As I listen to Johnny Cash sing the post title, I think of my roommates. We're literal strangers sharing the same space, a space I don't enjoy sharing. My flatmates are not that bad. They fair better than the one that rarely slept at home unless her boyfriend was also sleeping there. He had the audacity to leave the toilet seat up during his late night urinating. Jerk! I knew living with her would be a disaster when I saw our bathroom plastered in faux leopard print. I almost burst in to tears. There was also the roommate that didn't know how to clean and didn't seem to understand that dishes went in the dishwasher. She watched television non-stop on the first t.v. I ever purchased. One of my current roommates doesn't take out the trash, leaves crumbs on the counter, rarely unloads the dishwasher and has yet to clean the kitchen or vacuum but she's nice so I forgive her. My biggest problem is the air conditioner fights. I don't know who is doing it but there is a constant battle over the temperature. We don't talk about it but it's constantly changing. I finally managed to figure out how to set the program so I changed everything for good (unless one of them already knows how it works or decides to read the instructions). I even set it so it wouldn't start getting really cool until after midnight to avoid sneaky fingers making it warmer. Back me up people, who wants to sleep in a house that is 26 C (80 F)? They let it hover around that temperature all day. It's already 29-35 (85-95) degrees outside. I managed to get it much cooler in my house and was so excited for my first non-hot and non-sweaty sleep since summer began. About 5 a.m. I awoke, burning up, confused because it should have been at least 22 C (72 F) which is still fairly warm. I walked to the thermostat only to discover it had been turned off. Blast! Is their blood so thin that they don't feel the heat under their blankets? We're not 80 year old Floridians or Arizonians. Who likes that much heat? I'm losing the battle. I'm not sure how much talking will change the problem, as people have different hot and cold preferences This whole marriage and compromise idea becomes less and less appealing.
The difficulty I have is not wanting to spend the bulk of my paycheck on living, thus the need for roommates. However, my sharing threshold is reaching its maximum. The current solution is to move in with a friend that shares my same air conditioning ideals. Saldy this is several months down the road when summer is cooling off. I'm curious as to the biggest frustration others experience with inhabiting a house with someone else. Perhaps my problem is only minute in the scheme of things. I do envy those that live alone.
11 comments:
If the air conditioning is central it sounds like it's time for duct fights. Close the vents in her room and enjoy. Other then that you are stuck. Room mates are a hassle. I think I only found peace with it when I decided to expect nothing from them. Kind of fatalistic I know but it works. If the kitchen ever got cleaned by them I was so excited. The only time I had to talk to someone after I adopted that was when it was just impossible for me to keep up with his dishes. He cooked for every meal.
all my roommates were friends of mine first. my problem was living with a friend really strained the relationship. i think i have ruined a few this way. i am not good at living with other women.
Just be glad you have AC. It's has been over 100 for the past 3 days and we don't have any because this is the Pacific NW, why would you need AC? Maybe I should go see the Al Gore film; it would explain 103 in Portland in June and also have AC for a few glorious hours.
Good luck with the roommate. I'm about to move and live on my own again and although my roommate is great, I'm still excited.
Try this:
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/06/14/howto_make_an_air_co.html
$25 seems well worth it for a good nights sleep.
Living alone rules. Been doing it off and on for the past six years or so. I doubt I'll ever go back to roommates.
Oh, and I have no AC here. Never have. Living in a tropical climate taught me that all you need is wind. Buy yourself a cheapie rotating fan, aim it at your sleeping body and sleep like a princess, right through the night. Problem solved.
This reminds me of being in Arkansas and Tennessee. I'm one of those "conserver" people and would turn the AC down (not off) while we we out, so it would heat up a bit. But then you come home, flip that switch back to normal and you're flying at a nice 70. I almost got punched one time because of it. Although, I didn't take it personally because that kid used to fondle his hunting knife and tell me his favorite person on earth was Jason (from Halloween).
I second the fan idea. But it sucks always being the problem solver. I only have one roommate and she's marrying me. We don't ever argue about AC because we're in Alaska.
Good luck. The thing I've found about roommates is that when they're good they're very, very good and vice versa.
I had the opposite problem at BYU. Lived at this house with girls who wanted to save money on utilities, so the thermostat was turned down to like 55 F (? C) all winter. I slept in sweats and a toque, and would lose sleep because I couldn't get my poor little ice cube feet to warm up. After several nights of getting up to run on the spot to warm myself, I decided enough was enough and it was worth going into any type of debt to be comfortable in my own house. I cranked the heat and not one room mate complained...
I am looking forward to the day when I have just one roommate. Even that would be bliss compared to my current housing with three other people. For the most part they are great roommates.
What I want to know is how everyone always mentions how their roommates don't do the dishes (mine have started to, but they still leave dishes in the sink to pile up, even though the dishwasher is sitting EMPTY). Somebody is living a clueless life then and doesn't realize they are, in fact, the person who doesn't do the dishes.
My biggest frustration with a roommate is that she takes things without comment from the common area when she decides she needs something in her bedroom (like a reading chair, candles, a fan, etc). Wouldn't be a problem, except these things are all mine. I periodically go into her room just to see if anything else is in there.
Living alone...it has its perks - the mess is yours and you can sing or dance in your living room to the chagrin of only your neighbors. This week I'm going from a year of living solo to a Three's Company situation, although the guy is unlikely to get into Jack Tripper-esque scrapes. But hopefully his presence will balance out the estrogen-fest that usually permeates those all-girl living situations.
I agree with RR, though - when they're bad they're horrid. I had a psycho roommate a few years ago that would crank the furnace at night in 30 C heat, so I feel your pain. There are few things worse than waking up hot and sweaty. Sick.
it's so nice not to feel alone in the roommate frustration.
seriously, mcollie, what is it about dishes? i think that's the easiest thing to stay on top of in communal living.
marta and dainon, you are my inspiration (although marta is now going to the dark side).
hear, hear, i second dainon! i kicked out my last roomy five years ago and have never regreted it. now its pure bliss as i sit with a window AC unit blasting in my face, listening to my music, at my desk, in my office/ studio/ spare bedroom. yeah, i like my space. which leads me to contemplate aisy's concerns on marriage...sharing space with someone again will be an adjustment for sure.
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