TMI: Too. Much. Information.

I have a very chatty neighbour. I’ve been here 9 months and I’ve only discovered this valuable piece of information recently. My neighbour George (or Georgie) is an elderly man who, for the longest time, looked like he never talked to anyone. I would see him on his porch wrapped up in a blanket and couldn’t even get a wave from him. I didn’t mind, though, because I’m not a chatty person myself.

A few weeks ago I set out to clean the yard and saw Georgie on the other side of the fence doing the same. He was standing there staring at me and I made the mistake of say Hi, How are you? Really. Bad. Idea. His first answer was: “they might have to amputate my toe”. Having never talked to the man, I had no idea what he was going on about. He went on to tell me he had been off work since last August because they had to amputate his small toe. He has diabetes and therefore poor circulation. Now, they might have to amputate another toe. Then the once-sided conversation went on and on for an hour! I stood there nodding my head, praying for it to be over with soon. Among other things he told me:
- He works at the hospital cleaning floors but is currently on disability
- He wants to retire but needs to know if he could still make $1400 a month once retired.
- His insurance will cost him $350 once he retires
- He has an appointment at the optometrist on Thursday, a doctor’s appointment Monday morning, an appointment at the bank on Friday.
- He walked to the store that morning to buy six 2 litre bottles of diet Pepsi. He has diet Pepsi with every meal. He has to have diet because he’s diabetic.
- He’s had surgeries in the past.
- He’s circumcised
- He doesn’t drive and his wife’s mother drives him and his wife everywhere
- My patio was built about 8 years ago.
- My kitchen is really cold
- The fence on the other side of my property is mine
- The neighbourhood cat is called blackout

And on and on it went! I tried to leave several times saying, well, I better get back to work, but the talking just kept on going. I finally managed to break myself away. I figured it was because he was tired of standing.

Georgie has become a serious liability! I have to scan outside before heading out for fear I might get caught in another uncomfortable conversation. I’ve been caught twice since the initial meeting and just can’t afford another run-in with him! Gah! I have yard work to do!