Saturday, March 27, 2010

Trying My Best...To Not Explode

I am trying to stay focused on the fact that my family has had me home for over 2 years when I needed to be home and they are very used to me doing everything for them...cleaning is the big one. However..................now that I am working, I truly believe my husband is doing his best to drive me crazy! Well, not really, but it feels like it.

Hubby is working on a stock car race and we (they) are getting down to the wire to get it done, but that does not give him full rein to ignore everything else around him and in the house. The other night he thanked me for my patience, but my patience left this morning. Look at these messes! I can't expect the kids to keep their messes picked up if everywhere I go, he has messes as well!

For years, I have taken flack about how my quilting bothers him because I have bins of fabric or rolls of batting in closets and drawers...the key here is 'IN,' unless I am actively working on a specific project, most of my stuff is contained.

When we purchased our home, we had an area in the basement I wanted an office for, however, since he smokes, we decided he could have it as long as it was kept up...and as you can see, it isn't! This is just the front portion of his desk. You can't see the giant cobwebs all over, the dust on his blinds , the place stinks!

Here is another view or just a corner of his desk, covered with months old paper and garbage. I wouldn't say anything, however, I have to go past his office to get to the freezer and the laundry room.

As you can see, he has an air filter, but he never changes the filter or even turns it on, so it doesn't matter. This picture is what my antique cabinet looks like that I gave him to put stuff in.... it doesn't go in, it goes on!

I know, I shouldn't complain. My husband loves me, he is a wonderful provider, he loves the kids and grandkids and takes care of me. The house is always warm in the morning, my coffee is always waiting for me, he helps out alot & I know I am so blessed! But these messes are just to much!
If they were confined to one area, I wouldn't mind, but this is his office and when we agreed he could have it, we agreed it would stay clean...I painted it, we put carpet in and he just trashes it! If he opens a box, the box never gets tossed out!
This is part of the floor in his office...the keyboard doesn't work or maybe it does, I am not sure if he even knows. He took it to his office to work on it. The bowling bag and balls were supposed to be put away...at least when he was actively bowling, this was at the bowling alley in a locker...we can see how far it got when it arrive home!

Don't believe me? Today he was so proud of a new tool set he has for the stock car. Up and until he opened it and realized he is missing 2 sockets and doesn't know what he did with them.

He never ever puts anything back where it belongs! This is a tangle of extension cords he has promised to get a larger bin for and put away since last year. The aquarium he used and no longer uses I am putting up for sale today! He keeps saying he is going to fix it up for the kids and get them some fish...NOT! It will still be there 5 years from now!

The picture on the right is the utility room. The shelves are somewhat organized due my best friend coming over last year and helping me make some sense out of the mess! The white cabinet on the left is my craft paints...all nicely put away. The floor mess, however is his. He tosses and pulls and leaves the messes for me.

I have asked him repeatedly to just spend 15-30 minutes a day on cleaning up these messes and he does everything but! Today, I went down stairs and just started crying! I just cannot deal with this anymore.....so, you guessed it, I am cleaning up after him again!

Why? I am still having problems with my back here and there and the last thing I need is to trip over his messes and I want to be able to work on my quilts without tripping! He partially finished the bathroom....I am still waiting for baseboards to be ordered, the cabinets to be finished and fixtures to be hung!

This is the basement just as you enter...He has left wheels he bought for the car that now they can't use and he can't sell in the middle of the floor along with the other part of the computer and his new tool box, a foot soaker, a block of wood, etc. It is all over and I am on the verge of screaming!
Now, least you think he has no place to store things, that he is an a husband who is under appreciated....here is his outside work area. You can't see the huge mess it is, but here are his oak cabinets. You can see his mounted bins, towel rack and speaker.

He has lots of places to store things. He just chooses not to do so. He never puts anything back where it belongs. I believe he may even be a hoarder or would be if I let him.

He has these really nice charcoal gray counter tops that have rolled edges and he purchased them last summer at Home Depot. They are really nice! As you can see, they are somewhat cleaned at this time and that is only because he was needing counter space...trust me the floor is awful!

What about my space? The kitchen? What does my kitchen look like? How is my work space? Well, my house was built in 1926 and I think I still have most of the original cabinetry...
As you can see, the cabinets are NOT oak...not even close. They were a horrible yellowish white when we moved in, so we painted them (huge mistake). The counter tops are ugly blue and flat edges that are coming off at the corners and buckled. I do have a new microwave and dishwasher...but oh, maybe this summer I will just have appliances put outside and use his area for a kitchen!

I would love to know I am not the only one with this problem, send me some of your pictures and I will share them here!








































4 comments:

Michele said...

Feel better now? ;-)

Margaret said...

After reading your post and seeing the comment before mine I just had to laugh. It is all out in the open now so you must feel better.

Audrey said...

Maybe he should hire a maid for you? (and him)
Well - my craft room looks like that sometimes too, when I haven't been in it for a long time and it becomes the "storage" room for things I don't know what to do with.
Good luck and have a wonderful Sunday.

Quiltingranny said...

Thanks ladies, I felt better as soon as I was done venting...however, he was told last night that if it gets this way again....it becomes a guest room! LOL!