Diagnosis Nothing

[lunabee34]

As I suspected, my OBGYN was all, "Yes. You are not having a period. Excellent observational skills. Now pay the lady a hundred and fifty dollars on your way out."

It wasn't quite that bad; he's a good doctor and not dismissive, but I am so tired of every single doctor's visit being a mere confirmation that, yes, something is wrong with me, but no we're not going to do anything about it. I would like to have an actionable problem, my friends. LOL

Anyway, he said that if I go three cycles without a period to come back when I'm at the end of the off week of my birth control (taking birth control interferes with tests for menopause), so we'll see.

I also made an appointment with a dermatologist for next week. I've got a friend who has had numerous cancerous lesions removed in the past year which made me think I probably ought to have a full body check myself just to be sure.

And now for something completely different. I have been watching Tiny House Nation and coming up against a brick wall of understanding. I truly do not understand why anyone would choose to live in a tiny space. I mean, I get it on an intellectual level (wanting to reduce your energy footprint or spend less of your income on bills or as a matter of necessity in a major urban center), and I'd also get it if these houses were ever intended for one person to live in. But no, it's always a couple and sometimes a family with children and pets.

Part of my inability to get it is a product of my upbringing. I was raised with rural values. My parents taught me that owning land is paramount. They didn't have a huge house but it's four bedroom (because you have to be able to sleep everybody when they come to visit). I have never lived anywhere that space was at a premium. When we first moved here (my first real stint at living in a neighborhood), the houses being so close together was a real adjustment for me.

I don't need to live in a mansion, but I cannot imagine living in a tiny house. I cannot imagine sleeping in a loft bedroom in which I cannot even stand up straight. I cannot imagine being able to stretch out my arms and touch both walls of my living room. I think I would be so anxious (where do you go to get away from people?) and claustrophobic. Also, I do not have a lot of stuff. I have a very pared down closet. We don't own knickknacks. But I have a ton of books and a ton of dishes, and I wouldn't want to get rid of them. I definitely think too much stuff (and too much of the wrong stuff) is a Real Thing, but I don't agree that just Stuff in General is Bad.

What do y'all think? Could you live in a tiny house (gladly or only begrudgingly and of necessity)? Do you need your space?

Comments

[zulu]

I'd prefer more yard to more house. I've always lived in a city, so for me if I was going to have a smaller (not tiny) house, the advantage would be that I'd get to enjoy a lot more of my lot because the house would have a smaller footprint. And things that fold into other things are cool. But otherwise: no. People need their own areas!

So far 1200 square feet has been plenty for three of us + 2 cats, but bell is dreaming of more space so we can get cat #3 without stressing the other two.

[the_rck]

I would hate it passionately. I would like to have more space than we do (850 square feet and a partially finished basement) if only for a counter in the bathroom and a little more space to move around in our bedroom.

[elfin]

I'm really fascinated by the whole tiny house thing. I love some of the ideas, like multi-purposing spaces, and clever storage solutions, but holy shit, I can't imagine living somewhere that small. And this is coming from someone who grew up in a house that was less than 900 square feet. When my parents sold it, it was listed as "a charming cottage." lol

I will admit that I'm ready for the Husband and I to be in a smaller house. But not tiny.

[vicki_rae]

Shuddering at the thought of a tiny house. I'm really claustrophobic. This house was build 50 years ago by the prior owners and has big rooms (even both bathrooms!) but tiny bedroom closets and no storage at all. None. The coat closet in the entry is a joke overstuffed just with coats for three people. We put a coat tree next to the front door for guests to use.

It was my parents house and when I eventually retire to another state I'll significantly downsize on square footage and lose the 3rd bedroom but oh god no not to anyplace where I can touch two opposing walls at once. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen/great room, big closets. At the very least something I can use for a pantry and a place to put my suitcases that isn't along the wall in the guest room.

Well. Possibly by then I'll also need a closet for my BPAL habit. As one does.

[princessofgeeks]

Methinks this is a small trend, part of the SIMPLICITY movement, that is being exploited by the media.

Probably more widespread are the people who sell their homes and buy a big RV and drive around everywhere.

In any case, Chuck Wendig has been laughing at the tiny house movement, and his posts about it are pretty funny.

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2016/04/25/the-tiny-house-hunters-drinking-game-tiny-living-big-drinking/

I definitely want to downsize, but not that far. A one bedroom apartment with a pool and a view of the river would be fine with me.

[china_shop]

For about two years, my ex-gf and I lived in a one-bedroom basement flat where the living room had a 6-foot stud (ie, you couldn't take clothes off over your head). We used curtains for doors, which I see is on Chuck Wendig's drinking game list. The bedroom and kitchen had maybe an 8-foot stud, and you had to go outside to get to the toilet. But we managed to cram three couches, two bookcases, two cats and a couple of guitars into the living room, and had friends over a lot (the tall ones had to kind of stoop till they got to the couches), and it was fun and manageable. I liked that it made me disciplined about clutter and resolving relationship niggles (nowhere to hide!), and it was super-easy to heat. Also, the location was excellent -- close to shops and town -- and we had enough lawn that in good weather we spent a lot of time outside.

But that was twenty years ago. I wouldn't go back. And even that was probably more spacious than many of the tiny houses. o.O

These days, the idea of not having a separate bedroom gives me hives. (I had a studio apartment when I was single, but I was young and poor.) In fact, for the 16 years (so far) of my current relationship, the boy and I have lived in separate houses! Ha!

[umadoshi]

Ah, the joy of inhabiting meatpuppets. *sighs* *hugs*

I couldn't cope with one of those tiny houses. Sometimes I feel like our current place is a bit ridiculously large for just me, C, and the cats, but it's not huge, and we make use of it. (And then I eye Ginny and Kas' new place, which is WAY BIGGER than ours [and yet has only two bedrooms, where we have three], and I contemplate how living in a space like theirs would make it much easier to have another cat or two.) I don't actually know the square footage of our townhouse for comparison to anything, though.

I've always, always needed my own space; the first year C and I were married, we had separate bedrooms, but since then we've always shared a bedroom and I've had an office, and now he has his own space too (which he essentially did in the co-op we lived in before the current condo, but it doubled as the guest room).

(I really like the "Not So Big House" design philosophy [and have a couple of the books], which requires designing a house [which I have no illusions about ever having the chance to do] while really thinking about how you use space as an individual/family and working to not wind up with bloated entryways or showy rooms that no one ever actually uses. But that's a very different thing from "let's shove three people and a dog into two tiny rooms and a loft!!!")

[archersangel]

i couldn't stand being in one of those tiny houses. just looking at them makes me uncomfortable & i'm not claustrophobic.

[karmageddon]

It's definitely a new form of decadence IMHO. You need space to buy in bulk, to save things to re-use. You can have a dorm fridge if you never eat out, etc. I get rebelling against McMansions, but this isn't that. It's just as show-offy and possessions-as-identity. I have 2000 sq. ft. for 6 people, which I think is too much to heat/cool/clean. 1500 would be perfect I think, well laid out of course :-)

[torachan]

If it was just myself, I wouldn't mind too much, except for the kitchen space. I hate feeling cramped when I'm cooking. But for living with another person? No way.

[havocthecat]

I need more space than that so I can keep my books. You can't ebook all the gaming books. It's just not possible.

[monanotlisa]

I don't need a large house; in fact I don't quite want that. But a Tiny House is madness for long-term living -- not for a few months or days; I would enjoy that. The house I'm in has pretty much the right size. Like you, I'm probably influenced by my parents' house in Germany, which is European and therefore not sprawling while still giving space to its inhabitants.

I can and am prepared to live in an apartment, though -- I love the City, and that's the price you pay if you can't pay the price. ;)