Wives, and the things they do!

[WoVeU]

My wife seems to have 3 modes on the weekend. Mode 1: Sprawled out on the couch watching movies and Lifetime about all day. Mode 2: Running around with her hands in everything around the house, starting projects that I just don't get. With a room, or a piece of furniture, something in the yard, making this or that!?!? Mode 3: The bounce around town blitz, the 3/4 tanker kind. Home Depot, the mall, here, there, nails, hair, the spa...just like everything!

Now I have been married 16 years and this seems to sum up most weekends. And for any men who haven't been at the game quite as long...Mode 2 is dangerous. At least around thee parts...because she gets into projects she doesn't really know how to do or lacks the muscle to get it done. If it is the latter that mans I am the DH, I don't know when I'll get the call...but it is coming. If it is the former...I have to bite my tongue. She didn't sand before she painted (or primed...might not even have wiped it down with an alcohol or solvent)...she is trying to put a course screw into a board she didn't pre-drill...or just using the wrong tool. Ahhh, this is the sneaky one! I generally let her go and wait till she asks or starts cursing a little. There is no clear cut winner for this one for me. I still can't full tell if it is one of those things she wants to conquer and pee all over or not!

And no planning, no warning! I plan to get jut a couple of productive things done on the weekend and I make a schedule in my head...that seems to be tested every weekend! And now that Spring is here...I think I'll be sprung off the couch quite often. (I like doing my projects a little each day after work...to free up my weekend. I think she sees this as an opportunity for her weekend plans most times!)

[Dossenator]

Been happily married for 14 years. My wife sounds just like yours. She is currently putting all of our movies in alphabetical order...I think that is what she is doing...beats me. She has been bugging me about enclosing an alcove we have in the hall. Finished it last night. It took me two days to finish the closet and I am aching all over....hey, but she is happy. We have all ready done the frantic shopping around town this week (my wife is an assitant principal and this week was her spring break...she kept me busy). Tonight I am looking forward to the movie watching, and relaxing.

[WoVeU]

I have found the absolute cure for the shopping spree involving me. Complaining...well we know how that goes. I employ a 3-pronged attack. I go then I use a usual male flanking scheme...beating feet, blitzkreig through the store. Ahhh but this is a diversionary tactic. Then I slowly settle in on a few things she is looking at (things I think are a waste of money) and we then I start bringing the more expensive ones into considerations...and really weighing things...bringing in more parameters...then if we get that...we might as well get this too...more parameters. And now we are likely in a project scheme...and that means finances and weighing against other big ticket things and their dreamy senses are kicked in. Then I go to the bathroom and play the 6 year old and start shopping myself and then drag her into what I want to do or thought of doing. Then we now have to check a competing store for her origiinal project that has now changed in scope and she is off her game plan. And then I start worrying about the kids and we have to call and check things...and I bring up asides to them and get them asking for things...and when and what are we going to eat. And I might call my dad or brother and get all distracted in that...then bring up somebody's business to her and get her also busy fixing people!

And the real beauty...this is all diversionary. A couple of these trips and she starts figuring taking me messes up everything!

[Spence]

My wife is a planner. She has a list for everything. If "we" are starting a project I know I have a few weeks of planning before we get down to brass tacks. I don't get involved in the planning stages - I've learned my lesson about that - I just wait until she knows exactly what she wants done and then I take it from there. She is pretty good with money though. She has here moments when she goes shopping (what is it with women and shoes? ), but she usually is more frugal then I am. If I want something, once I know what I want I buy it. She will roll it over a dozen times before pulling the trigger.

We generally don't watch much television. The kids are all into some activity all the time so we usually don't have time. I get football season to myself most of the time. We do have fall soccer that gets in the way some, but mostly that is my time. In the summer that two older ones play golf we me some. She really doesn't do much for me to complain about. When we first got married she tried to get me to change some stuff, but when she found out that wasn't happening she backed off.

[WoVeU]

My wife is pretty frugal too. This actually slows her down a bit more in the store. And shoes...I think that is the whole reason for her walk-in closet. I'd bet she has bought 400 pairs since we have been married. I think that is the one thing she just slides in with and doesn't show me n the review of her day's bounty, unless she got them for $4 @ 85% off.

[Spence]

I don't get the shoe thing. I have a brown and black pair of work shoes, a pair of boots, two pair of sneakers, and my golf shoes. That gets me through every occassion. When any of them wear out I replace them. My wife has six pair of shoes that are all shades of blue.

[billybud]

My wife is "one of the guys". On Saturdays (non day game in football season), she is most likely up early riding with me to some destination on the bike with our riding pals. We do no house related work on Saturday if it can be helped....

I can truly say that I feel blessed to have a partner who I enjoy being with so much. We do have a ball. This last weekend we rode, went to a local art festival, bought flowers and pots at a garden center and planted the suckers (they are pretty). We also wandered through Costco..bought a garden hose, two bottles of wine, salmon (I cook a mean salmon dish) and a panasonic Lumix FZ-28 digital camera.

My 24 year old son laughingly says that we are verging on "icky".

[donovan]

The "biscuit burner" tolerates football. She is baseball insane. It is also my favorite sport but I see no need to know every stat on and off the field. She is the quintessential, denotative fan. She also likes the arts. I tolerate them. She tolerates me which I think is a bigger task. I got a great deal when I got her, I am not sure the opposite is true.

[Dossenator]

My wife love shoes as well...has a walk-in closet full of them. Spence, I am like you, I don't get the shoe thing.

My wife is very good with money...when she goes shopping she rarely buys anything (well except for shoes). She loves resale shops, she saves money well, she is well organized, and plans extremely well. She is definitely the better half in our relationship. I too am a very lucky person. Didn't mean too sound like I was complaining too much in my last post.

[Spence]

The "biscuit burner" tolerates football. She is baseball insane. It is also my favorite sport but I see no need to know every stat on and off the field. She is the quintessential, denotative fan. She also likes the arts. I tolerate them. She tolerates me which I think is a bigger task. I got a great deal when I got her, I am not sure the opposite is true.

My wife likes the arts too. I go once in a while. Some of it isn't bad, some of it is like pulling teeth. Then again she has been to baseball games with me and for someone who is not a fan, baseball can be like pulling teeth to them.

[WoVeU]

I don't get the shoe thing. I have a brown and black pair of work shoes, a pair of boots, two pair of sneakers, and my golf shoes. That gets me through every occassion. When any of them wear out I replace them. My wife has six pair of shoes that are all shades of blue.

Ditto...minus the golf shoes! And some goofy beach shoes and the ugliest pair of tennis shoes the old lady bought for me!

[WoVeU]

My wife is "one of the guys". On Saturdays (non day game in football season), she is most likely up early riding with me to some destination on the bike with our riding pals. We do no house related work on Saturday if it can be helped....

I can truly say that I feel blessed to have a partner who I enjoy being with so much. We do have a ball. This last weekend we rode, went to a local art festival, bought flowers and pots at a garden center and planted the suckers (they are pretty). We also wandered through Costco..bought a garden hose, two bottles of wine, salmon (I cook a mean salmon dish) and a panasonic Lumix FZ-28 digital camera.

My 24 year old son laughingly says that we are verging on "icky".

Lucky B@&!@~d!

[WoVeU]

My wife love shoes as well...has a walk-in closet full of them. Spence, I am like you, I don't get the shoe thing.

My wife is very good with money...when she goes shopping she rarely buys anything (well except for shoes). She loves resale shops, she saves money well, she is well organized, and plans extremely well. She is definitely the better half in our relationship. I too am a very lucky person. Didn't mean too sound like I was complaining too much in my last post.

My wife sounds like her twin! I think she plans too much! Planning creates borders and boundaries...I like to have plenty at work but just a few critical ones at home. The home isn't a place I like to have a bunch of Production and Operational Readiness Meetings.

I don't know if you guys give yourselves enough credit...it takes two make a partnership work! I think one secret to marriage is his, hers, and ours...with plenty of ours! The Camaro, guns, and guitars are mine...nobody messes with them. The couch is mostly mine and I have a couple of drawers and a little closet that is 63% mine (at current inventory)! Pretty much everything else is hers! I don't think either of us care too much about the 4 wheeler or riding lawnmower. But the lawnmower is more hers, the 4-wheeler is more mine. My tools she figures are joint property, much less so for the power tools (I think they scare her almost as much as the guns). Oh, and the meters, oscilloscope, and electronic tools are also part of daddy's untouchables.

Note on the Camaro, guns, guitars, and electronic tools. I believe the Queen grants these to me because she does not know how to use them. (She owns the bras, make-up, and pantyhose for similar reasons.) Defense exhibit A, the Camaro, which became totally exclusive to me once it started scaring the Hell out of her. Oh and the coffee maker and cappuccino maker are mine, they don't scare her and she knows how to use them...I think the Queen has allotted these to the King as a testament of her love for me!
(Well, the coffee-maker may scare her a bit, daddy has washing and cleaning rules for this tool, it often looks dingy.) *And NO, coffee-maker is not euphemism!!!! But it does have a certain ring to it!

[donovan]

Note on the Camaro, guns, guitars, and electronic tools. I believe the Queen grants these to me because she does not know how to use them. (She owns the bras, make-up, and pantyhose for similar reasons.)

I believe I can speak for all the members of this board, we are greatly relieved at this revelation.

[Derek]

Cool stories...but don't let them get on your nerves too bad....I come home to a black lab and an empty house every night.