“It may be only a few years since you have graduated from college, but you likely have started your own life with a new career, perhaps a new spouse and family, new home and maybe even a new location. It can all seem like a great, brand new start for you that can be exciting and a little intimidating. Out of the blue one day, your old college roommate calls and announces he is in town and would like to stop by for a visit. You say sure, glad to see him for the night. You have dinner and drinks, share some laughs, but then, after a while, you notice your spouse pointing to her watch, wondering when he is leaving, but he seems like he has no intentions of going yet. What are you going to do?
Start with Subtle Hints
Naturally you do not want to seem like you are coming across as rude so you want to give some subtle hints to your friend that it might be getting a little late for you. You could mention that you have that early meeting in the morning or long commute to work each day that you need to be well-rested for. Perhaps you could hint that you need to be quieter so you do not wake up the sleeping kids since it is so late at night. You could also try straightening up and cleaning up, taking that half-empty cup of coffee, beer bottle or soda can and getting rid of it so the temptation to linger is removed.
Still Lingering?
If he still has not caught on to your subtle hints, it may be time for you to be a bit more direct. Ask your friend where he is staying for the night and how far away his hotel is or the friends or family he is staying with is. Of course, this has the potential to open Pandora’s Box when he asks if you can just crash on your couch, but it may be the only way you find out what his actual intentions are. Your wife may even step in and start yawning and mention that she is going to bed since it is so late, leaving you to make the final move to get rid of your buddy or deal with the consequences that will follow.
The Final Scene
If after all of that he still does not seem to get the hint, you are really down to just a couple of choices. You can be direct and let him know you are tired and it is time for the evening to come to an end and hopefully he will finally catch on, gather his coat and say his goodbyes. Your other option is to just get him a pillow and blanket, toss it on the couch and tell him you will see him in the morning.
At this point it might pay off for you to have a good, reliable car that you can use to help your friend get a ride to the airport, his hotel or anywhere that is not your home. To make sure you have a car that can do the job right, you may want to see what the local Los Angeles fiat dealership has available at http://www.ocfiat.com. You can then know that you always have the comfortable means to drop your friend somewhere and wait another five years before you visit again.
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