Survival of the Dale S.

Boobies!

Okay, now that I have your attention I can start talking about serious stuff. :)

I’ve been thinking lately about self-sufficiency. I don’t know what has brought this on because I have no desire to leave home in the immediate future. Or the not so immediate future. Or the... Not for a while I guess is what I’m trying to say! Although the cause may have been the alarmingly fast pace at which the countdown on my MySpace is approaching “zero months until I’m not a teenager anymore...”

Anyway, I guess it’s made me take stock of my life and examine how fit I would be to survive on my own. Financially it’s implausible, but that’s no surprise. It’s the other aspects of living by myself that I’ve been thinking about.

Cooking: Everyone needs food (well almost everyone, Adam!), and I couldn’t and wouldn’t buy dinner every night, so how are my culinary skills? Up to scratch? Not really! I’m not totally hopeless in the kitchen, but then again I’m by no means an Iron Chef. I can make spaghetti and other pretty basic pasta based meals, I can now barbeque (Dad taught me on the weekend) although my expertise at this stage only covers sausages and chicken, and I can handle all the relatively simple oven meals, including – importantly – chips! Chopping and cooking vegies couldn’t really be that hard, and neither is a toasted sandwich/pie/roll for lunch or something. I’m okay with cakes and muffins, so my sweet tooth would be satisfied. So basically looking at that, I think I can cook, but I don’t think I could cook anything that would able to really impress someone. Then again, who is there to impress but myself? I’ll be on my own after all!

Cleaning/Washing: I’m a neat person. I find myself subconsciously neatening stuff – even when I’m at someone else’s place! – but having said that, I’ve led a pretty spoilt life so far in terms of housework. I told someone the other day that I’d never done laundry before, and they just laughed at me, thinking that I was joking. Sure I’ve hung up and brought down the clothes from the clothesline before, but I’ve never used the washing machine. Will probably get mum to show me how this weekend. All I know is there’s something you’re not supposed to do with colours or all your clothes will go pink… :) Nah I’m not that naïve – I’m pretty sure mixing lights and darks is the main no-no. I’ve vacuumed about 10 times in my life, but I know how. I’ve ironed about 5 times in my life but I’m pretty sure I’ve got that down pat too. I make my bed, wash and dry the dishes on occasion, have mastered the ability to wheel a wheelie bin, and yeah, I think that’s about it as far as the essentials go.

Social Interaction: This would be an issue for me. Living without the guidance/restrictions of my parents would be completely weird and it would take me a while to adjust. Living without the company of my brother Mark would also be strange. I think I’d miss his constant companionship the most. If I was living with people, adapting might take a while. If I was by myself then I think I’d definitely seek out my friends’ company a lot more actively. I’d practically live on msn I reckon! Although I think it would be good for me (seeking company, not living on msn). It would force me to get out into the world a bit more. Give the world some exposure to Dale. NOT that kind of exposure all you people with dirty minds…:P I probably wouldn’t lose my mind, so I guess I’d be okay in that department too. But not having someone to turn to to seek advice, or to tell a random thought, or ask a simple question would be hard.

So the verdict is if I could afford to move out, I would most likely not die. I would be inviolable* for a while. Go me!

Dale.

* As shocking as it may be to some, the word “inviolable” was not in Dale’s vocabulary. I know not all of you will believe it, and it does seem unfathomable, but it is true. Props to my homeboy Na for the sweet-ass word. Worrrrrd. (Sorry for that, it will never happen again! :))