Tuesday 18 August 2009

A New Era

He stood, legs askance, posture erect and expression one of lordly satisfaction. The domain was his now and he was master of all he surveyed, from the ceremonial line for clothes drying in the conservatory to the washer of the dishes in the kitchen, from the wall of DVDs in the living room to the (much lower now it doesn't have 30 comic boxes underneath it) regal bed in the bedroom. Yes, the flat was his and he planned to enjoy it (on the days of the week when he wasn't round at his girlfriend's anyway).

Yes, prior to their impending nuptials, Bro and Mrs Bro have struck out for a place of their own because no one wants to be the married couple that lives with the brother/brother-in-law (fear not, while they may no longer be flatmates, they are now neighbours, having moved about five roads away).

So, what difference does this make to flat life?

1. You Made That Mess, You Tidy It Up. One plus point is that the flat will always be found in the state in which I left it upon my return. On the down side, however, the flat will be in the state in which I left it upon my return. Cuts both ways that one, really. I have to admit, it has unleashed my inner OCD slightly - the remote controls are back to being lined up in height order before retiring for the night. What? It's nature's way (tallest to smallest).

2. Unlocked. You get ingrained into certain habits via repeated use. But when you're the only person who lives in the house, you really don't need to lock the bathroom door anymore.

3. Born Free. Societal conventions naturally dictate that a reasonably modest selection of outer garments should be adorned when in the company of others. However, if you live on you own, there's no reason not to let the meat and two veg swing free. Come on, you know if you lived on your own, you'd wander about in the nip far more often. Mind you, the postman could be in for a surprise (and a healthy dose of envy) at some point...

6 comments:

Irish Gumbo said...

I found myself nodding in agreement at this...having recently found myself in a similar position. Although I don't line up my remotes...

...I line up my notebooks.

That Baldy Fella said...

Ah, my notebooks are scattered to various places around the house, much like a squirrel saving them for winter.

(On a completely unrelated note, I've just realised that I'm a week shy of a year since I started blogging here with a post called "A New Beginning". I like random synchronicity.)

MJenks said...

Yep. The nine months I lived alone were some of the most wonderful, undergarment-free days of my life.

Jessi said...

Leaving the bathroom door open, walking around the apartment in the buff... ahhh, that's the life!

Pearl said...

I enjoy having the place to myself.

As I keep telling my husband, how can I miss you if you won't go away?

:-)

Pearl

That Baldy Fella said...

mjenks - Yep, 'tis a glorious thing to be freed from the tyranny of the underpants.

Jess - You have to be careful with the cooking naked, though - bacon's a no-no...

Pearl - I've got a Groucho Marx line in my head now - "How happy I could be with either of these women if only they'd both go away"