Chores

There is an article in this week Time magazine about how the time spent on paid and unpaid work has equalized between men and women in the house. In other words, most men are stepping up. I put a link to a summary below, Time only allows subscribers to read, but I have the full article if you are interested.

In our house this article is correct. During the summer, between yard work, household projects, and tending the garden, I am certain Mark puts in substantially more hours that I do. So why do I still feel irritated about the chore load at times?

I spent this week thinking about this and I think I got down to the crux of the matter. The end results are visible and dramatic. The new cabinets in the kitchen, the landscaping, even the garden have plenty of opportunities of feedback "Wow, you have done such a great job" "Amazing". My primary chores are the mundane, ferrying Jason back and forth, laundry, cleaning, and shopping. You just don't get much feedback when the laundry is clean, and no one ever runs out of toilet papers.

I have started doing more scratch cooking, and maybe the reason I am enjoying it is because I get to be a little creative, and get some feedback. Now if I can just make a spaghetti sauce or re-fried beans that Jason will prefer over Trader Joe's versions.

Brief synopsis of Time article
http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2011/07/26/20038/chore-wars-myth-of-the-slacker-dad-debunked

Sick

Well, I know I am sick when I don't want to drink wine for three days straight. I woke up July 4th at 4 a.m. with a horrible sore throat and I will spare you all from the gory details but it was a nasty sinus thing. Three days where swallowing anything was pure torture, add to that a bout of nausea, and plugged ears. I am usually the one in the house that doesn't get sick, or if I catch the crud I get the mildest case. Not this time. Luckily, Mark was very sympathetic, did the entire drive home from Montana (631 miles) while I dozed in and out of conscience. I am feeling human again, and it's the 8th, still not myself, but not miserable.

Makes me appreciate my general health and perhaps next time I will be a little easier on Mark when he gets a man cold.