankfully some very kind co-workers, friends and community volunteers stepped in and picked up the slack. They landscaped the lawn for this young couple who seem to have their priorities all wrong. The volunteers followed the soldier's request and put a big flag pole in the yard - a flag pole big enough that Chick Edwards can see it from his house. Something tells me that Chick won't like that flagpole. Something tells me we all know where Chick can put that flag pole.

I have used a search engine and found Mr. Edwards' address. THAAAAAT'S RIIIIGHT! I'm writing him a letter to say "Shame on you..." and other profound things. There are a few things I'd like to ask him.

Um...Mr. Edwards? Chick? Where's the anger coming from, buddy? Don't you think you might be going a little over the top with the landscape thing? Is there something else that's got you riled up and you are taking it out on this young man and his pregnant wife who are just trying to raise their family while at the same time making an extreme sacrifice for our country? Really, we want to know. Because reasonable people like me really can't understand your completely ridiculous reaction over a lack of rosebushes in a yard that is no longer yours. Where does this insecurity come from? Is it your name? Are you insecure because you are named after a small fuzzy barnyard baby that shows up in Easter baskets? Are you unhappy because your name is a slang term for girl?

Whatever it is that is driving you over the edge with this landscape thing, you might want to resolve it because I think you are running yourself out of business. Seriously, who do you think wants to do business with a man who is so narrow minded that he cannot find his way to cut some slack to a young man who has been deployed to serve in Kuwait? And didn't your attorney tell you that you are not allowed to bring a law suit against a person serving in a combat zone? Perhaps you'd like to hop on over to Kuwait and speak to this nice young man in person? I think there are some of us who would be willing to buy your ticket - one way of course.

And this Homeowners Association? You're the only member. Does that mean you're the president? How exciting it must have been when you were elected by you.

Oh, and Mr. Edwards? I think you made a serious mistake in calling this service man a clown. A clown? Really, he's a clown that is off doing whatever he wants? If you don't have a platoon of veterans swarming down on your property right now it is only because they have better judgment and restraint than you do.

You, sir, are the clown. And I think you've just stuck one of your big ole' floppy clown feet in your mouth.

Perhaps it's time you remove it and apologize.