Some time ago, I took on a major undertaking. I was going to finish my basement.
It has taken far longer than I anticipated, however. I am almost always interuppted by my wife's cries for help (see my post about lawn mowing for an example).
She cannot seem to make a connection, even though I make the greatest progress when she either leaves me alone or takes the kids somewhere. Invariably, she will call me away from my hammering and splackling to help her in some greater endevour, such as hanging a picture on the wall or killing a bug.
I cannot express enough how her helplessness hinders us all. Whenever I go out of town for work, she immediately starts lining up friends and family to come over and help. She needs to be hand-held through every, little thing. Any failure on my part to provide complete and total assistance results in her calling me lazy.
So I have to roll my eyes whenever the following happens.
Almost every night, after everyone goes to bed, I retreat to my half-finished basement for solace. It is a place only a man (or our little boy) could love. I will lift weights, tinker with an old computer, or just watch sports on an old TV.
But every few weeks, my wife will venture down there and ask me why I am doing these things and not working on getting it completely finished.
I then gently inform her:
1. We got the kids to bed at 9:00 PM.
2. It is now 10:00 PM.
3. I go to bed at 11:00 PM. There is, therefore, not enough time to do anything productive.
4. I need to nail studs into the floor and the walls. This requires the use of an extremely loud nail gun.
5. Did I mention that is 10:00 PM?
6. I also need to sand the unfinshed drywall. This is extremely dusty and requires extensive clean up when finished.
7. 10:00 PM.
Before I get any backlash for my apparent laziness, please recall that at this point in the evening, my wife has been lying in bed for an hour. The kitchen is clean, but that was done by me.
But in her view, my relaxing in the basement is worse than her sleeping. It is somehow anti-work.
I promise to get it finished one day. When the kids are in college, most likely.
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4 comments:
Are we married to the same woman? My wife called me yesterday from her SUV because the road she normally takes home was flooded due to heavy rain. She was in a panic because she didn't know how to get home. I'm at work at my desk and I have to guide her home via a different route from memory while she gives me landmarks to let me know where she is at. She finally made it home. Safely. When I got home I got rewarded with some great sex. NOT. I had to make dinner because she was flustered from the ordeal and go get gas for her in her SUV because it was on E and she didn't want to get out in the flooded streets again.
Not the same woman, but twins maybe? Your story is eerily familiar, as I am my wife's own personal Mapquest.
Actually, thanks for the reminder! I'm going to use that as my next entry.
You know, I guess that I do the same sort of thing to my husband as horny hubby (nice! :P) commented about. It makes me feel stupid when I am reading it, thinking "Wow - that could be my husband (up until the end)!" But really - I think you guys should feel GOOD that we trust you so and know that you are strong and smart and wise and can "save" us when we feel helpless.
At least, I hope that's how my husband feels. :)
I can't believe what I'm reading here. What kind of a marriage is that when one partner always fails or needs help? It's not a marriage anymore, but a torment until the day you die.
I would rather enjoy life alone in peace than deal with such idiotic bitches. And sorry guys, I had my share of idiots, but you need to know when enough is enough.
Were you born to roll your eyes at and be disappointed for the rest of your life? There's no happiness in being together alone.
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