Possible New Roommate, Possible Senility

So I woke around noon and watched a little TV, I think, and wandered on to Facebook finding a rich vein of photos (memes too) that I shared on some of my pages and saved for future sharing. That passed time until I showered and headed to the new potential roommate and we talked for a couple of hours. Yes, we found things to talk about and he's someone I could live with and the place is clean. There are definite personal comfort challenges for me though.

On the challenging side, the bedroom is small and right off the front door so it will be very cramped and not as private as I'd like. Actually, not private at all unless I am trapped in a tiny room with the door closed. Unless... I set up a desk and chair and recliner and TV in the living room. We'll get to that, there may be some compromises to adjust to some of the challenges.

Continuing with the challenges first though, the bathroom is across the living room and down a hall right outside the kids bedrooms. And very small as well. He tells me it will be my private bathroom, but still, a very awkward spot a foot from the kids bedrooms. Yes, two kids. You know I hate clothing and I'll need to be dressed going in and out which will be very inconvenience and definitely very bad if I have an emergency bathroom run, which does happen. Did I mention he has two kids in those two bedrooms, one being an eight year old girl, and I now have a need for several robes. Way too much clothing and nowhere to put it in the bathroom will require some installation of hooks and shelving I think. I may need to go outside to get to the garage, again, too much clothing, and did I mention that the living room is right off the front door so anyone entering or leaving the house will pass by my bedroom door and through that living room... door always closed in tiny room and no bathroom privacy.

Ok for a bedroom only, maybe, but not for a living-in bedroom with desk and so on.

I'll need a lot of air freshener for the bathroom too.

The good news is he is willing to share the space well, even said we can split the house into two living spaces, though with the kids bedrooms on my side of the house, that isn't actually feasible. If he does give me the front living room, will the kids be comfortable walking through my space to the kitchen and their bathroom which will be in his room on the other side of the house? Hopefully we will work through the awkwardness of that, but that may mean adopting a new family and do I really want that? Part of me says yes and part of me says no. People and family have been grave disappointments to me in this life and left me a relative pauper. Complications. He makes a good income, so it should not cost me more than rent.

He doesn't have any social life, having been married and raising kids after finishing school and then moving from Alabama to this area a few years ago because his job relocated him. Then he and his wife split which brings us to why he is looking for a renter/roommate. He is leasing the house, which is why he should be sharing and not playing landlord giving me just a room, so that part of his offer makes sense. The lease is up in six months and he spoke about how renewing or moving somewhere else will depend on how well we get along. I got the sense that he wanted a roommate and maybe even some friendship, emotional support, and possibly someone else around for the kids. My instinct could be wrong on that though. We shall see.

Anyway, there's lots of garage space and he said he was ok with my storing my stuff there. So if the bedroom is just be for sleeping and dressing and storing clothes and I somehow make the small bathroom a comfortable space and the writing and relaxing and TV watching activities happen mostly in the living room, the question will be is that too awkward for the kids and anyone coming into or leaving the house or going to the kitchen which is directly through the front living room. It's a single story house. Looking for positives.

Small room, small inconvenient bathroom, and clothing, alas.

Still, staying positive... clean. Safer neighborhood, I think. More space. Adequate kitchen space (though unimpressive appliances). I could get a deep freezer. Parking in the driveway. Garage space so I can stop paying for storage (save $140 a month). Apparently compatible and accommodating roommate. And he's willing to bring the rent down to $650. I might have pushed him to $600, but I didn't. Did I mention that the $650 includes all utilities, cable, and internet? Big selling point, no doubt. So I could be paying less than I am paying now and have a whole lot more - that alone should make it a no brainer, even if it's temporary.

So I'll take it if he offers it for $650 and figure out the compromises.

We talked so long I was running late for the dinner party. Add to that, the tire was almost flat when I got outside. I went looking for air and I stopped at 2 different 7-11s on the way to the party and they didn't have air. Finally found one that did and they charged $1.50 for 5 minutes and the tire would not fill. I went to the party with the tire really low and that's when I realized I was having a senior moment or something like that. Hey, apparently the excitement of possible finding a new space to live must have distracted me or something.

I stopped for drinks, forgetting supermarkets were closed so I looked for a store along the way because I was running late and it's not good for the drinks to be late. $32 at Walgreens later, I drove to the dinner party with the tire seriously low and the gate code didn't work. Calling the hostess didn't work. No answer, but then, someone drove up and I followed them in. The condo was dark. Oh no, did I have the wrong night? Checking my texts, I figured out the dinner party is tomorrow and today I was supposed to be at another friend's place at 2PM for another dinner. I texted and apologized and felt really stupid. Maybe I am senile.

No immediate response. I'd have headed over there f he responded and said come over. I texted several people, nobody responded. The potential new roommate texted asking for Jackson's number cuz I told him she was my reference if he or his wife wanted to talk to her. They are separated, but I can understand them both wanting reassurance about a strange man living with their eight year old daughter in really close awkward proximity at times. Jackson didn't respond for a while so I drove around slightly moping looking for food.

Nothing but fast food was open. At least Wawa had free air and a pump that worked.

Anyway, after realizing I wouldn't have dinner or anybody around tonight, I stopped moping, accepted my usual state of aloneness, and saw Target was open so I stopped for foods. They didn't have the ice cream I wanted so I went to see if Walmart was open and is was. When I got back here, Eb was eating something out of a bowl in his underwear three feet from the 60 inch TV and the kitchen was it's usual mess, but I cleaned enough to heat up frozen foods in the microwave and oven and had a feast. A decadent, irresponsible, delicious feast. Two different pizzas (Digiorgio think crust pepperoni and a thin crush mushroom alfredo), eggplant Parmesan and all three with a lot of with extra cheeses (five cheese bland and mozzarella provolone bland), cashew milk chocolate truffle ice cream, chocolate milk with extra chocolate syrup. A ridiculous amount of calories for the day before a big dinner party.

Getting back here, the potential new place seems better than ever in spite of the lack of privacy and clothing. Yuck, clothing. Compromise. Save money. Buy a house. Win the lottery. Rob a bank. Dance with the devil in the pale moonlight. Find true love. Share the dream.

Is life changing?

Hope the tire isn't flat in the morning.

Was this better?

Narf :)