There's A Strange Man In My House

It's been a long time coming, and I really wasn't sure it would ever really happen, but it did.

I've taken on a housemate.

It's a long story that very few people have been privvy to; it's something that I wanted - and yet feared at the same time; it's exciting and nerve-wracking; it's going to change my life.

My friend Phil, the one I was so upset with for missing my party, has been in a very bad marriage for a very long time. He and his wife have been talking about a separation and divorce for over a year now. Things came to a head over the summer and he was looking to leave - but he didn't have a separation agreement and he couldn't find anything he could afford. I went and looked at a few apartments with him - dumps for $950/month. Plus utilities. And no off-street parking. And no washer/dryer.

I thought about it for a few days and told him "for $950 I could rent you a room, utilities, laundry and off-street parking included." He thought about it for a few days and said he thought that might work. But there was still the issue of the separation agreement.

It's been back and forth and up and down since July. Last week, they signed the separation agreement. Yesterday, Phil brought his bags over and moved in.

Yes, this is definitely going to change my life.