upstairs folk

ah, the wonders of an apartment complex--1 brick structure housing 24 senior citizens (next to 3 identical buildings serving the same purpose). let me get this straight: there is nothing disgraceful or even slightly wrong with my grandmother's abode; indeed it is a large and lovely apartment that is very tastefully decorated. but, it is not for me. yes, there is a keen sense of privacy behind each ribbony hat adorned door, but i still don't like it. i need my space (remember my hatred of 3 different roommates in 1 year?). anyway, footsteps resounding above my head and belonging to people i do not know (nor do i care to know) annoy me. and, as if that weren't bad enough, every time that i walk into the back room (where i sleep here!), i hear a conversation. last evening, this is what i heard echoing through the white plastery ceiling:
woman: "i used your deodorant this morning."
man: "oh?"
woman: "yes, and the damn thing broke!"
there was some laughter and more talking, but i turned on the water to drown it out. (pun intended!) now, i'm as curious and nosy as the next person (prolly more than a lot of next people...), but this is completely too much.
this morning the lovely couple above me was stomping around in preperation for a trip to visit mary-ann. i suppose that this holiday is a big deal after they've been sitting around in their back room yelling for 48 hours. nevertheless, they ventured out at 2 this afternoon. apparently, mary-ann lives 3 hours away (in people-under-60 driving time, i'd estimate 45 minutes), because mr & mrs upstairs are arriving at 5. mary-ann has a daughter who needs to be picked up from dance at 5, so she is leaving the door unlocked for the upstairs people to get in if she's not back yet. when she arives home with this daughter, the upstairs people will award her with a present--i heard the mrs tell the mr not to forget it. i don't know where mr mary-ann will be this evening, but i'll presume that he'll be out squandering their money away. he does this often. (mary-ann is very hard-working and responsible, but her man is no good.) poor guy probably just told mr & mrs upstairs to shush to a bit one night when they were sleeping above him...maybe even for 3 long, exasperating nights. anyway, i don't really know why he is disliked, but i know all of that other stuff because i spent 20 minutes back in the room this morning getting ready and stuff. and, eavesdropping (as if i had a choice in the matter!).
so, i told my grandmother about her neighbors' going-ons, and she thought this was a riot. she wanted to know everything i heard about them. we laughed, and this she said that the woman would be mortified if she knew i could hear her. i think maybe i'll slide a note under their front door. "dear tenants, please avoid sharing deodorant. and, please quit stomping. thank you, a friend of the pope." no, i'm not the pope, but mentioning him makes it sound like it's coming from a higher authority, so they'll listen. and, yes, their last name really is tenant. how insanely ironic is that?!