Is this where I advertise that we are currently running a flop house?
Posted by Isabel on January 3rd, 2007. Filed under: They're just my friends.I’m sure you all heard about all the Seattle residents who were without power a few weeks ago. Or maybe you didn’t hear about it. (Was that big news anywhere else? Because it was here.)
It really wasn’t big news to The King and I either. Um yeah, that’s because we live in downtown and downtown was never without power. Life went on for us. While The King’s family and our friends from church were freezing to death in their dark houses, we were snuggled into our warm bed after taking a nice, hot shower.
Everything thought the power was going to come back on. I mean, it couldn’t stay out that long. Haaaaa. After about 3 days we got a call from The King’s friend Shawn*. He was just “checking in” and “seeing how you guys are doing”. After talking to The King for a few minutes on the phone, we realized that Shawn was desperate for some heat. Shawn all but invited himself over to stay the night. Surely the electricty would be on in a day. He would only need to sleep on our couch for one night.
So five nights later, Shawn was still sleeping on our couch.
Talk about cramping our style. The King and I were desperate to keep Babboo in check. We didn’t want him waking Shawn up in the middle of the night. Shawn works later then we do, so we tried so hard to be quiet in the mornings. We didn’t turn any lights on. We didn’t speak to each other. We begged and pleaded with our 8 month old to not make a peep.
I’m not really sure why we were so worried about making things nice for Shawn. Maybe because he’s a single guy and we didn’t want to ruin him for a future spouse. We didn’t want to be the reason he didn’t ever want kids. Or a wife for that matter.
Every morning Shawn would wake up (after we left for work), make his “bed”, take a hot shower and then throw his towel in the hamper. Which means every night I left out a fresh new towel for him.
Now I don’t know about how things work at your house, but at my house we don’t get a new towel every day. Sometimes not even every week. You see, we don’t own a lot of towels, and we don’t have our own washer and dryer. It’s laziness, really. But Shawn, he was getting a fresh towel every day! And it got on my nerves. Dude, just hang your towel up to dry and use it tomorrow. Don’t be afraid.
Eventually Shawn’s power came back on. He packed up his gear and went home. Praise the Lord. We had our apartment back. Babboo could make all the noise he wanted. The King could stay up late, sitting on the couch and watching crap TV. I didn’t have to wash towels every other day. It was a dream come true and we were happy.
So what do I do to ruin it? I let another friend crash at our place last night. But this friend is a girl. And she’s a Mom, so she didn’t mind hearing Babboo make noises. In fact, I think she liked it, since she was missing her own kids.
But we still had to be quiet this morning to let her sleep in. And we left her there alone this morning, so I don’t know how many towels she’s going to use.
Here’s hoping she only uses one towel today. And here’s hoping she won’t need to crash at our place any time soon.
*Not his real name.
(His real name is Sean. See how clever I am?!)
(Don’t forget to check out the other blog I write at. I mean, what’s the point of trying new things if I can’t share it with you?)
January 3rd, 2007 at 5:49 pm
You are a saint! I would have been majorly pissed. I don’t think anyone expects a fresh towel every day, unless they are staying in a hotel… and even then, I know I re-use the towels for at least 2 or 3 days. It’s not like they’re too dirty to use, and what a waste of water! And detergent! Look out, here comes my crazy hippie recycling lady side. But seriously, it’s a waste of your time, too. Esp. if you don’t have a washer in the apt!
Here’s to hoping your new guest is easier on you.
January 3rd, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Well, despite the annoying towel usage, it was very kind of you to let him crash there. Being without power sucks! I feel so bad for everyone over on your side of the US with all the snow and ice and whatnot. It’s sunny and 50 here today, which is way too weird since it’s January and Michigan.
January 3rd, 2007 at 6:30 pm
I love u Isabel. U are so like me in so many un-obvious ways. I think there was a mistake made when u wee born to a family in America and me to a family in Sri Lanka. How can we fix this now? We obviously can’t but how I’m so glad u and I have met in this vast internet world and then briefly in real life. *sigh* aww that’s so special.
Ya know even the good samaritan paid someone else to look after his “friend”. He didn’t have to wash towels, be quiet or lend his own couch.
Hmm don’t quote me on that at church.
January 3rd, 2007 at 7:15 pm
A new towel every day! OMG! I’ll use a towel four or five times before I’ll throw it in the hamper, and that’s only because Luke puts a new one out for me. He thinks it’s weird to use a towel more than twice. But he does the laundry, so I don’t complain.
January 3rd, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Your too funny with the name thing! the towel thing would drive me crazy too! You guys are so nice and brave for letting someone sleep on your counch in a 1 bedroom! I heard about the power outage here.. I have a friend that was without and 7 months pg! Ugh!
January 3rd, 2007 at 8:21 pm
I’m sure as a bachelor he doesn’t wash towels enough to have a clean one everyday. He was just being polite so as not to throw the towel on the floor like he would at his own place. (I don’t think he knows there’s a towel bar. Many bachelors don’t.)
January 3rd, 2007 at 8:48 pm
You are so kind. I’d have pulled out that dirty towel and refolded it so he *thought* it was a new one. But then, I am very lazy.
January 3rd, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Oh man, I’ve been on both ends of that couch, haha. I prefer being the host as long as my guest appreciates it, which all of mine have.
I always use two towels when I shower, but I have no problem using them a few times. You’re clean! Just drying off what you just washed.
And something completely irrelevant, I hate the spelling “Sean”. It drives me insane! My boyfriend is named Shaun, and that’s the way it should be spelled! That or Shawn. What is this “Sean”?
January 3rd, 2007 at 10:25 pm
women, especially mothers, know what it takes to make those towels clean. I doubt she will expect a new one every day.
you and the king are very generous people! but you knew that
January 3rd, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Your good deeds will be rewarded with many blessings. Shawn* probably doesn’t use a new towel at his place everyday, but being in a different place and not knowing “the rules” he goofed. You’re a good woman for leaving him a new towel. I wouldn’t have left him any towels… period.
January 3rd, 2007 at 10:28 pm
ps I really did live in a campaign flop house once and it was DOWNRIGHT FILTHY.
January 3rd, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Ohhh. You changed the banner of your website. Me like. Also, the new blog is tres cool as well. Yipee!
And love the shortpants!
January 4th, 2007 at 12:46 am
Good deed done for 2007.
Carry on.
January 4th, 2007 at 1:05 am
You are clearly too nice! I don’t let anybody sleep here unless they are willing to change diapers and babysit for free.
January 4th, 2007 at 1:30 am
Quite saintly. We are letting a friend stay with us a couple of nights a week for a few months, but we have a guest room and a lot more space and no crying infants, so it’s a lot easier and we don’t really mind. And it’s also kind of nice to be able to have someone to team up with me to overrule Nick’s TV-viewing preferences!
January 4th, 2007 at 1:33 am
We don’t wash our towels everyday. They air dry. Yep. =/
Remind me to come bunk at your place next time I’m in the States. It’ll be JUST like a hotel, but with cute babies. Love!
January 4th, 2007 at 2:04 am
Yeah the towel thing definitely sounds annoying. WTF. Sometimes I go 2 weeks without washing my towel!
Love the new banner!
January 4th, 2007 at 3:36 am
Oh wow, NO one gets a fresh towel every day at our house. NO ONE! That’s nuts.
January 6th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
I’m sure you don’t want to hear this but…
When I was in high school, I had a friend who used a new towel each time she showered. When I asked her about it, she said it was because she had paracites. The girl was very sick at the time. I think it was a short-term thing.
January 7th, 2007 at 12:55 am
Bah. That is SHOCKING. Coming from a country where we have a sever shortage of water that makes me want to weep.
I would have belted him over the head with a wet one if I were you.