That's right, folks. I've been banned. Banned from playing with The Mrs's new pair anymore. You see, it's The Mrs's job to do laundry. However, she doesn't do it very often - generally only once someone runs out of clothes. So I figured I'd pitch in and do some laundry when I saw that one of the 5 hampers was full (whites, reds, darks, lights, and towels). Plus, it's really fun to play with the new pair.
So I've been washing, drying, and folding laundry for a week. However, I haven't been putting it away. I've been stacking it neatly in laundry baskets as I have seen The Mrs. do.
But The Mrs. got angry. She told me that she would prefer I not wash, dry, or fold any laundry unless I was also going to put it away. She is not complaining that I am doing any steps incorrectly. She is asserting that it is worse for me to do 90% of one of her jobs than it is for me to do 0% of it. I don't understand the woman-logic there.
I might point out a couple things at this juncture: first, there is a laundry basket full of Mrs.-washed clothes from exactly one week ago that is still sitting on the floor of our bedroom not put away, and second, MaxieC has been living out of laundry baskets for nearly a week now, having run out of clothes in his room since no one ever puts anything away. But I'm not going to point those things out, as it would just cause marital strife on Fat Camp night.
I've been trying to figure out if there is any household chore that I do where I would not prefer to only have to do the last 10% of it. "Don't clean the pond if you aren't going to put away the vacuum." "Don't collect the garbage if you aren't going to take the garbage can to the curb." "Don't mow the lawn if you aren't going to put the tractor away."
Hmmm... maybe that last one. I do so love to mow the lawn on my tractor.
I bet The Mrs. just wants to play with her new pair.
11 comments:
Your life is just one sequence of hardship, isn't it?
I somehow understand The Mrs. Women logic is winding and profound.
I'm glad I don't have a wife. I am doubley glad I don't have a husband. Cats are nice.
This story gave me a flashback to living with R*(. One day, as I was going to put away groceries, he was stewing and grumbling to himself. I guess he had a specific way of doing it and wanted to do it himself. I realized this was another household task I could cross of my list. I also learned that I folded sheets wrong (too many wrinkles). When I told my co-worker and friend M* this story, she said, "And he's a man?"
I can relate to the sister not so much in turning down free labor and shaming her partner when he tries to help but in the OCD manner in which things certain things get done. I will confess I have a hard time watching TV unless all the video game stuff is organized (i.e. not on the floor), and the shoes are not on the floor and the coffee table is clear, etc. You know, the if you can control your outside environment, you may actually have the illusion that you have control in general.
What I really said was please don't do any more laundry until you've put the old laundry away. There are no empty baskets for the new clean laundry. But after thinking about it, the way he folds shirts really bugs me. And half the stuff that should go on a hanger gets folded in that weird way that makes it all wrinkled. So it's really about baskets and wrinkles. He hangs stuff weird, too. HannahC's dress was hung with one sleeve still inside out, and it was a hang-to-dry velveteen dress. Good thing I saw it, or it would have come out all crumpled. It's not so much an OCD issue as it is please just do it right so it won't have to get redone thing. When the baskets are empty, wash to your hearts-content, and you can fold towels, sheets, and whites, but I'll fold the rest. Thank you for your help. Before the pair, you claimed to not even know how to sort the laundry, which I've been doing exactly the same way for at least 6 years.
Well be glad he tries to help - the arsewipes i lived with wouldnt lift a finger or any other body part.
I won't make the mistake of trying to help in the future. I've kinda missed all the TV I used to watch.
after being criticized for trying to help with household chores, i feel your pain, brother. you know what they say . . .rigidity is a sign of anger.
i can't tell you how i reveled in delight this one day i went to make manwiches, as requested by my dear sweet boyfriend, a.k.a. the locksmith. i was all about to make them then realized i didn't even own a can opener. he accompanied me to knock on the door of my neighbor's to ask to borrow one. he still laughs in delight at the story. i can't tell you how wonderful it is to date someone who will eat whatever you cook, i.e. "heat up".
I really detest wrinkles.
I agree...do it right so you won't have to iron that sleeve.
If you ever saw the laundry room of CherkyB and the Mrs, you would not mind spending time in there ironing. It is bigger than my kitchen and has twice as many cupboards.
You have a laundry room??
A laundry room??
Like, a room for the laundry-related activities only???
You mean, the new pair is not in the garage, roommating with a car and tools and household stuff other crap?
Wow - maybe we should move to CO.
Interesting commentary from Baltimore Sun: Women will pant for men who can fold, authors say http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/
bal-ml.reimer06may06,0,4541524.
column?coll=bal-features-columnists
Post a Comment