The Neighbor Delimma

I have a neighbor, her name is (let's say) Kim whom I've lived next to her for about four years. She has about 10 years on me making her in her upper 40s. Single -- never been married. She's a full time Mary Kay rep and a part time whatever helps her pay the bills. She's nice enough and I used to invite her out for happy hours until my female friends started telling me she was a little too pushy with the MK selling, calling them for weeks even after they told her no.

As you all know, before I went to Florida for the winter, I was sleeping in my truck, in late November, in Colorado. Kim, I knew, lived alone and at one point said she had an extra room if I needed a place to crash for a couple of days. This was when I was arguing with my roommate a lot. When I was sleeping in my truck in the cold, even though I came by her house for some cookies she'd baked and called me to come pick up, she never offered to let me sleep there, even after I brought my situation up. It was pretty much: well, try to stay warm tonight, here's some cookies.

Since I returned to Colorado from Florida she has called me a handful of times and every single time it's been when she needed help. Simple things like, (1) I can't reach the light fixture to change the bulb, can you help; (2) this furniture is heavy and I can't move it, can you help; (3) my TV/Cable box stopped working, can you fix it; and (4) my internet doesn't work, can you take a look?

I've fixed her cable connection (she unplugged the box from the TV and re-connected the cables to the DVD player instead). I changed her lights and moved her furniture about. I spent a hour over there a couple of weeks ago resetting up her router, new ID, new passwords, new settings, etc.

Yesterday she calls me, asks how I'm doing and tells me her internet isn't working again. Okay. I ask her if she's unplugged the power from her router, let it sit for a minute and plugged it back in to the box. She said yes and that her available wifi list shows three of her router's name. I ask if she's refreshed the list. She says she has, multiple times. Okay. I tell her I don't have time to do any more with her then and she let's me know she'll call tomorrow, now today.

She calls earlier and I send the call to VM. She calls right back and I send the call to VM. I go to the gym, return and grab a bite to eat. Since the weather is nice I decide to come outside with the dogs and edit some photos on the front porch. 

Charlie (my roommate's dog) barks. The next thing I know, Kim comes from her house, over to where I am and starts talking to me. How are you? I'm fine. What are you up to? I'm editing pictures. Cool. My internet is still broken.

I knew it! She didn't come over to socialize, to bring me cookies, snickerdoodles or even a beer. She came over to complain about her internet. Did you unplug and replug in the router? Yes. And...? And nothing, there's no internet.

So I search for available wifi connections from my computer. I can usually see her router when I do. Nothing. Okay, so it's definitely her router and I tell her. No, it has to be my computer, she informs me.

If I can't see it available on my computer, then it has nothing to do with hers, it's her router, I say again. Does your (much younger) roommate know anything about router connections? She's not here.

Can you come take a look at it, she asks. I'm in the middle of something, so no, not right now. Fine, and she walks off in a huff.

I don't mind helping people out, I really don't, but I can't tell you how many times I'm helped her with her car, her house, her electronics, etc. and aside from a "thanks," she's never helped me out especially when I needed it the most. Instead I get asked to do more, more often.