The Houseguest

As I am pretty sure I have already mentioned, we have a houseguest that will be joining us in house and home. He's a friend of the hubby's from way back, grade school to be exact. I met him not too long after the hubby and I started dating, it's funny because it took him a while to grasp my name. (A more common occurrence then you would think for a four letter name.)

So technically we have known each other for about eight years, and I feel like I know him pretty well but truth is, I kind of don't. About a year or so after we met he ended up moving first to another state, then across several states. It was a big huge dramatic thing between him and his girlfriend/wife and we ended up not seeing or hearing from him for quite some time.

Probably close to two years ago, through the power of MySpace, the hubby and I found him again. It was obvious he belonged here, where he had family and friends, people who cared about him. Trouble just kept finding him and he just kept digging himself deeper into that hole. I guess hitting rock bottom will make you think of home, because a few weeks ago, he said that's exactly where he wanted to be.

He's now in the process of selling most of his worldly possessions (bed, TV, etc) and by tomorrow he should have the money to buy a bus ticket and get his ass up here.

We offered him our couch. He wouldn't be the first. Probably won't be the last. I know I have mentioned the in particularly small nature of my apartment, right? Three people, three cats, four rooms. We need to move.

On the plus side, he will be better then the last couch bum we had because I believe this guy is actually willing to get a job and contribute to the household. The last guy made his money by using his legal status to buy alcohol for the minors down at the skate park, and then keep the change to go buy wasabi peanuts with. On the downside, our new couch bum has legal trouble that I fear will follow him across the states. On the plus side, so did our last couch bum just not quite as bad, we know how to play dumb by now.

For the record, the hubby and I have NEVER been in any legal trouble, knock on wood, cross your fingers, whatever. Our main experience with breaking the law involves a little green plant that we all know and love, and we have thus far remained smart enough to not get in trouble, simply by avoiding some of the more obvious ways to get caught.

It will be interesting to have my hubby's buddy stay with us. Honestly I have only spent a few hours with him at a time, several years ago. I know he's a good guy, I don't have doubts about that. It's the level of consideration that I always look for. Will he take care of his own plate after dinner? Will he fold his blankets in the morning after he wakes up? Will I end up feeling like a visitor in my own home? When will the mothering urge kick in?

We've had roommates before, and really if you can do it, good for you, but me? Never again, ha! (Lovely experiences, heh.) That being said, I would have tenants, can you tell the difference? My home, my rules. It's all about control I guess. I want to be able to put things where I want them, I want to do things the way I want to do them. I don't want to have to rely on a roommate to pay the rent, but I wouldn't mind a tenant to supplement some extra income. I want to have the option to kick them out if it isn't working, without being screwed six ways till Sunday because I can't make the rent. Does that make sense?

It will be another person to help lug the lazy man loads of groceries up our tower of stairs. It will be another person to appreciate the hubby's food and my baking. It will be another person to join us in playing Halo 2. It will be another person who appreciates our stoner lifestyle. It might just mean a built in babysitter for the cats when we take our trip to California. It might just mean a little bit of extra cash which would be oh so helpful. It will also mean three people to one bathroom. Three people to one computer. Three people with no closet space. Three people in my tiny little apartment. (Still not sure where the hell he is going to put his stuff.) Again, I need to move. We're still looking. But then again, it will be another person to help us move. Ooo! And a built in bug killer while the hubby is at work, yay!

Another adventure for the hubby and I. It will probably be fun, I'm sure it will at least be a learning experience if nothing else. I am hoping not to be taken advantage of again, like our last houseguests have. You can tell yourself all you want that this person will be different, but you'll never know until you test drive them, right? If all else fails, I will again try to fall back on the notion of Karma, though it is increasingly hard with the American ideal of instant gratification that I have fallen head over heels for. Or maybe I should just adopt the mentality that a good deed is it's own reward... pfft, nah.