Since I first moved out of my parents’ house (college dorming), I’ve generally had a roommate. For the first three years I had different female roommates. I learned in those years that I didn’t like living with other people. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m somewhat (read: very) neurotic. I like things being in my control, and I don’t like having to rely on other people to help pay the bills. With that being said, as soon as I was able to, I found a one bedroom and lived on my own (with the wife of course). Sure it was financially stressful, sometimes I had to borrow money and pay it back a week later. But overall, I was relatively happy. Now I’m not.
This year we decided to move to a new city closer to school and I had a friend who wanted to move in as well. To be honest, I was reluctant because I have a bad history of roommates. But he was a friend, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt (especially since he wanted to get his life back on track). We look for places, decide on a date, sign the lease, and that was that. Or it should have been. Once we signed the lease he told us he would move in the week after because of some personal reason. Then the week turned into a month. Then into two months. Then sometime before Christmas he told me he wasn’t moving in. Sure he’d continue to pay rent until we found another roommate.
So here I am trying to figure out how to find a new roommate. It should theoretically be easy, right? But to protect ourselves we need to find legitimate roommates with good credit history, no criminal records, income, all that fun stuff. One of my new year’s resolutions was to try not to stress too much yet here I am sitting on my ass up to my eyeballs in stress.
Our plan is to probably talk to the leasing office about subletting since we don’t want to get into legal trouble, find out how to do credit and background checks, put up ads online and at school, and do interviews and walk throughs. Well before that I have to get my ex roommate to get his shit out of the room. He brought over some stuff but he needs to get those out of the room so I can take pictures.
This is not something I want to do. I was reluctant to move in with a friend and I don’t like living with strangers. It’s just frustrating because if he’d just been honest at the beginning, I would not have signed a two bedroom thirteen month lease. I would’ve found a one bedroom, I could’ve done a lot of things.
I wasn’t too sure where I was going with this. I was planning on talking about roommates in general, but the more I type the angrier I get. People who know me know that although I talk tough and I say I’m angry, I don’t truly get angry. I vent, I get frustrated, but this is the first time in years when I have been truly furious.
My friends generally wonder why I’m so jaded and distrustful of people and here is one main reason. Time and time again when I trust people to help me, they inevitably let me down. I trust no one but myself to get things done and to make sure that nothing bad happens to me. When people want to do things I’m supportive, I do not judge, but once I come into the equation, and their actions impact me and mine, then things change. I’m a control freak because once I give up control, things go to shit and I have to pick up the pieces.
When I went on hiatus for a while, I did a lot of things – mainly crafts and baking. I practiced a lot, made cakes at every opportunity and I realized, I’m not half bad. I still need to master some techniques but I’m getting a lot better. Not only have I been decorating cakes, but I’ve been attempting new baked goods that are normally out of my comfort zone. I was able to make copy cat cranberry bliss bars and the dreaded macaron. And you know what I realized, dear reader? I’m thinking of posting more and more of my baking adventures here, especially because birthdays are coming up and apparently now I’m the family baker. What do you think, nerds? Should I post more baking here? Do you guys have any recipes you want me to try out? Let me know!
Three months after moving into my new apartment, I’ve finally decided to take my books out of their boxes and put them somewhere in the house. This decision was prompted mainly because I just bought shelves. Yes, my main problem was that I had no book shelves – bad book nerd, I know.
Title: Eleanor & Park
Title: The Silkworm
The Middle Nerd 