If it isn't one thing...

I had a cold.
And was supposed to be out of town anyway.
So I didn't get to see the fiend on Tuesday.
And he didn't get to see if his bite left a scar on my butt.

And then he said he could come by Saturday afternoon.
Meaning yesterday.
And I was so happy.
Cause I missed him

And I still miss him.
Because as I was giving Marko breakfast...
I realized I was sick.
Again.
Damn.
And he's not one of those guys who never catches things.
So an hour or two before he was due to arrive, I had to cancel.

The good news was that I could watch the Michigan-Michigan State game.
The bad news was that we lost.
"We" being Michigan.
I don't know why I thought it would be different this time.

Plus...
and this is both good news and bad news -
I evicted my current renter.
Well, told him he had to move out.
I have to give him a month unfortunately.
Wish it could be right away.

It's a bunch of things. Officially, it's because I had advertised for a non-smoker and a few days after he got here I knew for sure that he smoked. Not in the house - he wouldn't dare - he KNOWS I didn't want a smoker so he was hiding it. But the smell comes in with him, sometimes strong enough that it sets me coughing. And of course it clings to his clothes, so transfers to other things.

Now aside from not wanting a smoker living here, there's the fact that he lied by implication in answering an ad that specified non-smoker and not revealing that he was one. But there's also his general mental and emotional state, and the fact that he lives a vampire's schedule. I need someone here with energy. And happy vibes. Someone with a regular life, who gets up in the morning and goes to work and goes to sleep at night and provides an atmosphere that will stimulate me, especially during the dark months. This guy seemed like good company at the beginning - and he was VERY cooperative about clearing out on Tuesdays so I had full use of the dungeon when the sadist came to visit - but I could feel that he was disintegrating. And that it was having a bad effect on me.

So - and here's where I'm very proud of myself, which somewhat makes up for renting to someone with clear red flags which I managed to ignore - rather than trying to stick it out for a year, or trying to make him miserable enough that he would want to leave, I spoke up and told him it wasn't working out and -

And at that point he made an angry comment and stalked off downstairs.

I mean really.
He's the one who misrepresented himself on a number of points.
And obscured other things.
And implied that he was a non-smoker when he wasn't.

(Note: I'm not making a value judgment about smokers here, folks, so those readers who do smoke should please not feel defensive. But I have asthma and a sensitive nose and it's my house and I have a ridiculously hard time with even third-hand smoke. )

So I gave him a month and he's trying to find a new place, but he'll be out whether or not he does. He's got a mother around here he could crash with if necessary. From things he said, I think she doesn't think much of his dependability, either.

The sad thing is that he's been good for the cats. They've calmed down a lot since he moved in. And Marko adores him. Go figure.

As for the next housemate - no decisions until I've thought about it for at least a day. Even if it means I lose a prospect. I need time for those doubts in the pit of my stomach to worm their way up to my foolish brain.