Trashcan Blues

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised. A roommate of mine had trashcan issues. Apparently he was adverse to trash bags. He had no problem emptying the trash when it was full, but once he took the old bag out, he wouldn't put a new liner in the can, even when I started keeping the bags directly over the trashcan. Then, he would just start pitching trash right into the trashcan sans the bag. Here is nasty little secret, once a trashcan is used without a liner, especially the kitchen trashcan, it will never be the same. No amount of hosing it out that will ever returning it to it's original condition. I know that bags occasionally leak, but that is nothing compared to all out freaky nastiness of a trashcan that's had an apple rooting in the corner of it. No amount of teasing him about it or, later, all out nagging him about it would make him change his way. Eventually I forbid him from taking out the trash, weirdly that didn't work. So, I bought a new trashcan and got the jump on him by taking out the trash whenever it was more than 2/3 full.

Do Not Give Up The Couch

I once had a roommate who decided he liked the couch better than his own bed. It started only once or twice a week and I turned a blind eye. I figured what's the harm if he occationaly falls asleep on the couch. Then it became a little more frequent. He moved his pillow and blanket permenently to the end of the couch and would only sleep in his room if I beat him home and had friends with me, and only then if we showed no signs of breaking things up anytime soon. I didn't entertain often so he would go for weeks, sometimes months without sleeping in his room. And worse, as couch cusions don't get laundered as often or as well as sheets, the couch developed a funk that took over the livingroom. It was his couch, but I was paying half the rent, he was not entitled to take over the livingroom. I tried to stay friendly but whenever I brought it up he would just state that it was far more comfortable than he bed and change the subject. If I had a long hard day and got in late, I couldn't veg out in front of the TV or play video games. If I wanted to bring friends over, I had to make sure it was before he became firmly entrenched on the couch. If I got up before him, which was the norm, I was pretty much limited to the kitchen or my bedroom. Eventually it became an uncomfortable topic between us. Don't let your roommate take over the livingroom. If it becomes a regular thing, put your foot down. There are times to compromise and times to stand your ground. This is a time to stand your ground. If they wont give up the couch, don't avoid the livingroom and don't bother being quiet. By the time we parted company, he had turned his bedroom into a closet.