Kitchen Conflict

So, my housemate’s friend is staying next door, and I’m currently bracing for impact. I need to send out a "polite warning" to make sure they don't just wander into our place unannounced, though I’m not entirely sure how well that’s going to go over.

Here’s the thing: we live in this friend’s ancestral home. Because of that history, they feel perfectly entitled to stroll in and make themselves right at home in our kitchen. It’s one of those classic "shared living" headaches where boundaries get… blurry.

In the past, this friend has actually gotten offended by our "relaxed" housekeeping. They even lost their temper and raised their voice in our home once. I get it—we’re all elders now, and sometimes the ego cracks and emotions just leak out sideways. Maybe that’s overstating the drama, but it was still a lot to deal with.

The truth is, we’ve just found a way to exist without obsessing over housework. It’s our home, and we’re comfortable this way. Between general preference and the low motivation that comes with a chronic brain illness (not an excuse, just a reality), our cleaning schedule is "minimalist." The trash goes out on time and the bathroom gets a scheduled scrub, but the vacuuming is infrequent, and mopping or cleaning mirrors? Not on the menu.

I’ve lived here for thirty years. This friend lived here during their childhood. To me, they are a stranger; to them, this is still their house. It’s a total psychological standoff. They seem baffled by our mid-century kitchen and the fact that the rugs haven't been professionally deep-cleaned in three decades, even if they don't always say it out loud.

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