Monday, June 11, 2012

Life with male housemates is seldom dull

It's been a little over year since I took in two 27-year-old male housemates to help pay the mortgage in the wake of my divorce. Though I appreciate the entertainment value they've brought to my life and my blog, the time is drawing near for us all to move in separate directions.

Fortunately, the housemates are doing their best to offer humor and hijinx in our final months together as a happy, dysfunctional household.

A few weeks ago, I walked out to the garage to grab something from my car. Both housemates were deep in conversation beside the lawnmower, and I felt a flutter of gratitude for their chivalrous intentions.

"You dragged the lawnmower out," I said. "Wow, thanks so much. You're mowing the lawn?"

They stared at me blankly for a moment. Then one of them shook his head. "Nah, we wanted to see if we could hook it to the front of one of the motorcycles and ride around the yard."

The other housemate nodded in agreement. "We're going to film it and put the video on YouTube."

Noticing my expression of terror, the first housemate grinned. "With your permission, of course."

I sighed and retreated back into the house. "Just don't run over any pets. Or each other," I added as an afterthought.

As far as I know, they didn't achieve success with their lawnmower plan. Since I didn't see any bloody limbs in the yard, I assume they didn't achieve failure, either.

Even when they aren't plotting YouTube videos, the housemates are constantly striving to achieve maximum entertainment value from their motorcycles. One of them routinely straps a dog kennel to the back of his bike and takes my dog with him on long hikes. I monitored the operation closely in the beginning, making sure Bindi wasn't uncomfortable or being forced into the kennel against her will.

It didn't take me long to realize the mere sight of the motorcycle sends her into a joyful frenzy of tail waging and excited barking, and she's been known to leap unaided into the kennel before the housemate has finished strapping it in place.

Still, I wasn't prepared for the text I received at work earlier this week from one of the housemates.

Teaching the dog to ride a motorcycle.

I opened the attached image with a sense of dread.


I studied it for a few moments before texting back.

At least teach her to wear a helmet. Oh, and can I post this to Facebook?

So how are you being entertained by the people or pets who reside under the same roof you do? Please share?

I'd better go check YouTube for new videos, just in case.

8 comments :

Anonymous said...

HAHAHA! When your housemates move out can they please move in with me? ;)

Summer Frey said...

Awww. She looks so cute on the bike! Scared, but cute. :)

Jessica Lemmon said...

HA! Oh, lemme tell you, the hi jinks factor is at an all time high over here. Friday night...oh, man, I can't spoil it! But I'll tell you this...something not human visited Friday night. Proof at my blog (www.smilefeelgood.com if you are so inclined...) I absolutely love the tales of your roommates. Will they still show up on occasion? Ya know, like "guest stars?" :)

Chris said...

awwww...

Can't we keep them?

Judy,Judy,Judy. said...

I don't live with him, but when my brother was visiting recently, he and I both caught a bacterial infection from some food we ate.
That was entertaining, sort of. Or was it draining?
I get confused.

~Sia McKye~ said...

LMAO! I have a 28 year old brother and his partners in crime are his two cousins that are months apart, so I couldn't help but laugh. It's amazing what they think about, isn't it? Good news, they've all survived and are about to move on to their next year of adventure. (Out of regard for mama, we haven't told her much of the stuff they done. Her heart couldn't take it.)

LOVE the pic! So did they text back with a pic of Bindi with a helmet?

Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

Tina Moss said...

Adorable. Although, your posts now need to come with a warning. "No housemates or pets were harmed in the making of this post."

Keen Recess Team said...

Hey Tawana! Great Post.

We recently read your post on the Bend Buzz Blog (http://www.visitbend.com/blog/2011/03/02/the-ultimate-dog-date-in-bend-oregon/) about the best dog dates in Bend. We also love this post about your lovely dog.

The KEEN Recess Team is inspired by people like you who are knowledgable about the outdoors and make getting outside a priority, especially with dogs! Our recess page is a place to share your favorite dog walking destinations, perhaps in Bend?: http://recess.keenfootwear.com/walking-the-dog/. We'd love to see some of your walks on our map!

Thank you!
KEEN Recess Team