By Margi Washburn
I found him sitting at the kitchen table watching the Today show go into its third hour. It was going to be another scorcher, so I couldn't blame hubby for preferring the cool house to framing the front door.
His coffee cup was nearly full, and a glance at the pot showed it was as empty as when I'd left an hour before. Odd.
"So," I said, "must be tough working hard on a day like this."
"So," he shot back, "must be tough working those long hours. Were you gone a whole hour?"
That out of the way, I asked if he wanted me to make another pot of coffee. He declined, and added an apology. "I drank the rest of yours, sorry. Hope you didn't want it."
I may not remember things as well as I used to, but I knew I'd poured the last of my coffee from my Bugs Bunny cup down the drain on my way out.
Before I knew it, I was telling him exactly that. "Well, then," he said, then stopped.
We both looked at the counter at the mug by the microwave. "You mean I just drank coffee from yesterday morning?" I found the whole thing hilarious, and he did too, then he stopped laughing. "You know, this reflects on your housekeeping. It shows you don't clean your microwave."
No, it doesn't. It shows me that someone doesn't pay attention to which mug I'm drinking from, or that I stood in front of him pouring coffee down the drain.
This exercise in paying attention and what happens to our memories got me to thinking. While many women fret that men don't remember things, some of us know all too well that there are things they don't forget.
Many moons ago when we lived in Tucson, I was selling some of our furniture. I had one couple almost hooked on a sofa, but the guy was hesitant. I got the brilliant idea to throw in hubby's wet-dry vac for free and the deal was done. The vac hadn't been used in months, so out the door it went.
I have to say, some people get their feathers ruffled when you give away their stuff. It's been well over 20 years, and I still hear about it whenever we see a wet-dry vac. "Remember when you sold mine? Oh, wait, you gave it away," he'll say. I've asked why he doesn't just buy a new one, and he tells me he likes reminding me of what I did.
Another such reminder came up the other night at supper. We were having tomato burgers, as in tomatoes from the farmer's market. These are the deep-red, juicy, aroma-filled kind, not the bouncy, rubber ball variety we get the rest of the year. I asked him to grab a couple of napkins on his way to the table, and he asked if I wanted him to just tear one in half. Ah, another thing he didn't forget.
Again, we were in Tucson. We both had great jobs, a new home, a new car and I was trying to cut expenses. The kids were helping set the table for lunch one day when I had an idea. I suggested they cut the paper plates in half, and you would've thought the world was coming to an end. They couldn't wait to tell their dad about this latest cost-cutting venture, hence today's question on ripping a napkin in half.
It's kind of funny, really, that some guys have the ability to remember goofs so well. Let me tell you, women have good memories too.
Instead of dwelling on those, though, I think I'll wipe out the microwave with half a napkin and brew another pot of coffee. I haven't used microwave popcorn for about a week now, which is probably why I didn't find the coffee mug. So, while the coffee's brewing, I'll take out my new popper and make a big batch of popcorn. He might want a snack when he comes in from working so hard.
His coffee cup was nearly full, and a glance at the pot showed it was as empty as when I'd left an hour before. Odd.
"So," I said, "must be tough working hard on a day like this."
"So," he shot back, "must be tough working those long hours. Were you gone a whole hour?"
That out of the way, I asked if he wanted me to make another pot of coffee. He declined, and added an apology. "I drank the rest of yours, sorry. Hope you didn't want it."
I may not remember things as well as I used to, but I knew I'd poured the last of my coffee from my Bugs Bunny cup down the drain on my way out.
Before I knew it, I was telling him exactly that. "Well, then," he said, then stopped.
We both looked at the counter at the mug by the microwave. "You mean I just drank coffee from yesterday morning?" I found the whole thing hilarious, and he did too, then he stopped laughing. "You know, this reflects on your housekeeping. It shows you don't clean your microwave."
No, it doesn't. It shows me that someone doesn't pay attention to which mug I'm drinking from, or that I stood in front of him pouring coffee down the drain.
This exercise in paying attention and what happens to our memories got me to thinking. While many women fret that men don't remember things, some of us know all too well that there are things they don't forget.
Many moons ago when we lived in Tucson, I was selling some of our furniture. I had one couple almost hooked on a sofa, but the guy was hesitant. I got the brilliant idea to throw in hubby's wet-dry vac for free and the deal was done. The vac hadn't been used in months, so out the door it went.
I have to say, some people get their feathers ruffled when you give away their stuff. It's been well over 20 years, and I still hear about it whenever we see a wet-dry vac. "Remember when you sold mine? Oh, wait, you gave it away," he'll say. I've asked why he doesn't just buy a new one, and he tells me he likes reminding me of what I did.
Another such reminder came up the other night at supper. We were having tomato burgers, as in tomatoes from the farmer's market. These are the deep-red, juicy, aroma-filled kind, not the bouncy, rubber ball variety we get the rest of the year. I asked him to grab a couple of napkins on his way to the table, and he asked if I wanted him to just tear one in half. Ah, another thing he didn't forget.
Again, we were in Tucson. We both had great jobs, a new home, a new car and I was trying to cut expenses. The kids were helping set the table for lunch one day when I had an idea. I suggested they cut the paper plates in half, and you would've thought the world was coming to an end. They couldn't wait to tell their dad about this latest cost-cutting venture, hence today's question on ripping a napkin in half.
It's kind of funny, really, that some guys have the ability to remember goofs so well. Let me tell you, women have good memories too.
Instead of dwelling on those, though, I think I'll wipe out the microwave with half a napkin and brew another pot of coffee. I haven't used microwave popcorn for about a week now, which is probably why I didn't find the coffee mug. So, while the coffee's brewing, I'll take out my new popper and make a big batch of popcorn. He might want a snack when he comes in from working so hard.
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