Neighbors

My brother is out buying a new chain for Neighbor Mike's chainsaw.

It turns out that Neighbor Mike and Neighbor Mike's Girlfriend were in a serious motorcycle accident back in December. Both were hospitalized and Neighbor Mike's Girlfriend was in a coma for ten days with a blood clot on the left side of her brain. We only found out a few days ago. Neighbor Mike hangs out at a different club from my brother otherwise we might have known sooner. His club held a fundraiser for them to help out with some of the bills. (NM'sG doesn't have insurance and she's up over $20K so far.)

We found out because Neighbor Mike came over yesterday to borrow an extension ladder. His company has him on disability leave and won't let him back yet and despite the fact they are paying him they're combined income is now half what it was. So he's taking odd jobs around the neighborhood and another neighbor agreed to pay him for trimming a palm, for which he needed a ladder he didn't have. After my brother gave him the ladder he offered to pay Neighbor Mike to take out a line of bushes between our properties and to cut down an orange tree that has been a disappointment for years.

Today, the two of them are out there clearing the jungle. Unfortunately, in trying to cut as close to the ground as possible they cut into the ground, which will ruin a chain faster than just about anything else. So my brother has gone to get a replacement chain and Neighbor Mike is tackling some relatively easy branches in the meantime.

And Neighbor Mike's Girlfriend is recovering slowly. The doctor's say she will probably not have any permanent damage.