I have heard it said that opposites attract.
Well if that is the case it’s a wonder my husband and I can bear to move apart.
Every day I observe the many differences there are between us.
Not the ones we all speak of,
like our physical differences or differences in pay packets.
No I am talking of the many everyday differences I’ve discovered over twenty years of marriage.
He is quite neat. Not exactly OCD neat but definitely neater than I am.
I like to have the kitchen clean and relatively tidy,
and likewise the sitting room so I can relax at night,
other than that I’m not too upset on a daily basis if things aren’t perfect.
If I do go mad and tidy, the one room which is usually left til never last, is our bedroom.
In the early years of our marriage,
I was unaware this bothered my husband.
Until one summer when my husband said it did, in his usual round the town sort of way.
It was at a time when our children were very young and life was hectic.
Our bedroom had a cot in it, and baby changing equipment,
empty baby bottles, soothers, creams and nappies.
As well as the baby bits, there were piles of clothes.
Now when I say piles this may lead you to believe they were neatly folded.
Sadly no, what I mean is that they were piled high on the floor,
whilst various other pieces of clothing were strewn around.
You could barely see the covers on the bed with “stuff” on it.
I had, you could say, fallen way behind on laundry and tidying.
Anyway this particular Summer a business man was kidnapped in Ireland.
It was big news and a nationwide search was underway.
We were all following what was happening with great interest.
Then one evening whilst watching the news it was stated that maybe he was in the South.
We live in the south of the country.
A plea went out for everyone to be vigilant and on the look out.
Next thing my other half pipes up,
“I think I’ll give that number a ring”.
“What?, I said, have you seen something?”.
“No, says Mr Smartass, but I think he could be hidden in our bedroom”.
Point made.
That was quite a number of years ago and I have tidied up my act somewhat.
However apart from him hating to see me crunching up money notes,
the next thing we “disagree” over most is the heat in the house.
Let me enlighten you all.
We have a gas boiler which has a timer switch.
You can leave it on all the time, ( not possible as my other half would have a stroke),
or you can put it on in half hourly bursts.
Each segment you push down is a half hour of heat.
This is how we go about our daily lives.
I get up and curse under my breath that the heat is not on.
I go into the utility room and push on the heat using my thumb.
This means I press down at least 5 segments which equals 2.5 hours of heat.
Without discussion my husband goes into the utility and pulls up three of them.
This is how it goes on all the time.
I complain constantly that it is cold.
Each time I do he says the same thing,
“I’m not cold at all”.
Why he says this I don’t know because I do not care what the temperature of his body is.
Well things around here have gone from bad to worse.
We are in the midst of a crisis.
Yesterday our source of conflict had had enough.
It packed in, heated it’s last radiator and ceased working.
Since then it’s been all downhill.
Even Mr “I’m never cold” is feeling the pinch.
The bad news is it will be Wednesday before we can get it fixed.
The good news is two days are nearly over.
As I sit here typing tonight I am well wrapped up.
There is a fire blazing and the temperature in the room is, thankfully, just perfect.
However not everything is perfect.
My wine is in the fridge,
which is in the freezing kitchen,
via the Siberian hall.
Oh and will I tell you another of our differences?
My husband doesn’t drink!
photo credit: las – initially via photopin cc
photo credit: viviandnguyen_ via photopin cc
photo credit: practicalowl via photopin cc
My thoughts on a page. 
Happy New Year Tric, hope you got to the fridge I am enjoying my tipple at the moment – as we say down this side of the bridge BOTTOMS UP.
Chris.
Long time no hear. Happy New Year to you too. Yes I got my tipple without leaving the heat.
*groan* Like north and south, like black and white.
Yes indeed. I’m sure he thinks the same though. 🙂
This is charming. I love the way your posts might shoot off unexpectedly in a different direction. :0)
Thanks Olivia. Wasn’t sure where it was going myself!
It’s was great. Sorry if you think i’m stalking you. Saturday night and husband watching spiderman 3.. yawn. I’m just waiting for blog posts.
I made my husband read it and he thought it was funny too. Enjoy your weekend! :0)
Oh trust me Olivia I’m delighted you read and enjoy what I post. 🙂
As soon as you said you were in the warm room and the wine was in the kitchen I wanted to shout to tell him to go get it for you. 🙂
My husband and I are opposites in many ways. I have to admit, I hate it when my husband crunches up the dollar bills and just shoves them in the place I keep them. I also don’t like that he throws things in the refrigerator all willy nilly. I like clean and neat. He likes clean but doesn’t worry so much about the ‘neat’ part of things.
But….here I sit all the live long day being sick. And he goes out in the frigid cold to get me ice cream. 🙂 So I can live with the differences. 😉
Yes I think that’s it in a nutshell. Are you still sick?
I am feeling MUCH better. One full day of BLECH. I can deal with that. Thank you for asking. 🙂
Ugh! Stay warm. A nice fire gives off perfect heat. Enjoy your wine!
I did! 🙂 Thankfully the weather is not as cold as it could be. When we get the boiler replaced we will be sitting in bikinis!
Opposites must attract. I’ve yet to find a couple who are alike. You two sound like a good match.
Yes despite many many differences we get on great.
I had to laugh at your post, Tric. All the while, I’m thinking to myself, “Well, I’m single, and the ups and downs of that are I can control my own heat, but have no one to snuggle with at night!” I hope the two of you laugh about the differences rather than whine about them, as many couples tend to do these days. Appreciate each other and don’t go to bed angry. At least that’s what I remember. (And if he cuts off those heat packets too much, give him a few of your frozen toes when you snuggle up at night under the covers!) Have a blessed New Year! 😉
To be honest we do get on very well despite our differences. Somedays we could kill each other but our rows are very shortlived.
Here’s hoping you have a very good 2014.
this was very funny and brightened up a wet damp Sunday morning…I am off now to light the fire! hope you are all snuggled up.
Thanks Joan. Still no heat but the fire is very cosy. The only thing is that we are all together in the one room… it is more than a little noisy as we all comment on every tv show.
Stay by the fire with your wine. We have a freezing house and yes, my husband doesn’t feel the cold either. Am so so glad we got a stove in the kitchen last year – now keeps it as a comfortable warmth. Daughter goes around in a t-shirt all over our cold house and makes me feel cold to look at her.
Happy new year Tric 🙂
Brrrr. It’s very pleasant in the sitting room if a little crowded. We wont know ourselves come Thursday when it’s hopefully all sorted.
Hope 2014 is as successful and fulfilling for you as last year.
I’m finished your book and really enjoyed it.
Delighted to hear that 🙂 and cheers for the support.
We’re having problems with a leaking shower and a smoking stove – there’s always something 😉
Vive la difference as they say. Except when it comes to heat. And wine. 😉 x
Yes I agree. How boring if we agreed on everything. And of course we have learned to compromise, I pour the wine and I drink it!
Lol. that’s what I’m doing right now. But hubby delivered it. Team work at its best. 🙂 x
Anita and I were certainly opposites – so much so that our friends wondered how we ever got on
I am painfully shy in small groups unless I know people well, whereas Anita was always at ease chatting to strangers
Stick a microphone in my hand and 2-300 people in front of me, however, and I will happily get up and entertain them for however so long is required, whereas neither wild horses or bribery would get Anita to do so
A typical redhead, she was quick to anger and just as quick to forgive, whereas I am slow to anger but long will harbour a grudge
She would dress elegantly for work, I am the eternal hippy and wear jeans and t-shirts to the office
She was neat and tidy around the house, my clothes never see the inside of a wardrobe – moving from floor to washing machine/dryer, then a pile on the bedroom chair, then floor to . . . (repeat cycle)
About the only things we had in common were a shared sense of humour, a love for dogs, and alcohol
p.s. smart move, tric, finding a man that doesn’t drink – (you sure he is Irish?)
All the more for you then 😆
Anita sounds like she suited you just perfectly. I was never attracted to someone like my husband until I met him and over twenty years later it’s still working for me.
Definitely it was genius meeting someone who doesn’t drink. His very strong accent would leave you in no doubt where he comes from but I make up for it. 🙂
PF and I are dissimilar in many things. He’s always looking for new challenges, I’m happy with my lot in life. He’s carefree about money, I’m permanently anxious. I’m the one who talks at parties, and he’s the one who is shy, but he lectures to halls full of students, whereas I’d keel over in fear. But I wouldn’t change him for the world. I’m the one who fights to switch the heating off here, by the way 🙂
I think me and you PF would make a very bad pairing. 🙂
i love this post tric especially the part about the lost man possibly being found in your room , very telling ) stay warm and enjoy your ice wine )
Thank you. I still smile when I remember that comment.
lol! I hope you continue to stay warm first of all. I was just telling people today how different Renee and I are. Its just got to be true that opposites attract! 🙂
Maybe a bit of balance is good (if you can live with it!) Renee sounds so perfect for you. How long are you together?
10 years. She doesn’t find me nearly as amusing as she used to! 🙂