May 04, 2004
Morning Amenities
I'm not terribly fond of living with other people. It's taxing to constantly be around people I don't completely trust, and the sharing of spaces always seemed like it would bother me. I had roommates, once, for a few months, and the constant social interaction and sharing of spaces did, in fact, bother me.
Even then, though, I never really had to share a bathroom. I had my own sink, and the girl I shared the actual bathroom with was never home. Sharing a kitchen was one of the more unpleasant things about the arrangement (though not nearly as bad as hearing two people I found repulsive, on so many levels, having sex), but I was working two jobs most of the time, and didn't cook a lot at home anyways. Come to think of it, working two jobs kept me away from home a lot, so maybe the whole experience wasn't all that bad, after all. (And how can you beat $195 a month, with utilities included?)
With the stress and workload (ha!) that accompanies the approaching end of term, and the hassle of driving back and forth between Brattleboro and Marlboro all the time, I've ended up staying in Jen's room during most of the week. I've taken over a strip of her carpet with Plan books, clothes, and a miniature kitchen (with the addition of a saucepan, I'd pretty much be set); our contacts cases sit next to each other, as do our towels (both blue, incidentally), and sometimes the cuteness around here makes me cry.
More importantly, and less happily, taking showers (and really just using the bathroom at all) here makes me cry. Admittedly, the fact that Marlboro's dorms have running water, and the possibility for heated water, is quite impressive, even to me. I mean, the classrooms are converted barns, and the library is like a parking garage with nice furniture. Somehow, though, I expected something different: hot water for the duration of the shower; pressure great enough to push water up five long to the shower head; people to notice that they've left huge muddy footprints all over the floor-- I don't know; I was obviously expecting too much.
Showers in Jen's dorm in the morning suck, for sure. Fruit from the dining hall really isn't a whole lot better. Waking up to a note from someone who loves you, though, is worth it... and so much more.
Posted by Sean at May 4, 2004 01:05 AM