Totally off topic but I think the humour of the title says it all. I recently moved into a new living situation after many years of either living alone or with family who were so used to my comings and goings they rarely noticed. All very different now I am living with flatmates most of the time, adjusting to a situation where people live in the same space while maintaining their individual lives. I’ve been so lucky to have found a place in an established, modern flat with good flatmates. In fact, I love it!
A few months ago when contemplating my move I remembered my teen years, and a more recent experience of living in an old villa, drafty and cold in wintertime with flatmates who “borrowed” my jackets and shoes, threw parties most Saturday nights and invited friends around every Sunday afternoon so that by Sunday evening, when I was getting ready for the week ahead at work, I had to wade through the rubbish left on the lounge floor by guests and finding a clean cup or plate was impossible until someone did the mountain of dishes that were piled up in the kitchen sink. It seemed I was the only one who couldn’t face seeing them still sitting there on Monday morning. Don’t get me started on the state of the bathroom!
Wow, this time it’s so different! If a flat can be judged by the state of the bathroom mine gets 100%, let down only by the smell wafting from the bag of dirty socks waiting to be washed.
Working morning shift I get up very early and try to be quiet. I’m very aware of others so I creep around not putting on the TV or music. I was even going to work early and eating breakfast there so I didn’t make any banging noises in the kitchen but as wet and cooler weather have set in I’ve been having breakfast before I leave; eating cold cereal so I don’t make a noise using the microwave.
I’m now laughing – I’ve done it all wrong! I’ve been waking a flatmate by my actions. If I’d made regular getting-up noises they might not have been noticed but by being quiet I’ve actually been noisy! My flatmate decided to tell me about it last night choosing just the moment I was going to bed. Coming out of the bathroom in my pj’s I felt incredibly vulnerable and more so as I’d been out for the evening at a family party so although I wasn’t drunk, I wasn’t fully sober either.
I have unknowingly been waking this flatmate by turning the bathroom tap on and off several times as I wash and dress early mornings. The action of turning the tap causes the pipes to creak and groan. My flatmate told me vehemently how affected he was by the pipe noise and demanded to know what I do in the bathroom each morning. I’m sure he really didn’t want a descriptive account of “putting on makeup” but he got it anyway.
It’s time he learnt “there are two theories to arguing with a woman.. and neither one works!”
I feel so bad about waking him though and I wish he’d told me weeks ago rather than waiting until his patience was extinguished and then, with his usual lack of tact, just like a bomb, exploding! As tired as I was I couldn’t sleep, longing for a hug as I felt so bad but with no family near and my pillow could not suffice. The solution may be as simple as having a bottle of water to pour over my hands between makeup applications but now, for his outburst, I am planning my revenge, what will it be?