I REALLY, REALLY LIKE MY NEW ROOMIE

There isn't a specific act or reason why I feel so positive towards my Roommate, but HOLY SHIT - it's like night & day. My former Roomie, a.k.a. Hot Doc Guy was easy to live with, but at the same time he was more than a bit reclusive, and as such, not really that fun to live with; he pretty much stayed in his room and had little to no effect on the rest of the place.

Roomie The 4th, a.k.a. Euro Girl is a different situation all together. She already planned a party for both of her friend's for this Friday. She already integrated her random objects (tastefully so I might add) among mine, shared her homemade liquor with myself and my friends not to mention firing up her Hookah with some She-Sha (sp?) she got while backpacking in India.

And another thing...I stated before how I preferred to live with another guy, gay or not, but I think all along I really needed a female presence around me; I tend to behave better and not fuck off/be lazy as much. Interpret that as you will...I'm still trying to figure it out, but I really think this new "chapter" is the start of a positive trend.

SPEAKING OF POTENIAL ROOMIES...

In the ad I posted on-line seeking to find a roommate, I mentioned that as being a young-ish white gay guy, I would prefer a similar type of person to live with; besides the obvious comfort level, I thought that living with another homo, that maybe, just MAYBE I could learn to be a better Gay. Like, maybe my Maybe Gay Roomie would school me on hair tips, and I could introduce him to the wonderfulness that is Even Williams whiskey. Or something like that.

So I was excited when this guy contacted me and wanted to see the place; from the tone of his voice left on my voice mail it was fairly obvious we played for the same team. And he seemed nice and cool, etc. We set a time and a date for him to come over and take a look at my place, and see if we clicked in person. When the time came, he called me, from outside in front of my front door and I buzzed him up. When I opened My Door, in walked...

OK, obviously not Bruno, but what could easily pass for a facsimile, or a stunt double, or maybe his younger brother. We're talking HARD-CORE Eastern European G-A-Y with hair highlights that would out put Lady Gaga to shame. And his outfit...bitch please. He looked like he was roaring to to go clubbing at fucking Jackhammer, and this was at 1PM on a Wednesday. No way in hell would I/could I have this be my new Roomie.

Thankfully, after looking at the place and talking to me for approximately 45 seconds, he ran out of my place like it was on fucking fire. So I guess the feeling was/is mutual. And before you hate on me for not wanting to live with such a F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S man, that wasn't the primary issue. I have a problem interacting with people that communicate as if they under the influence of Meth, Coke, Crack or some combination. I can't deal with the constant, yet distant look of surprise in said people's eyes (also, I imagined rivers of hair dye staining the fixtures in my bathroom-YUCK).

That being said, I believe I have solved my Roomie Issues. Let's call her "Mags"; she is 31 y/o, a teacher and an ex-pat from from Poland who had resided in Chicago for the last 7 or 8 years (little known fact to non-Chicagoans: Chicago is the 2nd largest Polish city by population after Warsaw). It took me a week to wrap my head around the idea, but I feel solid about it now, and I'm confident she won't fuck me over or freak out when I eventually bring a guy home. Fingers crossed!

DELSYM...MY SAVIOR

On Friday afternoon I just knew that my luck had run out, and that no matter how much I fought it, I was indeed SICK. An hour before I had to leave for work I went on a 10-minute coughing fit and I couldn't breath. Sounds like fun, no?

Well then try being surrounded by drunk/coked-out hipsters and thugs with a head full of cold pills. TOTALLY RAD it was not. Still, I got through the night. Saturday wasn't exactly a picnic either, but the real FUN occurred yesterday. 

My friend and I decided to feist on an ass-load of home-made Mexican food. The tacos were seriously awesome, which is why it's unfortunate that my stomach disagreed. My friend thought I was joking when I began to violently puke in my kitchen sink. I won't even go into detail about how I "redecorated" my bathroom with said Mexican food. YUM!

Thankfully Roomie took pity on me and ordered me to consume the magic exlixsor that is Delsym (although I don't have health insurance, I have the next best thing, a Pre-Med Roomie!). Fuck, I think I slept for 17 or 18 hours yesterday and today. I fell MUCH better!

PS - There is snow on the ground. I'm NOT happy about this...

SIX OR ONE HALF DOZEN

Perhaps a more important question is, where will I put my shoes?

Last Monday I posted an ad online to rent out the spare room in my place, and within hours, I received about a dozen responses. A few were dismissed outright for various reason (no recent divorcees...thank you for the reply, but I don't need to deal with that emotional baggage) others for serious syntax errors, and a few more just because they didn't seem to have their shit together.

That being said, two replies seemed ideal for what I'm looking for, and even after talking to oth at great length last night, I am still undecided, but I need to make up my mind right quick, as I told both interested parties that I will let them know tomorrow who has won the elusive (and potentially regrettable) "prize" of being my New Roomie.

Candidate #1

"Seth" lives in Colorado and is a junior transferring to attend a semester at a University in Chicago this fall. He's straight, has a girlfriend, and seems a bit quirky (like I'm not?) but overall seems like a cool guy. He's only looking to live here for 6 months, and is ready and willing to FedEx me a check for August's rent even though he may not arrive until the end of that month.

He also is bringing nothing except himself and his clothes. He's literally looking for a place to crash, do homework and cook food. Though he has a handful of friends in Chicago, he seems intent on spending as much time as he can checking out the music scene and the general Wicker Park/Bucktown area. He seems low maintenance and has "no problem living with a gay dude". Word.

Candidate #2

"Anni" lives in New York City and just spent a year living in France teaching English (they still do that there?). She is coming to Chicago to take classes at Second City and/or I.O. and seems really...fun. Unlike #1, she seems genuinely excited about living in a vintage Chicago apartment. Also, she "loves the gays" and counts several of her friends as such (does she have any hot friends?).

She's looking to relocate here for the long term and as such wants a 12 month commitment. I suspect she is inclined to decorate, and seems to have something to actually add to the place. Not that I really care about that, but still, her enthusiasm is infectious. Oh, and she likes to cook! Yum!

Bottom Line:

I can't make up my mind. Both seem really cool and I clicked with both instantly (via phone at least) and both need a place SOON. And I need to find a New Roomie since rent, gasoline and utilities are putting a serious crimp on my wallet.

Ugh, decisions! Either way, I think things will work out well, which is sorta the problem. I'd rather live with a guy, even a straight one, but #2 seems like a lot more fun, plus she will totally click with 2 of my neighbors that are into the theater scene. I think I might just flip a coin...