Gemotions

The clatter of hammers and the shouts of the construction crew were a constant annoyance. I found myself snapping at the dog, a habit I’d tried to break for years. The sound seemed to invade everything, even the silence of my own thoughts.

This whole fence situation, brought on by that… that *newcomer* across the way, was simply infuriating. His manicured lawn, his perfectly symmetrical rose bushes… the man was practically begging for a contest of wills.

I poured myself a stiff drink, the ice clinking loudly in the glass. The audacity of it all. I imagined the perfect rebuttal, the precise words to convey my utter… well, my utter *disapproval*.