MEN!

Now that it is summer, I have figured out that somewhere in between sitting and reading, writing, going to the pool and the beach, walking my dog, working on my garden and watching "So You Think You Can Dance," I can devote about 30 minutes a day to housework.  I can hear your shock from here.  You are amazed, wondering what my secret is, how I manage to keep my house clean and organized in only 30 minutes a day.  Well, the secret is, I don't.  My house is a mess.

In addition to that, there is quite a bit of work to be done on my bathroom.  The eight people in my house share one bathroom - and there are two soft spots on the bathroom floor where the subfloor needs to be replaced.  also, it is a very small bathroom, and the door swings in towards the toilet, making it seem even smaller.  My idea was to turn the door around so that swings out of the bathroom, opening up the space, and to then patch and re-tile the floor.

about six weeks ago, with the best of intentions, my annoying and not-so-handy husband surprised me by beginning the work on out bathroom.  He did two things - he removed the bathroom door and he put a piece of wood on top of the soft spots so that nobody would fall through and break their ankle.  I was shocked and pleased by his effort, and excited to see the next step.  Well, I am still excited to see the next step because we still have a piece of wood on the floor and we still have no door on our bathroom (which, at least, has made us a much closer family).

But this story gets better.  My husband, who has a knack for overlooking messes and repair projects, invited actual people over to our house.  I'm not talking about little boys who run around and tear things up anyway, and therefore appreciate the fact that they can't make the mess much worse than it already is - but actual adult people.  I am also not talking about inviting them to come to the front door to pick up an envelope - I'm talking about actual adult people who would come into our house and socialize - and who might, at some point in the visit - need to use the bathroom.  And my husband, bless his heart, doesn't see what the issue is.

O.K., so this fatal visit is scheduled to occur TODAY, and, surprise surprise, there is still no door on my bathroom, and my house, while progressing towards less than messy than usual, isn't there yet.  Plus, my plan to entertain in the yard with iced tea, cookies and light jokes about the lack of repair skills on the part of my husband looks doubtful due to the torrential rainstorm occuring outside my window as I write.  Oh well, the good news is, days like this always provide for good stories.