The money isn’t the only issue - it was more the distinct lack of consideration. If he had some good-will he might perhaps be compelled to contribute towards the cost of something shared, but apparently not, and I didn’t want to do what my mother suggested which was outright ‘order’ him to pay half on what we share.
But then there’s the other things that really piss me off about his bathroom etiquette. Leaving his shavings in the sink. The only person that can tell him off for that is my father. Leaving the radio plugged in and switched on at the powerpoint. Making a total gobby waste of the toothpaste tube, and being too lazy to squeeze it to the top. The hours he spends in the bathroom doing I don’t know what, and I don’t want to know what. Never changing his toothbrush: it gets to a stage where it looks like an open pine cone (that can’t be an effective tooth cleaner, can it?) but he just waits till my mother noticeds and changes it. Sheesh.
I could go on about just what else she ends up doing but I fear I’d start covering political systems that don’t even exist or giving a great summation of the whole feudal thing…
So yeah, apparently, the bathroom is now in a ‘user pays’ zone. Which would mean technically my mentally stable office-worker sibling gets off scot-free. Don’t worry, I don’t waste all my social security payments on crap to go in the bathroom, or the makeup drawers. Two months ago, I did fork out three grand for my own viola da gamba (if you don’t know what that is, click here though mine is smaller). Yep, I’ve been known to be sensible, promise I won’t make a habit of it…
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Your brother needs to grow-up and leave home…as you point out he is the ‘mentally stable’ one (although reaching the bog paper when standing up confounds me - and I grew up with two brothers and now live with 3 of the male species, it’s not something I’ve come across…) so it’s time to pack-up his little red spotted hanky, tie it onto the end of a stick and set off. Check the hanky for bathroom products before he leaves.
Nothing wrong with a bit of pampering! I love Lush products too. Nice Viola too.
Hi Caro, great to see you back in cyberspace what with the move and all.
I dunno…sometimes I think I’m just being harsh, and the incident over him cracking it in regards to the toilet paper was quite a while ago, he’s now in his mid 20s.
In fact, a few years back I lived with 2 other males my age and seeing as I thought males were in the majority there, I actually used to lift the toilet seat up which very much endeared me to them, apparently. I think some folk are just born more considerate than others.
But eh, why would he leave home when he has it so good here? Mum fusses over him and sadly she’s brought him up to be dependent upon her, it’s sadly a part of her culture. That might account for why there has been so much tension between her and I: I try to be as independent as possible, which she miscontrues as me disrespecting her authorita…
He’ll move out…eventually. When he finds a lady to marry that will pretty much do the things that Mum does for him now. Oh how I shudder at the thought.
I’ll definitely check the bundle to make sure he hasn’t nicked off with my prized moisturiser! Heh heh.
Ooooh, as a fellow bath loving friend, I also love the smell after getting out of the bath, the steam mixing with all the yummy scents I’ve used… mmmmmm. I think I’m due for a bathtime entry in the blog. You can’t have enough things for the bath, I say!
Bathroom habits…hmm, I remember, when I was wee, my family used to use Cussons soap. When the bar was finished, we’d stick the sticker from the soap on the wall. After a while, mum would pull them all off and we’d start again. I also used to sneak peeks at my sister’s products. I remember my eldest sis used to use Clinique and one thing she used was their 7 Day Scrub. I’d stick my finger in the pot and think, “What on EARTH does she use this stuff for? It’s horrible! Feels like sand!!!” The things you remember. And now I abuse my own face with L’Oreal’s Micro-dermobrasion. Heh.
As for your bother…erm, I mean brother… freaking out over the paper hanging too low down?!?! hohoho, that’s a good one. He needs a good waking up, you have been too good to him! I would freak if the man used up my shower gels (let alone facecream!!!), thankfully he uses soap. We both use liquid soap at the sink though, and recently from eBay I purchased Bath & Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena anti-bac hand soap. Oh, this stuff is heavenly! The way the man uses liquid soap, it would be gone in under two weeks…so I’ve hidden this little B&BW puppy behind my make-up drawers, for my personal use only! In this case, stuff sharing! So I agree with you, you’re totally in the right for removing your goods from bro’s grubby mitts.
Heh, and as for his pine cone toothbrush (that gave me a good giggle :0 ), no it probably wouldn’t be any good for his teeth, but when he’s being bothersome again, you could probably suggest another place it could be used effectively.
My bro’s grubby mitts! Thankfully, in the hygiene department, I at least can’t complain that he’s festy, though stinking out the bathroom with cigarette smoke is bad form for me.
I’m usually perfectly happy to share my things with my loved ones, for instance significant others are more than welcome to use my cleanser, shower gels…whatever! My last one was exceedingly generous with his things, and even money, and I rather like a man who isn’t afraid to use moisturiser and admit it!!!
The Imperial Leather soap stickers always bothered me a little, I mean, when they start sliding around on the bar, what does one do with them? Sticking them on the wall would not have been on in my household, my mother can be just as bad as my brother in how she likes things ‘placed’ in the house!
As for being good to him: I dunno…he bought me a lot of Philosophy products a few years back and doesn’t expect me to pay him back - and believe me, that’s more than I’ve ever done for him as an adult. Being as unwell as I have, it hasn’t exactly afforded me the opportunity to be a proper big sister, not like when I was younger
But nagging him to change wouldn’t be right, will just have to hope that he grows to realise these things by himself.
Haha, yes, Imperial Leather was the name of that soap! It was indeed a tad annoying when the stickers started sliding around on the bar. I remember I used to try to see how small the soap would get before someone would pull the label off.
Ah, you’re right re. your brother. Nagging doesn’t really get one anywhere and there’s all a bit of give and take, which works out in the long run. I’ve learned that with the man, who can drive me completely insane…but I’m sure I do that to him too. That doesn’t stop me complaining about him sometimes though!
It’s true, VK! I can be much more fussy about my bed - being a long-time insomniac (though not at present!), I try to keep outdoor things like bags, books and worn clothes off my bed and I’ve been known to insist in a fastidious manner that no one is allowed to touch the inside of the bed unless they are freshly showered and washed! You know how much I adore my cat and not even he’s allowed on the bed unless he’s on the coverlet.
It’s extreme, but wow, doesn’t the bed always smell ever so nice, especially as I shower before bedtime. We all have our ‘analities’!
Which reminds me of a very amusing passage in Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise in which the older teenage boy Heinrich (who plays chess by correspondence with prison inmates!) insists that the weather will occur as reported upon the news or telly. It doesn’t matter what it looks like outdoors, or what others think, to him, the TV is the only source he stubbornly clings to!
Like I said…we all have our analities…
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