Talky today.

Eggs: Quiche or deviled. Not that fond of scrambled, but if you add cheese it works. Over easy in a runny fried egg sandwich.

Housekeeping: DH and I always thank each other for doing chores. If I cook dinner every day he lavishes me with praise for cooking for him like I never have before. Married 20 years in another couple weeks and he still is appreciative for the little stuff, as am I.

H does all the cooking. And I lavish praise upon him for that. He does all the shopping, unless I forcibly wrest the list from him, or sneak off and shop by myself. But then he's a bit of a control freak, so I indulge him in areas I'm not so invested in. It makes him happy to see me clean, so I wield the duster like enticing foreplay, glancing coyly at him from the corner of my eye. Hey, 42 years, we figured out what does it for us. Shush, you, I was a child bride.

He does all the laundry, except what delicates I hand wash.

He cleans some things, but seems to feel the vacuum and mop are my destiny. Eh. Sometimes I indulge him.

I do cleanup after he cooks, except for the babied pans he wants to hover over my shoulder and make sure I don't abuse with a harsh cloth or inappropriate rinsing. He gets to do those. If he starts to supervise when I'm doing any household chore, I down tools and walk off immediately. I do it or he does it or it doesn't get done. I don't supervise him, he returns the courtesy.

He's Type A and was eyebrow deep in work till our kids were mid-teens, at which point he became SAHCaregiver to them and my dad and I was primary--and for a while, sole--breadwinner.

We have never had a conventional lifestyle, but it seems to be working thus far.

And pristine firm *white* egg whites fried gently in butter with molten golden centers, served with my mom's recipe buttermilk biscuits drenched in melting butter to sop up the yolks? Food.of.the.gods. H mastered the biscuits, too. Love that man.

Yeah, I'm thinking quiche for dinner. Always meets with approval.

I indulged the boy today and took him to Wendy's for lunch for getting a 100 on his public speaking assignment.

It's been so long since I had fast food that I'm now feeling a little off. But I'm planning on going to yoga for the first time in FOREVER tonight so hopefully, it balances itself out.

took him to Wendy's for lunch for getting a 100 on his public speaking assignment.

Yay for 100's and double yay for public speaking assignments!

Oooh, quiche. OTOH, the baked ziti I just put in the oven smells pretty good too. (It has mushrooms and heavy cream and sausage in it. Is for noms.)

There was a plan for me to go out to dinner with a friend who was supposed to call me today with the time. No call and now I'm sleepy and hungry.

When I was married, I was irritated by the assumption that cleaning was my responsibility and that for my ex to do any cleaning, I had to tell him what to do every single time. He also was a master of strategic helplessness. He couldn't do the dishes because the clean dishes hadn't been put up. He couldn't put up the clean dishes because he didn't know where they went, even after five years of the same cabinet arrangement. If I snapped and told him to figure it out, I'd later spend 15 minutes looking for a cake pan and finally track it down between two skillets. His response: I can't tell the difference. (Note: He was a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent.)

Wait, Ginger, your exhusband was one of my work study students?

??

I have only lived with one man, and it pissed me right off that he thanked me for cleaning. I felt he was trying to manipulate me into doing more (because I am the messy, lazy bum. He thought I would be the socializer, but I am a loner, messy, lazy bm. Given my choice, I would really just lke to lay in bed all day eating bon bons and reading novels).

It turns out that was exactly why he was doing it. He had read "How to Win Friends and Influance People"

Dinner is scrambled eggs and broccoli with melted Jarlsberg cheese. Nom.

I have just put some butter in the freezer.