Friday Question #17
Do you love or loathe having house guests?
Steven and I really love having house guests. We like cleaning the house and stocking the pantry, in anticipation of our guests arrival. We like making special meals, or taking our guests to our favorite restaurants. We like to show (off) the work we have done on our town home… especially Steven’s schmancy pants A/V system. We like to stay up late, play fun games, and entertain.
Of course, I ask because my family is coming to visit, and from what I’ve heard from other people, not everyone gets as excited about that as I do.
I am also wondering…
Do you have any good house guests stories?
Now, this isn’t a good story, per se, but it is definitely… interesting. A few years ago I was on a school trip in NYC. Our departure flight was canceled and we ended up on a flight that put us in the O’Hare airport overnight before our connecting flight home.
Of course, I looked at that as an opportunity to see Steven. And it just happened to be on Valentine’s Day! Since I am so nice, I asked three of my friends if they wanted to come stay at our house in the guest bedroom or on the couch so they did not have to sleep in the airport/front the money for a hotel.
Steven was really nice and picked us up in the middle of the night. We all woke up early the next day to catch our flight home. Trying to be nice, I asked my friends if they wanted some breakfast – maybe milk and cereal? I told them I wasn’t feeling awake enough to have any, but they all said yes.
So, we are standing around in the kitchen, them eating their cereal, and me and Steven chatting, when one my friends makes a funny face, places her bowl on the counter, and runs into our powder room and forces herself to throw up into the sink.
Yeah, that alarmed us, especially the other two.
She comes out and we ask what was wrong. “Oh nothing,” she brushes it off. “There were just some live bugs in my cereal.”
Everyone dumped their cereal in the sink. Steven and I were mortified. How did this happen?! She had a different cereal than everyone else! Did she confuse the pieces of cereal for bugs since it was so early in the morning? Or did she actually feel something moving around in her mouth?
Well, it hasn’t happened since. And luckily, I was still friends with everyone after that. That girl was even one of my bridesmaids.
Themocracy
I don’t like having houseguests. I don’t even like throwing parties, because I am a perfectionist who hates to clean–so I drive myself crazy making sure everything is “just so” while also putting it all off until the last minute. Blah.
It depends on who the house guest is. And how long they are staying. All of my friends from California came to visit me the first year I was here and that helped me acclimate immensely. I loved having them! I can handle three nights but more than that I start to feel the rumble of internal restlessness. I need my space. I need my routine. I need my quiet. But I love my friends and want to spend time with them.
I enjoy being a hostess, prepping the house with food I know they enjoy, touring them around, drinking and playing board games, laughing and having one big slumber party. Right now, no one has plans to stay with me. I think I must remedy this!
I can’t recall any house guest stories right now but if I do, I’ll return. I highly doubt there were bugs in that girl cereal! REALLY!?
Yeah, EXACTLY what Diane said!
We live in a one-bedroom apartment, and the only bathroom opens off our bedroom. So having a houseguest feels like an invasion, even when it’s family. When we had a bigger place it wasn’t so bad. But I’m such a creature of habit that it unsettles me to have an extra person(s) in the house. Our house and life is too structured for just the two of us. Well, FIVE counting the cats. 🙂
I’m on the fence here…if I have houseguests that are staying for a couple of weeks AND I have to keep them entertained…I loathe it! However some people like Karl can come visit me and they don’t bother me one bit.
I used to love house guests, but they really ruined it for me last time my husband’s whole family stayed with us. During our wedding. As for house guest stories, you should log in and read everything that happened with them the day or two before my wedding. Talk about a nightmare.
You’ve heard from other people that don’t like US visiting?
I wouldn’t mind anyone staying for a couple of days, like a weekend. A week isn’t so bad if I know there’s a definite departure date. The worst is when someone stays at my house for a week or two with no end in sight.
My daughter had three different friends stay at our house after their “parents just didn’t understand” them. ~roll eyes~
All three are still always welcome, but one of them was a real slob. She was probably the sweetest and most appreciative of the bunch, though, so I didn’t really mind.
I do love having people over, but I live in a one bedroom apt and I always feel so bad throwing people on the pull out couch! Not to much privacy for them. I know when I have a house (or a larger apt.) and have more room I will totally love having people stay and making them feel comfortable. I think I could deal with house guests for about a week w/ a departure date as ajooja said.
What’s a few live bugs between friends? 🙂
diane – Steven and I have mastered the last minute cleaning routine. But he is more of a perfectionist, like you, so we always try to keep the house in some sort of order…
sizzle – I am the exact same way… any more than a few days time and I need some space. Once when my in-laws were in town and I had entertained them all day while Steven was at work, I had to get a break. When he came home I just locked myself in the bedroom and took a nap to recoup. Having friends and family over is great, but tiring! And I am not sure about the bugs…
SJ – It would be hard in a one bedroom! We were embarrassed to have guests stay when we had our crappy little one bedroom in the ghetto…
Hilly – A couple of weeks?! Now that would drive me nuts.
Jenn – I’ve got to read this. We kept our family out of the house until the day after the wedding. We knew it would just be too much.
Dad – Yeah, that is why our next door neighbors keep moving out.
ajooja – A departure date IS A MUST. Even for your best friend. I need to know when I can go back to walking around the house naked again. Just kidding!
Gina (Mannyed) – Why are pullout couches so uncomfortable? Haven’t they been around long enough for someone to finally design a good one?!!?
Dave2 – Apparently nothing! 😉
Thank you for the fond memories from college! You were so kind to let us crash at your town house, and thanks again to Steven for driving all the way to pick us up and drop us off. Plus if I remember right that was the trip where we stayed at your uncle’s house the night before leaving.
PS…I love house guests, you and Steven would be a welcomed anytime!
Jessica – You’re welcome for the fond memories… of bugs. Steven and I were so mortally embarrassed, it is all I can remember from that trip! Of course, I do recall all the fun time I had with you in NYC! I need to shot you an email… right now!
I know I’m late, and it’s not friday any more…I just wanted to add my input—Neither one of us like having house guests. It’s stressfull, time consuming, and we are both to worried if “they like dinner” “are they comfortable” “Are they having fun” “What should we do now” the list goes on. Needless to say we do not enjoy having house guests. Unless it’s in the summer and we can sit out side and BBQ and play outside games. But if it’s in the house..forget. I’m not an entertainer and neither is Susan lol