Temporary Roomie
So I invited Victor to live with me for a little while.
For reasons I won't go into here, he had to leave the house he's lived in for like fifteen years and none of his family was equipped/willing to let him move in, so when he asked whether he could stay with me for a while and try to make a new life down in Florida, I couldn't say no. He knows very well that the last thing I want is a roommate, so he's willing to give me breaks by going to a hotel and stuff, but he needed a home base. On the one hand I'm of course really excited and sort of honored to be the person he'll trust to help him start something that could be really good, but on the other hand I do value my solitude and space, and no matter how understanding he is about the fact that I keep shutting myself in my room, it's not the same as living alone, and it's more difficult to deal with if I don't know when he'll have his own place.
But anyway, so far it's been pretty good. He's been here for a week and I don't have any real complaints (except things that aren't his fault, you know, because I'm all yargy over having my home to myself). He washes dishes and is a considerate houseguest. And he is looking for a job every day--putting in applications at local businesses, cruising Craigslist, and posting his resume places. He's pretty much willing to do the kinds of jobs most people aren't willing to do, like overnight/third shift and whatnot. He already calculated that he doesn't need anything more than a minimum wage job to make ends meet. Nothing yet, but I'm really looking forward to all those milestones: "Hey, I got an interview!" "Hey, I got a job!" "Hey, I found the place I want to move into!" And helping him move into his new place and then just getting to have one of my oldest friends living near me--close enough to hang out when we want.
I've already introduced him to my friends here and there when he's visited, and most of them seem to dig him. He's a big nerd so I've been connecting him to some people who might want to play D&D with him, and a friend of mine even said he could use V's help at the Renaissance Faire when it comes in February (but I really hope he has a job before then--if he doesn't have permanent employment, that cash will help and all but it won't solve the problem of him being able to move out).
I've gathered info, collected newspapers, found Craigslist postings for him, and given him some startup gifts and places to put his stuff--we set up those connecting block shelves for his clothes in one of my rooms (though I didn't have room to give him a closet), and I gave him a drawer in my bathroom, and he has a shelf in my outdoor storage for his other stuff. I've been helping with his applications and giving advice and just trying to offer moral support (because jeez, I know this isn't easy). I'm not always a good companion since I sometimes shut myself in my room for half the day without warning, but I'm trying to make sure he doesn't feel crappy about having to stay with me. (He keeps kiddingly calling himself a hobo.) If he was "visiting" I would be devoting more effort to hanging out with him more consistently and cooking together and stuff (so far we have only made mashed potatoes once and peanut butter cookies once, and other than that we've been on our own for meals or sharing an ordered pizza or something). But since he's in town to stay if all goes well, I'm not treating it like a "visit."
I really want this to work out. :)
For reasons I won't go into here, he had to leave the house he's lived in for like fifteen years and none of his family was equipped/willing to let him move in, so when he asked whether he could stay with me for a while and try to make a new life down in Florida, I couldn't say no. He knows very well that the last thing I want is a roommate, so he's willing to give me breaks by going to a hotel and stuff, but he needed a home base. On the one hand I'm of course really excited and sort of honored to be the person he'll trust to help him start something that could be really good, but on the other hand I do value my solitude and space, and no matter how understanding he is about the fact that I keep shutting myself in my room, it's not the same as living alone, and it's more difficult to deal with if I don't know when he'll have his own place.
But anyway, so far it's been pretty good. He's been here for a week and I don't have any real complaints (except things that aren't his fault, you know, because I'm all yargy over having my home to myself). He washes dishes and is a considerate houseguest. And he is looking for a job every day--putting in applications at local businesses, cruising Craigslist, and posting his resume places. He's pretty much willing to do the kinds of jobs most people aren't willing to do, like overnight/third shift and whatnot. He already calculated that he doesn't need anything more than a minimum wage job to make ends meet. Nothing yet, but I'm really looking forward to all those milestones: "Hey, I got an interview!" "Hey, I got a job!" "Hey, I found the place I want to move into!" And helping him move into his new place and then just getting to have one of my oldest friends living near me--close enough to hang out when we want.
I've already introduced him to my friends here and there when he's visited, and most of them seem to dig him. He's a big nerd so I've been connecting him to some people who might want to play D&D with him, and a friend of mine even said he could use V's help at the Renaissance Faire when it comes in February (but I really hope he has a job before then--if he doesn't have permanent employment, that cash will help and all but it won't solve the problem of him being able to move out).
I've gathered info, collected newspapers, found Craigslist postings for him, and given him some startup gifts and places to put his stuff--we set up those connecting block shelves for his clothes in one of my rooms (though I didn't have room to give him a closet), and I gave him a drawer in my bathroom, and he has a shelf in my outdoor storage for his other stuff. I've been helping with his applications and giving advice and just trying to offer moral support (because jeez, I know this isn't easy). I'm not always a good companion since I sometimes shut myself in my room for half the day without warning, but I'm trying to make sure he doesn't feel crappy about having to stay with me. (He keeps kiddingly calling himself a hobo.) If he was "visiting" I would be devoting more effort to hanging out with him more consistently and cooking together and stuff (so far we have only made mashed potatoes once and peanut butter cookies once, and other than that we've been on our own for meals or sharing an ordered pizza or something). But since he's in town to stay if all goes well, I'm not treating it like a "visit."
I really want this to work out. :)