And like a good neighbor, MJ is there.

This morning I went next door to investigate The Alien growing in my neighbors yard. These neighbors live in LA and come out to Palm Springs maybe 4 times a year at best. I think they are just about the swellest neighbors a person could have. Nice and never there. We try and keep an eye on the place for them, though there has never been any kind of formal arrangement.

After checking out The Alien. I walked back to the gate and noticed a pool of water by their back door. I couldn't figure out where the water was coming from. No irrigation nearby. No spigot. The swimming pool fill was on the other side of the house... Shrug.

Then I got to thinking, what if there was a leak in the house or something? So I called them (I didn't want to just go in without permission) and left a message about the alien and the wet spot (that sounds dirty.. or like a great name for a band).

Then I got to thinking even more. I know it's the weekend, but what if they are away somewhere? What if there's a really major leak or something? What if it were my house? What would I want my neighbor to do? So I grabbed their keys and went back over.

Oh. My. God.

The place was flooded. I mean FLOODED. 2 inches of standing water everywhere and mold and mildew like I have never seen, all over the walls, all over the furniture. I was wheezing before I even made it through the front door. There's gotta be at least $25K worth of damage. Carpets, walls, all the furniture - ruined. Turns out the supply line to the toilet has sprung a leal - god knows how long ago - and was spraying water all over the place. I shut it off, came back and left them another message with the bad news, then took my digital camera over to document the damage.

Three hours later, they've just arrived. Being the swell folks they are, they thanked me for discovering it and had a positive outlook. "You can get mad and cry or you can look on the bright side. Either way, you're writing checks." he said. "We've been putting it off, but there's no getting around it now. It's time to spruce the place up!"

Which is great, because it really is the most neglected house on the block. A woman knocked on my door last week asking if I knew if the place was a foreclosure or not. She was looking for her first home and thought maybe she could get a deal.

It'll be nice to see the place get some TLC. As long as they don't kill The Alien I'm fine with it!