HOAs. Bloody freaking HOAs. Once upon a time, when everything was cheap, the climate wasn't boiling away our water supply, and our weekends weren't disturbed by asshole bosses, maintaining a lawn was relatively easy and rewarding. Now it's become such an entrenched part of suburban life that we've created suicide pacts to make sure our neighbors keep their yards looking 'normal,' and of course they're making sure ours is as well.