house husband meterosexuality

You guessed it.... today was the day where I made up for all my "time in the saddle," for all my time running on the ever so beautiful Hearte Trail and for all the time I spend in the pool. Lori's back hurt, so she needed some shopping therapy and I, and the kiddlets, cleaned the house.... and we are not just talking a "tidy" we are talking a deep - "scrub the toilets" - kind of clean.

So here's windex in your eye!

Now I want to begin by explaining that for those of you who don't know me, I am a neat freak! I cannot possibly be at ease in a messy room. Just one of those "AAAAA" type, obsessive compulsive kinda things about me. You put me in a room with a turned over trash can.... at some point I will have to get up and pick up the trash.... you could be Marylin Munroe wearing nothing but a luffa, and I would get up and walk away to pick up trash.

I also want to get another thing perfectly clear.... I love cleaning and vacuuming. I love the word vacuuming... where else can you get two u's in a row.....huh? Well for Carly... you have to think about Jaan Kirsipuu the Estonian Cyclist. But I digress........ again......

I do enjoy cleaning and house work. I have decided in my own introspection that it has something to do with the ease at which you start and end a project. let me explain. My "day" job, if you wish, requires hours and hours of preparation just to determine a possible start point and event then, after all those hours, you may not be starting in the right spot. As well, you are never every truly finished... it is hard to explain, but things just kind of end due to time constraints. But trust me, you never truly feel finished.

What I am trying to say, is that when you wash the dishes there is a definite start point and next to no prep. It is a mindlessly easy task and you are always aware of your end point. You can walk away after a few minutes and claim that you are done.

Today was all about getting my "Jones" on by sending Lori out for some shopping therapy without the kids and making the house as clean as possible so I can, ultimately relax.

I guess we should also address the underlying semantic issue here. Tidying is not cleaning. These are two completely different things and are often at the center of minor disagreement in our house. A typical conversation might go something like this:

G - "Man is the house dirty."

L - "What are you talking about? I just spent 2 hours cleaning-up."

G - "That may be true, but you didn't clean, you just put stuff away where it belongs.... that's tidying up, not cleaning."

L - "Give it a rest there Tri-Guy or you will get put away where you belong... in the garage with your bike."

G - "Okay I'll drop it..... I'll be outside 'tidying-up' the Giant."

So from my P.O.V. - tidying is just simply the act of putting crap away throughout the house. Sort of your normal every day putting the salt back in the cupboard when you are done with it. Cleaning..... well that's a whole different world of hurt. It involves: pledging the furniture, washing the walls, reorganizing the drawers.... including that one that all guys have that holds all our pack-ratted precious items dating back to Gr.12, (like today I found a entry ticket to Disneyland from '83...yep remind me to get that framed.)

The list goes on..... Vacuuming, dusting, watering plants, helping the kiddies determine that there is a floor in their room and that "polly-pockets and lego" can be put away even if it is only long enough for daddy to suck-up a few shoes and light-sabers with the trusty vacuum. It involves, washing things that don't normally get washed, like the kitchen sink - which needs to get shined, the toilet which needs to be scrubbed and I am not just talking the bowl... what about underneath. As well, the bathroom and the en-suite sinks need to be.... wait for it...... wait for it....... de-haired. Num num!

Nothing like pulling out a 10 inch... well let's just say that when I was done today.....

I pulled this guy out of the en-suite bathroom sink and he says, "Hi!"

I truly am not complaining and I do like the work as I have already explained.

I am very at ease with my house husband meterosexuality. That said, there is an inherent danger here. As my other "manly" friends might point out, there is an image for us to protect. Otherwise, you could be staring at a glimpse into the future of an Amazonian Utopia....

Now the big question..... did my 6 hours straight of cleaning constitute a workout?

Your comments welcome!