He Meant Well
"Good-bye! Thank you so much for coming out and fixing the water softener!"
"No problem. You should start to notice a big difference after 5-7 tanks of hot water through the water heater."
"Great!"
"I left the valve that had corroded and the other broken parts on top of the unit. Your husband will want to see them."
Yeah. Right. You bet he will. (Because he's so into that sort of thing.)
Right after I perform the autopsy. Just lemme get my toolbox.
And while I'm at it, I'll just fix that bathroom sink.
"No problem. You should start to notice a big difference after 5-7 tanks of hot water through the water heater."
"Great!"
"I left the valve that had corroded and the other broken parts on top of the unit. Your husband will want to see them."
Yeah. Right. You bet he will. (Because he's so into that sort of thing.)
Right after I perform the autopsy. Just lemme get my toolbox.
And while I'm at it, I'll just fix that bathroom sink.
Labels: shtoopid
posted by Diana at 8:32 PM
17 Comments:
I've had to explain to more than one repair guy that his best bet was to talk to ME.
I have to admit to knowing nothing about home repairs...I just got my own mini-screwdriver set a few years ago!
That sounds just like your loving Da. I never met a tool that I could make work, except a hammer or a power drill. This is why I married Cathy. She and her Da can fix/make anything.
The Ole RF-er
(explicative deleted) chauvanist...
Ohhhh, that makes me so mad.
Did you have lovely wild weather the other night? (Totally off-subject)
When B and I moved in together, I owned more power tools than he did. All of which he now refers to as "his" tools. While the sewing machine is still only referred to as mine. Even the men we love are stereotype brainwashed. Will it ever change?
V.
My wife bought a power drill and knows how it works; I don't. I'm not proud of that and I wish I'd been taught the basics in plumbing and electricity as it costs so much to call out a plumber or electrician for the simplest of tasks.
Cagey- You know, I first thought of you as I watched him down the walk and get into his truck. You, with more tools than most handymen and the knowledge of how to use them.
Ruth- Great start! I can't do big repairs or mess with electricity, but I can do the basics.
Dad- I have been beyond blessed. The women in my life know how to do and the men gift me with power drills and tool boxes. I'm not Ms Fixit, but I'm not helpless.
Teri- I was actually surprised at how mad it made me. Of course I didn't say anything. I just laughed wryly, with an incredulous look on my face, at the thought of Charles caring in the least about examining the detritus.
Voyager- Now that's way too funny! Or maybe it's not. I am also prone to make the gaff. Last week, Charles mentioned how, when driving by a group of houses, with cars that lived out front, that there several people out working on them, no matter what time you drove by. I said that I wondered if it was a 'guy thing', where you went out and tinkered with your car and talked with your friends. He laughed at me and said that they were almost exclusively women. Whoops.
Dumdad- I love your wife. You know, there's something really, really satisfying about fixing something yourself, at least that's how it is for me.
Teri- Oh! Yes, indeedy. Good storm. Headed to the bombshelter with the wine for about 10 minutes as there was supposedly a tornado headed in our direction. The wind drove the rain so hard that it started flowing down the walls of the shelter for about 5 minutes, until it all passed. Cooooool.
Ahh a chauvinist. Why am I not surprised?
And to answer your comment at my blog..
@Diana. What we have is a brand called Kontos, available in Indian grocery stores. It is parttyl cooked and we just heat it up. It is a bit like the Naan in Indian restaurants, which are much better being freshy baked. Hope that helps.
Please let me know if you need more info. :)
Ugh!
It really pushes my buttons when people make assumptions like that. Like most of the other women who've commented I am much handier than my so-called better half. Although that's still not saying much.
Why do they make that assumption? I mean, granted, I would have no clue on what to do with this stuff but it isn't like this is 1955 anymore. Many women know what they are doing. And I own tools. Granted, my manly brother-in-law mocks my tools (apparently buying something because it is pretty isn't highly considered in the tool world) and the wheely hamper I put together fell apart after a year but still...I own tools.
That reminds of the last time I went to buy a lawn mower. After about 5 minutes into the sales pitch, I had to interrupt the salesman to inform him that the man he was aiming his sales pitch at was not my husband, indeed he was just browsing and as hard as it was to believe, I, a woman, was actually buying a mower and had some questions.
Oog. That annoys Ma something fierce, too. Especially when it comes to car repair. She used to work for a car mechanic so knows about parts and such, but back in the day they'd always insist on talking to the Old Man (he knew about cars, too, but was busy at work). She once went off on a mechanic to the effect of 'Just because I don't have that thing swinging between my legs does NOT mean I don't know what I'm talking about!! It's the fucking transmission!!'
It was, of course. Mechanic ate a BIG shit sandwich THAT day.
So presumptuous!
I recently had such a moment with involving a gun safe and the assumption that only men would need one. It's a long story, but the punch line is that the couple in question is lesbian, and that idea never occurred to the gun safe owners. I guess lesbians don't hunt, eh?
So, he left the broken parts behind because he thought Charles would like to see them? Besides the assumption that all men would be interested in that, the gaul of leaving garbage sitting on top of the water heater is idiotic. Like, "Hey, thanks. I'll just pick up that trash." This irks me.
Sorry, that sort of thing is in the Guy Handbook.
Sanjay- (as you know from my email) thanks for the naan tip!
Rozanne- Yes. I'm not terribly handy, but things bug me more than Charles and, hence, I am more likely to do the small household repairs.
Dana- I love that you buy cute tools and I am proud that you put together a whelly hamper. I am sure it fell apart because the component parts were not as good as they should have been rather than any fault of you or your tools.
Listie- Oooh! That's my favorite tale. We marched out of a car dealership 15 years ago because a snotty condescending sales guy first wouldn't talk to me and then, after I kept asking questions while Charles hung back, asked me why I THOUGHT I needed a 4WD vehicle. I set him straight and marched out.
Babs- I have said it before and I'll say it again: I loves your ma!
Jocelyn- Heh, heh, heh. I'd think lesbian gun owners would be more likely to want a gun safe given the double hit of good sense. But then I'd be accused of reverse discrimination.
Beth- Yes. Yes, he did. I retrieved them several days later, and put them in the trash, neglecting to show them to Charles. Grrrr.
Joe- (slaps forehead) Well, thanks for that! It explains all. I am fortunate to have married one who was not given the Handbook.
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