if you've ever lived in a village like mine where your neighbors are so close they're bound to hear your god-awful version of "i will survive" should you decide to sing it, then you would have probably had the unfortunate experience of discovering things which belong to your neighbor in your backyard.

and being the good neighbor you are, you probably, without thinking, would just toss it right back into their yard without even thinking twice. that's the neighborly thing to do: not to make a big deal out of it and just regularly toss things right back into their yard.

this morning's foray into our backyard revealed something a bit more interesting than the usual pile of basahan .

our neighbor had - somehow - deposited a huge (as in as tall as a three-year-old kid) silver mylar balloon in the shape of the number "8".

i must admit it made me smile and i must admit it made me feel quite happy to see that ginormous balloon in our laundry area.

and you know what? who cares if some kid who had just turned 8 is missing his balloon from yesterday's birthday party. this time, it's finders keepers.