Consider your welcome worn out.

The house guest is an interesting breed.  They usually visit for a good reason, a reason that makes you happy.  A monumental occasion that you want to share with those close to you.  But lets be honest, you enjoy the presence of your house guest at the expense, to some degree, of your own comfort.  They know it, and you know it, but it is always manageable for a short period of time.

Our friend, Bart.

Our house guest, Bart (Bathroom Absolutely Ripped ToBits) has been with us since about March.  When he first arrived, it was awesome.  He kept Katie company when she didn't have a substituting job lined up for the day.  He provided fodder for workplace conversation.  And we have learned a few things from Bart in the last couple of months.  For example, we will probably never buy a house with only one bathroom, but if we do, we know that we can survive a weekend with five adults and only one bathroom.  We have learned how to replace the sub floor, and that a 15 inch pry bar is a fantastic tool when ripping up the underlayment layer of a house's floor. We have learned that the crawl space under the house isn't really that scary.

But it isn't all sugar and spice with Bart around.  He has quite literally bowed under the weight of his own vanity, which requires us to step in, and provide him support.  That is what friends do.  But, it does try one's patience.  After working with him all day today, I feel like a good friend, and I feel like we have made some progress.  But the truth is that Bart is still in pretty rough shape, and it will be a while before he is ready to leave us...

Tom out.