Almost daily diary!

Monday, March 31, 2008

Girl power!

Some times the division of labour in this house is drawn along traditional gender lines. For example, yesterday I found myself cooking 'Sunday Roast' whilst husband was reading the Sunday papers! How did this happen I wonder. How did I become a Stepford wife?!
Before the children were born I hardly ever spent more than a few minutes in the kitchen. Husband cooked and all the jobs were divided equally. No sooner did I give up work to look after my little darlings and all the jobs magically became mine. But now I'm working I could do with some help! I commented last night that I needed to do some stuff in the house today but didn't know how I would find the time.
'Oh leave it' he said.
'I can't keep on leaving it' I replied.
'Leave it, do it the next day or pack it in the car on Friday and we'll take it with us to Cornwall' was his solution! (We are away this weekend)
However today there was a slight change in the gender division thing. I returned home from work to find a note on the kitchen table (I left the house before him this morning), it said: 'I THINK THE WASHING MACHINE HAS BROKEN' (that's my line I thought to myself). It wasn't a surprise, it's been a bit dodgy for a week or so now. So I went out to have a look. Sure enough the machine had stopped and no amount of fiddling with the knobs and buttons would help. The door was locked shut and the water hadn't drained away. I wondered how many spare pairs of clean pants we all had left to wear. And weighing that up against when I would be able to wait in all day for a repair man, I phoned the number for a 'man that does' and spoke to a nice woman instead. She was full of useful things to try. 'Have you tried the filter?' she suggested, 'ring me back if that doesn't fix it'.
Half a (very precious) hour later, after trying to catch the water from the filter (in a controlled way!!) in a plastic bag (I know you're snickering) and knowing that there most definitely ought to be a better way to deal with this amount of liquid, I found the problem. Tall Girls jewelry, slightly mangled and caught tight in the filter. The garage floor is a little bit wet and most of the spiders that lived under it are homeless, but the machine is fixed. I am not just domestic goddess but also macho, get your hands dirty type female who can fix anything (sort of)!!!
So I just wanted to wave the banner for the fairer sex today and award the Wonder Woman clouds to the lovely woman who helped me fix my washing machine. Oh yes, and I do fuses and plugs too (he's not keen on electrics)!

14 comments:

Sandpiper (Lin) said...

Great story!! As I write this, my husband is downstairs throwing a load of clothes in the wash. I think I'll keep him! :)

Barbara said...

I think you will have to delegate now you are working! Well done for mending the washing machine, you really are a Wonder Woman.

Anonymous said...

we need more wonder women...:)))

the mother of this lot said...

Oh well done you! I am far too technically challenged to attempt repairs!

Casdok said...

Well done!
As i live on my own i have to do these things! And its suprising how easy most of them are!!

Maggie May said...

Oh dear, yes, this sort of story is very familiar to my ears. I have had 3 inch nails through my pump & house work doesn't exist to most men (or women who blog!)
Even the best of men cannot do real house work!

Suburbia said...

Thanks everyone, I know it wasn't 'technically' a repair but it works now and thats the main thing.

Hi Casdok
you're right, they are easy really. It's the prinicpal that someone else who lives here should help too, which I grapple with!

Akelamalu said...

LOL Before MWM retired I did everything - cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing, decorating, gardening and working - just call me superwoman. However since he retired the only thing I do is cooking! Great life this. However when I retire (next year hopefully) I suppose we'll split the chores, until then I'm enjoying going out to work. :)

Suburbia said...

Hi Akelamalu
Husband will retire long before me and I shall work full time then. I'll look forward to it now!!

BS5 Blogger said...

You go girl! I can feel a BS5 respect post coming on!

Suburbia said...

BS5 I knew you would have to comment on a 'washing' post!! Thanks I'm just off to your place!

Liz Hinds said...

Oh well done! I always feel very proud of myself when I take the hoover apart and get it working again. And today i fixed a toaster! (By turning it upside down and shaking it!)

Suburbia said...

Hi Liz, that's my sort of fixing!!!

this is my patch said...

I've learnt that trick of checking the filter. Don't you just hate it when the water hasn't drained? If you want something doing you do it yourself, that's my motto. Although I can't complain at the moment, my other half is the sole breadwinner! x