Anyone else behave this way?
Do you mean the phenomenon of hoarding and living in squalor?
I wouldn’t say I’m a slob…I would just prefer that I have at least a day or 2 notice before a visitors arrival or better yet, I go to your house, better idea even, let’s Skype!
“Slob” is very subjective. Some people might define it as one thing out of place, and others may consider visible floor space to not be a slob.
I think that someone who actually needs a day or two notice before accepting a visitor is a slob by their own definition.
Or simply set a higher standard for entertaining than everyday life.
Then there’s the people (such as my cousin Dee) who do not accept visitors period, after a few instances of relatives setting foot in their house (which in one case was still owned by the relative) after a few years of not being there and asking for a dustcloth…
I may be renting Grandma’s flat and from cousin Dee’s point of view one of the advantages is that, once I’ve fixed it, her mother and brother (which I might be OK with) and her friends from out of town (dear cousin, kiss my ass) “will be able to stay there, of course”. No, she’s not very good at logic; about as good as at dusting.
Pretty much, yeah.
I didn’t know we were talking about having a party or something like that. The OP said “You Never Invite Anyone Else Into Your House”. I was picturing a friend or relative stopping by unexpectedly, and having whatever interaction ensues be confined to the porch.
I invite people - but they come ONLY by invitation. I’m a slob, but I can get the place presentable in an hour at its worst.
I live in a moderately small 1 bedroom apartment. I still have a lot of stuff from my “owning a 3 bedroom house” days, however, I’m down to 3 chairs in my living room, one of which is my computer chair. I also have a cat and a lot of house plants. In short, my current apartment is suitable for me to hang out in, and I’d feel comfortable with one friend coming over to hang out, but it isn’t suitable for more than that.
Someday I will have a house again, and then I will have ‘Rooms For the Entertainment of Others’.
I get very nervous when I have guests over, especially when they’re female, and very especially when it’s unexpected. I have two cats and a roommate, none of which are particularly good at cleaning up after themselves. I’m not perfect, but I do live in a “bachelor pad.”
My mother ingrained in me that no one is to enter our abode unless it is pristine. Having books and papers strewn on your desk is not acceptable. Therefore, I’d prefer at least a few hours, if possible, to clean prior to a guests’ arrival. I appreciate your cooperation.
I’m messy… Not a real slob, but my place is cluttered.
The killer is…I don’t have a sofa or comfy chair where a guest can sit. My place is just too small (and, yeah, cluttered with other crap. Books, mostly.)
I just need five minutes to tidy up the bathroom. (Wipe the toilet and clean the toothpaste off the mirror.)
Yep. And with a three-year-old, it’s simply not possible for me to get the house into ready-for-company condition in any less than, say, three hours. If guests will be coming upstairs, make it five. But the real problem is that while I’m cleaning, the kid is messing. Not to mention the fact that he requires my attention occasionally over a five-hour span. So, yeah… we don’t have folks over very often.
Fair enough. From that perspective, yeah, I wouldn’t need advance notice. I’ve come to accept that I’m neater and more formal at home than most, by modern standards - people that do drop by unannounced often ask if I’m expecting someone (the place is tidy) or about to go out (the Fred MacMurray thing).
Yeah, no kidding. I was ready to respond that I infrequently have guests because my place is a mess, but then words like “hoarding” and “squalor” were thrown around that caused me to hesitate just a little. It’s true that someone should probably put my shoes in the closet and my dresser drawers are totally the ones that don’t close because the clothes I’ve been sifting through all week are now messily unfolded and spilling over the edges, but my toilet is clean, and for the love of god, I would never live in anything close to this.
But yeah, while that’s pretty extreme, I do often avoid inviting guests over because I can’t be bothered to clean up. Very, very occasionally someone will want to swing by because they’re in the area or will be dropping me off and will ask to come up to pee. I always warn them that my place is a mess, and they always brush it off with “Piffle. Most people’s places look like this.” It’s very possible they’re just being nice so that I’ll share my booze with them.
I was thinking this morning of starting a thread asking if anyone else has a messy room. My brain tells me that “clean your room” is a chore for kids, that my room should stay more or less clean without much effort.
My bedroom isn’t particularly messier than the rest of my house. It’s not hoarded, or a health hazard, just cluttered. I understand that I have too much stuff for the size that our apartment is, but I can pretty much always think of something better to do than sort stuff.
I don’t entertain often. The messiness isn’t the only factor in that, but it’s the biggest one.
I will say that while growing up we spent a great deal of time at both my paternal and maternal aunts/uncle’s houses. My paternal aunts, without exception, were sloppy. My maternal aunts were pristine housekeepers.
I love all my family, but if I had to choose which place I’d like to visit, most days I’d choose my father’s side. Their beds were never made, their carpets were never vacuumed, and their kitchen floor was always sticky. But, oh gawd, we had so much fun. What they lacked in housekeeping skills, they made up with cheerful personalities and generous hearts. My mother was appalled at their housekeeping, but as kids we didn’t think twice about it.
It’s funny because thinking over all my family and friends, the people who I know who have immaculate homes almost always have rigid personalities to match. I hope that I’m able to strike a nice balance between the two extremes because I’d much prefer that people feel welcome to put their feet on my coffee table than worry about spilling my wine on my carpet.