The Battle Of Wits

Talk of New Year Resolutions! Sabitha, don't blame me. You got me started on this one!

Mine is not a New Year Resolution - it was more of a 5 year plan!

"High time the house got a coat of paint", I told the BH a few years ago. Probably it was 5 years ago?

"Sure", he said. "Let the monsoon come to an end, then we'll paint it".

Monsoons came to an end. Then it was "You are not well". So it was postponed. Then it was "I don't have time now. I have a lot of pending jobs. I can't have workers all over the place. We'll do it end of this year" (I forget which year that was).

As if BH was not enough for me to contend with, my back stepped in big time and kicked me hard. My mom's Alzheimer's made me forget all about painting.

When I remembered again, there were many reasons why we could not get the house painted. More monsoons and summers came and went. Even the Woman Friday would keep reminding me gently that we should get the house painted.

Finally, December 2016 arrived and the dear mil left to visit her son abroad and this son decided we could get our house painted in her absence. He went to drop her at his brother's place. He kept pleading that I should not start the painting work in his absence. Reason? How will you manage? You are not well. It is not safe.....

There is nothing to get me going like telling me I can't. So I waited for mom and son to leave. Then I summoned the paint company and paid off the advance amount. There! Now there was nothing he could do to undo my plans. The kitchen was the first step so the growling tum of the growling hubby could be kept smiling when he got back. Before he got back, I ensured that our room and balcony were handed over for painting. There! Another step. He could not stop that.

It was not as easy after that. Woman proposed, man tried to dispose. But when woman is determined, with or "w.o. man", she makes sure work is done. So he raved, ranted, screamed at workers. Woman got samosas and fed them to workers to keep up their spirits. After he calmed down and toed the line - to a large extent - just in time so the woman did not have a nervous breakdown.

How can 'woman' forget her Women Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Woman Friday was asked to come an hour earlier till work got done, another stayed till Woman Sunday arrived and Woman Sunday remained to clean up after workers. So the whole day was covered and work went on smoothly.

Except for a new connection that we have discovered between electrical points, tube lights, bulbs, invertors and wifis and painting. Every tubelight/bulb decided to give up the ghost after a room was painted. The invertor blew. The wifi got burnt. What was the connection? Search me! Carpenter had to be summoned to set drawers in the kitchen right. They got jammed after painting.

So now woman has her work cut out. Electrician to be summoned to get all electrical points checked out. Carpenter to be brought in to get woodwork repaired. Vinyl flooring to be changed. A petulant BH looking like thunder to be treated as gently as a child.

Do I need any more New Year's Resolutions after this? I think I am better off with 10 year plans. 5 years is too frequent for my jangled nerves! Now the dear son wants me to get two rooms of mil's house painted before she arrives. I am not feeling well. Probably we should wait until next summer.

I know there are only 11.5 months left to this year. Happy New Year all the same!

 

OK. Let me let you in on my secret. Women Friday, Saturday and Sunday have a free run of the kitchen, since they buy the veggies, do the cooking, cleaning etc. Before life came to this pass, I or BH would make coffee for Woman Friday. After my back to back back surgeries, Women Saturday and Sunday came into my life. So they are happy and so am I so long as they are happy to help. We have our friendly grumbles at each other ..... but then life goes on. It has to. So yes, I get them samosas, and they make coffee for themselves and me.

Enjoy your samosas. :-D

 

So good to hear from you JS Ma'am. We got this house in 2004. After this is the first round of painting. By the time the next time is due (may be after another 15 years? :-D) we should be ready to move to a retirement home. So I shan't worry.

The other day I asked my Woman Sunday to pull out all my files and books from the cupboard, took a deep breath, decided that what I have not opened in 10 years is unlikely to be used in the next 10. I mercilessly chucked out my papers. The BH has been telling me to clear up. But he has various generations of stuff which he swears he can't live without! WEll..... what can I do? Unless I get rid of them one by one when he is not looking!

 

Hats off to you Akanksha. I really admire the way people paint their own homes without depending on anyone. But it is easier than done here. As for me doing it, wish I could .....