What it is about BEING SINGLE and/or LIVING ALONE that is so ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

All those "what is it about your partner..." threads are making me VOMIT!!!

1) Can watch whatever you like on the telly without someone else mucking about with the remote/speaking through the good bits/changing channel

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:54 (seventeen years ago) link

2) You wash dishes and they STAY WASHED until you use them without anyone moving them about the house and hiding them

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:54 (seventeen years ago) link

3) No one else going in your bathroom and leaving the toilet seat up or the shower in the on position so that you get a face full of water when you try to use it

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:55 (seventeen years ago) link

You can talk to yourself without being interrupted.

― nathalie, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:55 (seventeen years ago) link

3) You get the whole bed to yourself, and don't have to fight for the duvet.

― C J, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:55 (seventeen years ago) link

Argh, I was just going to post that, CJ. WHOLE BED TO YOURSELF yes. Plus ALLLLL the pillows and/or cushions.

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:56 (seventeen years ago) link

If you feel like chinese food or pizza or breakfast cereal or WHATEVER for dinner, no one complains they're "not in the mood for that..."

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:57 (seventeen years ago) link

You can talk to yourself without being interrupted.

U&K. Now all I need to do is murmur a thought to myself and it's all "What? What did you say?". And I'm "Nothing". "No really, what did you say?". "NOTHING!"

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:57 (seventeen years ago) link

If you feel like chinese food or pizza or breakfast cereal or WHATEVER for dinner, no one complains they're "not in the mood for that..."

and, conversely, you don't have to cook a meal when you don't feel like it.

Silence, too. Blessed, blessed silence. I miss that, sometimes.

― C J, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:59 (seventeen years ago) link

Fancy listening to P-funk first thing in the morning and bouncing around the flat in your pants shouting about getting "funked up" while you do the dishes without ANYONE CRITICISING YOUR TASTE IN MUSIC.

In fact, you can listen to WHATEVER MUSIC you like WHEN YOU WANT without ANYONE COMPLAINING!!! (Except maybe the neighbours.)

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:59 (seventeen years ago) link

Yes, that too! SILENCE and not being forced to listen to rubbish OI! music when you've come home from work with a headache and just want to rest.

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:00 (seventeen years ago) link

You can eat the WHOLE BURRITO if you like without anyone going "are you gonna eat that?" And then if you don't finish it, you can put it in the fridge and eat it the next day without anyone waking up in the middle of the night and deciding they fancy it for a snack.

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:01 (seventeen years ago) link

No waiting around for someone to take HOURS AND HOURS to get ready when you want to go, you go when you want!

Conversely, no hanging around bored at parties or pubs or gigs while your partner schmoozes - if you want to go, you can JUST LEAVE without anyone bitching at you about how you spoil their fun. Also, if you want to stay out all night and crash in strangers' beds at weird houses... NO ONE TO STOP YOU, IT IS QUITE ALRIGHT!!! Wake up wherever! No one will mind!

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:04 (seventeen years ago) link

Can spend the entire evening reading without someone popping on music or the TV or clicketyclacketing away on the keyboard.

― Øystein, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:04 (seventeen years ago) link

If you are in a rubbish mood, you can spend your entire day or evening in bed, under the duvet, moping and eating chocolates and being comedically gloomy until you feel better without anyone popping in every ten minutes going CHEER UP, WHY DON'T YOU?!?!? or OK, WHAT HAVE I DON'T NOW?!?!? like the world is their fault or something.

Sometimes I just want to mope and BE ALONE! it has nothing to do with anything!

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:06 (seventeen years ago) link

I SO knew that you'd start this thread, Kate.

― Dr.C, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:06 (seventeen years ago) link

No offense, Dr. C, but if I read one more "ooh, my partner drives like THIS..." post, I am going to VOMIT.

Congratulations. You have a boyfriend. Now here's a fucking cookie.

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:08 (seventeen years ago) link

I have a boyfriend?

― Dr.C, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:08 (seventeen years ago) link

If you want to paint the living room purple and hot pink - NO ONE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR COLOUR BLIND TASTE IN PAISLEY!!!

Like furniture? Just buy it! No one to check with! Fall in love with a guitar? BUY THAT, TOO!!! With no one to complain about how much you're spending. After all, IT'S YOUR MONEY!!!

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:09 (seventeen years ago) link

Also - don't read em Kate. Like I don't read the Jon Williams has hacked into ILX whatever threads.

― Dr.C, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:10 (seventeen years ago) link

You can sleep as late as you want or get up as early as you want, you don't have anyone moaning beside you.

No discussions about financial matters.

You don't have to excuse your rude behavior (like burp or fart).

You can do spontaneous things without having to excuse yourself or explain it.

― nathalie, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:10 (seventeen years ago) link

You can do all this stuff married too! I do! It's great! It's what OTHER ROOMS were invented for!

(um, not to rain on your parade or anything)

and, conversely, you don't have to cook a meal when you don't feel like it.

Teach Mr Unruly to cook!

― ailsa, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:10 (seventeen years ago) link

Can spend the entire evening reading without someone popping on music or the TV or clicketyclacketing away on the keyboard.

oh, yeah.

― Ed, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:10 (seventeen years ago) link

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

― C J, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:11 (seventeen years ago) link

erm, xpost

― ailsa, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:11 (seventeen years ago) link

KEEP THE MARRIED SHITE OFF THIS THREAD!!! SINGLE LIFE ONLY!!! THERE ARE ALREADY THREE THREADS FOR TALKING ABOUT YOUR SODDING PARTNERS!!!

Yes, no one to toss you out of bed if you fancy sleeping late.

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:11 (seventeen years ago) link

No need to crawl up the attic for some time alone, you always have it! If you want some companoinship, you just invite friends. Once you're fed up with social interaction, you just throw'em out. Try that with a partner!

― nathalie, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:11 (seventeen years ago) link

OK, teach him how to use a microwave!

― ailsa, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:12 (seventeen years ago) link

Mr Unruly can't even make a boiled egg, as he doesn't know the recipe. Before we got together, he survived on lunchtime meals from the canteen at work, and piles and piles of toast in the evening. Or beer.

― C J, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:12 (seventeen years ago) link

What type of cookie?

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:12 (seventeen years ago) link

very bitter

― blueski, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:13 (seventeen years ago) link

Okay : single life!

Nobody to cuddle :(

― C J, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:13 (seventeen years ago) link

Never pick anyone else's fucking BEARD HAIR out of the drain! You know the only hair in the drain is your own so it's not that gross.

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:13 (seventeen years ago) link

*high five*

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:13 (seventeen years ago) link

Nobody to grumble at.

― C J, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:14 (seventeen years ago) link

The sort you get for having a boyfriend.

― Dr.C, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:14 (seventeen years ago) link

Hah! I was like that, CJ. I only knew how to bake a chocolate cake. I don't think I could even properly break an egg! I learned to cook in a couple of monnths.

― nathalie, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:14 (seventeen years ago) link

(I was high fiving Blueski - damn this lack of xpost notification)

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:14 (seventeen years ago) link

I think I need to start a thread about being single but living with a flatmate or two in which case hardly any of this applies either! SO EXCLUDED!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:14 (seventeen years ago) link

Don't feel like cleaning? It's OK!!! Let your flat get as messy as you like till there are hairballs the size of cats with NO ONE TO CRITICISE!!!!

Fancy cleaning? You can do it without someone else deciding to muck up your lovely clean flat when it's done!

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:14 (seventeen years ago) link

I never knew you had a boyfriend, Dr C. What's his name?

― C J, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:15 (seventeen years ago) link

Ferenc

― blueski, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:15 (seventeen years ago) link

Beryl!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:15 (seventeen years ago) link

Algernon.

― Dr.C, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:16 (seventeen years ago) link

Meet someone cute? Perfectly OK to flirt with them as much as you like, even get their phone number or sleep with them or WHATEVER!!! Without anyone getting jealous if you spent too much time talking to one person.

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:16 (seventeen years ago) link

COUPLES ROOL OK! KAET IS SILLY!

― Dr.C, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:16 (seventeen years ago) link

No offense, Dr. C, but if I read one more "ooh, my partner drives like THIS..." post, I am going to VOMIT.

Congratulations. You have a boyfriend. Now here's a fucking cookie.

I only see about three couple-related threads (four if you count the parenting thread) out of the top 100 or so on the New Answers page. You must be zeroing in on them for some strange reason, Kate.

― Michael Jones, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:16 (seventeen years ago) link

Could someone start a thread about someone who thinks it's GREAT to be MARRIED but their PARTNER works really long HOURS and stressful SHIFT PATTERNS so they often have to spend time ALONE as well?

You know, in case they can't post about it anywhere else.

― C J, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:17 (seventeen years ago) link

You know, you lot, I've not gone and fucked up your threads talking about your partners, why do you come on here and criticise mine?

NO ONE CRITICISING YOU IF YOU SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THE DAMN INTERNET, ARGUING WITH WHOEVER YOU LIKE AND COMPLAINING IF IT GETS YOU IN A BAD MOOD.

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:17 (seventeen years ago) link

Get back in the kitchen CJ! Make me some pie!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:17 (seventeen years ago) link

Skipping 176 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

You can listen to Barry White and no-one will laugh at you.

― Hard like armour, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 04:21 (seventeen years ago) link

living alone: dancing around apartment half-naked to loud music while dishes from dinner fester in the sink

― get bent, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 04:23 (seventeen years ago) link

A dance mat set up permanently on the lounge room floor.

― Hard like armour, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 04:25 (seventeen years ago) link

I can get food poisoning really easily because I can't smell my food.

― Abbott, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 04:28 (seventeen years ago) link

You can clip and/or bite your toenails off any time (that your roommates aren't home).

― Laurel, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 04:31 (seventeen years ago) link

my friend is leaving town for the summer and if all goes according to plan she'll be able to sublet me her studio apartment in silver lake for a few months!

― get bent, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 04:31 (seventeen years ago) link

Abbott, why can't you smell your food?!

― Hard like armour, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 04:46 (seventeen years ago) link

I have to get used to this way of living now - woe is me :-(

― the next grozart, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 09:13 (seventeen years ago) link

The one thing I would make DAMN sure to never do again is to live with someone I worked with. NO separation at all. The WORST.

Ha - Pam & I worked in the same office for just over 2 years. We had been married for 4 years when this arrangement began, mind. It was actually pretty great for the first year; the problems after that were more associated with work stresses than anything else - though, to be honest, sharing those stresses in work hours dissipated them more quickly than the current situation of me coming home and ranting for 15mins about the various idiocies I've had to deal with during my work day. We were like the Richard & Linda Thompson of subtitling for a while there.

Uh, most people that I know that have kids would love to have more time to hang out, read, drink, practice, play music, etc.. I think they don't complain about it because a) they love their kids, of course, and b) what are you gonna do?

Yes and yes.

― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 09:30 (seventeen years ago) link

(Actually, the Richard & Linda comparison is probably ill-chosen).

― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 09:37 (seventeen years ago) link

one month passes...

Never, ever, ever having to worry about - or indeed even think about - birth control.

Phew!

― Masonic Boom, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:45 (sixteen years ago) link

I thought I could organise freedom, how Scandinavian of me.

― admrl, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:49 (sixteen years ago) link

oh we all know youre just lonely

― deeznuts, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:18 (sixteen years ago) link

"know"

― Masonic Boom, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:18 (sixteen years ago) link

Being single /= not getting laid!

― Laurel, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:21 (sixteen years ago) link

Oh, don't let's start all that up again.

― Masonic Boom, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:21 (sixteen years ago) link

you revived the thread!

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:22 (sixteen years ago) link

Because it is actually a big relief not to have to worry about birth control - pills or condoms or icky IUDs and strange insertions. And I had forgotten until reading that thread. :-)

― Masonic Boom, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:25 (sixteen years ago) link

you can still get pregnant, you know.

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:25 (sixteen years ago) link

i mean there's flying sperm to watch out for. it's in the air, all around us. like the internets.

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:26 (sixteen years ago) link

DON'T GO IN THE SEA

― emsk, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:27 (sixteen years ago) link

i usually can think of something great about being single, but not really today.. im going through some weird annual 2-week period wherein i want a boyfriend. but it'll pass.

― homosexual II, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:36 (sixteen years ago) link

44) You don't have to worry about lying to anyone about your STD's.

― John Justen, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:38 (sixteen years ago) link

It's called Spring, Mandee. ;-)

― Masonic Boom, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:38 (sixteen years ago) link

BARTRIP Now THAT is OTM.

― Laurel, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:39 (sixteen years ago) link

You can go abroad for a year or two without the regrets, compromises, or trade-offs that you'd have if you were in a relationship. I'm traveling for a year on a fellowship after graduation, and that's fine; another friend of mine really wants to move to Europe, but her fiance says if she did he would have to leave her (I've just heard a rumor that they broke the engagement because she doesn't want to be a housewife yet, but I know they really love each other so I hope things work out); another friend is joining the Peace Corps and is probably going to break up with her boyfriend because of it. Single wins!

― Maria, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 02:22 (sixteen years ago) link

living alone: dancing around apartment half-naked to loud music while dishes from dinner fester in the sink

-- get bent, Monday, March 12, 2007 9:23 PM (1 month ago)

there we go

― river wolf, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 02:27 (sixteen years ago) link

living alone = getting to leave from and return to an empty house each day. I don't know why I enjoy this so much and I assume it will change as I get older and become a sentimental middle-aged family man but for now it is TOPS.

― bernard snowy, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 02:29 (sixteen years ago) link

it's great that you enjoy it, i think most people would find it a problem rather than a plus!

― Maria, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 02:30 (sixteen years ago) link

ive lived by myself for 4 years

the novelty wears off

― the sir weeze, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 02:43 (sixteen years ago) link

You get the whole bed to yourself, and don't have to fight for the duvet.

This is so frigging otm. I tend to make awful *clicky dee clack* noises which obv pisses off/wakes up my husband. :-(

― nathalie, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 08:09 (sixteen years ago) link

Do you take a football rattle to bed with you, nath??

― C J, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 08:20 (sixteen years ago) link

Alas, no, I do this with my troath apparently. I think I have some sort of *defect* (I can't breathe well through my nose) which causes me to make these weird sounds? I'm not sure.

― nathalie, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 08:26 (sixteen years ago) link

CJ: you never made me that pie!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 08:31 (sixteen years ago) link

(Yes I just re-read this ENTIRE THREAD)

― Sarah, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 08:32 (sixteen years ago) link

I so DID make you that pie, Sarah! Except it wouldn't email its way to you properly, so I ate it instead.

― C J, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 08:36 (sixteen years ago) link

I was thinking over the weekend that if I lived alone, I simply wouldn't know what to do with all that free time.

― C J, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 08:39 (sixteen years ago) link

Oh, we occupy ourselves somehow, never you worry!!

Admittedly I had the dullest weekend ever but that was due to being broke, not single :) I crocheted an awesome elephant!!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 08:48 (sixteen years ago) link

At the moment it's decent. I heart a tidy house and so I went on a cleaning rampage at the weekend.

This contentment could change at any moment depending on what horrors could trigger depression (a spoon in the knife compartment for instance)

― Ste, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 09:25 (sixteen years ago) link

Are we allowed a thread for being single but living with other people?

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 10:06 (sixteen years ago) link

I think we did that didn't we?

― Dr.C, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 10:12 (sixteen years ago) link

2) You wash dishes and they STAY WASHED until you use them without anyone moving them about the house and hiding them

Quite a big deal. I washed all the wine glasses late last night after some friends had left; to my immense relief they were dry and clean in the cabinets.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:44 (sixteen years ago) link

four years pass...

On living alone and What It All Means.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 April 2012 16:38 (twelve years ago) link

That Eric Klinenberg book is getting a lot of play and discussion around the moment. I should probably read it.

― Popcorn Supergay Receiver (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 10 April 2012 18:01 (twelve years ago) link

there was an article about it in my college alumni magazine - one of its findings is that being single/living alone is often really painful for women in their late 30s/early 40s. :/

― sarahell, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 18:11 (twelve years ago) link

Yeah, dudes, stay out of relationships in case you can't walk away from a shit one? Good theory.

The ideal is to be with someone for the right reason.[1] However, it is better to be alone for the right reason, than with someone for the wrong reason.

[1] NB: My romantic history and relationship skills are so bad that I can't personally verify that being with the right person for the right reason is a Good Thing.

― Seraphim? I don't even know him! (j.lu), Tuesday, 10 April 2012 21:45 (twelve years ago) link

if i could afford to live alone, i would do so in a heartbeat. i think it makes total sense that more people are doing it.

― liberté, égalité, beyoncé (lex pretend), Tuesday, 10 April 2012 23:06 (twelve years ago) link

Is that actually in the Klinenberg book, or in the discussion about it?

I'm in that gender and age bracket and I can no longer even contemplate the idea of living with a partner.

What makes life painful or not is having friends to hang out with should we choose to, not having some stinking man taking up space in my flat.

― White Chocolate Cheesecake, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 23:12 (twelve years ago) link

two years pass...

i don't have to share my onion rings with anyone.

downside, there's no one to share my onion rings with.
― chicago kevin, Thursday, 1 March 2007 14:27 (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this thread makes me want to VOMIT!
― blueski, Thursday, 1 March 2007 14:28 (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

That'll be the onion rings, then.
― Forest Pines, Thursday, 1 March 2007 14:31 (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol

― post you had fecund thoughts about (darraghmac), Wednesday, 4 March 2015 01:57 (nine years ago) link

One FANTASTIC thing about being single is that when you make up your mind, you can move forward and act. No protracted discussions, compromises, sudden dramas, impasses, miscommunications, or other folderol. You decide and *bang* you're good to go.

^ Spoken as a man whose 30th wedding anniversary recently came and went.

― Aimless, Wednesday, 4 March 2015 02:14 (nine years ago) link

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.