This is why we [couldn’t] have nice things.



pigs 1, originally uploaded by mariacaridad.

Sean and I are so over filthy, deadbeat roommates. We’re doing the post-filthy, deadbeat roommate cleanup this weekend. Pro-tip: do not live with filthy deadbeats! Even if they are (ostensibly) your friend, and they’re suddenly desperate for a place to stay. You will hate your life. Definitely don’t do it three or four times in a row, either. Fuck, don’t live with friends, period. You let them slip once, because they’re a little short on rent and they’re your friend, after all… you’ll never see a single cent on time again.

Actually, don’t live with anyone. Hell is other people. So true. Sartre knew what he was talking about.

We’ve rented a steam cleaner to prevent weeds being able to grow in our carpet due to the layer of topsoil that has accumulated. (I still don’t understand the whole American shoes on in the house thing. Is this attitude somehow perpetuated by Stanley Steemer?)

Last night I washed, dried, and then bleached the walls in the empty room — and they’re still grimy as hell. Looking forward to paying to have this place repainted when we move out.

Just a while ago, I started (but could not finish without a sand-blaster) washing the sink full of dirty dishes that was lovingly left for us, all with food baked on and burnt on. Hadn’t even been soaked. Awesome!

(Side-note: I grew up with three siblings, and these days I don’t have many possessions. Both of those factors make me very aware of the things I do own. In doing the count putting those dishes away today, the missing items are as follows: two plates, a bunch of spoons, the lid to a sugar bowl, four shot glasses, quite a bit of Tupperware, and exactly eight forks — including every single dessert fork I had).

I’m about to go clean out the fridge, because it’s full of crumb-filled, squished-up margarine wrappers (ew, can’t believe I even let that filth in my apartment in the first place), “mystery” items, and coffee grounds. I hate everything about coffee. Especially the smell. Especially the taste. Especially cleaning up the coffee grounds from every inch of the kitchen, and the coffee ring and splatter stains on the counter (with bleach — the counter is white). But I won’t have to do it every single day anymore. So one last time only makes me mildly livid.

All this BS (plus cleaning the bathroom, floors, and well… everything else, all the time, because nobody else was ever going to do it), and we still haven’t gotten October’s rent. Definitely worth the hassle… I’m so happy we won’t have to deal with this anymore! And I’m so happy that now that I’ve got a job, I’ll be able to spend some money on buying nice things to put in our apartment without having to worry about them being ruined. Hells yes to no longer living in an apartment that looks like a dorm room!

14 thoughts on “This is why we [couldn’t] have nice things.

  1. Maybe I’ve just become too Swedish, but I also don’t get the shoes-in-the-house thing. Over here, everybody takes off their shoes indoors and nobody has full-coverage carpets. Nobody.

    While in Ireland (and wherever you are) people have both indoor carpets AND a need to keep on the shoes. Shouldn’t you have either one or the other? Or maybe the shoes are to protect you from all the crap in the carpets? Probably…

  2. Maybe I’ve just become too Swedish, but I also don’t get the shoes-in-the-house thing. Over here, everybody takes off their shoes indoors and nobody has full-coverage carpets. Nobody.

    While in Ireland (and wherever you are) people have both indoor carpets AND a need to keep on the shoes. Shouldn’t you have either one or the other? Or maybe the shoes are to protect you from all the crap in the carpets? Probably…

  3. Well, yes. Pre-steaming, I’d begun wearing slippers in the house to prevent the soles of my feet from turning black. But not shoes. Never shoes!

  4. Well, yes. Pre-steaming, I’d begun wearing slippers in the house to prevent the soles of my feet from turning black. But not shoes. Never shoes!

  5. Yeah, I take off my shoes, but it’s not a requirement for guests. My main concern is just that you never know what the hell you stepped into while you were out and about. and you wouldn’t want to start tracking that all over the house. Better save yourself some work cleaning it up by keeping it contained to the area around the entrance.

  6. Yeah, I take off my shoes, but it’s not a requirement for guests. My main concern is just that you never know what the hell you stepped into while you were out and about. and you wouldn’t want to start tracking that all over the house. Better save yourself some work cleaning it up by keeping it contained to the area around the entrance.

  7. Carpets are really just a bad idea. Well wall to wall carpeting. Rugs are fine, but full carpeting is just a cheap way for apartments to live and bad style for homes. Roommates: even worse idea though I’ve heard good things about communal homes or something? Where upwards of 20 people live in a big area but it survives by everyone sticking to some set or rotating list of chores. I guess the pre-defined work per person helps.

  8. Carpets are really just a bad idea. Well wall to wall carpeting. Rugs are fine, but full carpeting is just a cheap way for apartments to live and bad style for homes. Roommates: even worse idea though I’ve heard good things about communal homes or something? Where upwards of 20 people live in a big area but it survives by everyone sticking to some set or rotating list of chores. I guess the pre-defined work per person helps.

  9. I have a few rugs. No carpets though.
    Even if I did, the carpets wouldn’t match the curtains anyway. even my curtains don’t all match.

    (It’s been too long without any innuendo).

  10. I have a few rugs. No carpets though.
    Even if I did, the carpets wouldn’t match the curtains anyway. even my curtains don’t all match.

    (It’s been too long without any innuendo).

  11. Personally, I’m all about hardwood floors. This reply applies to both of the last two comments, but not in the same way.

    This reminds me that I need to mop today. Poop.

  12. Personally, I’m all about hardwood floors. This reply applies to both of the last two comments, but not in the same way.

    This reminds me that I need to mop today. Poop.

  13. See?
    Enough to make us wonder, not enough to be sure which interpretation you intended ;)

    And for the record, my hair isn’t died.

  14. See?
    Enough to make us wonder, not enough to be sure which interpretation you intended ;)

    And for the record, my hair isn’t died.

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