Swapping Chores

My idea of spending quality time with my honey doesn’t include chores. However, making chores fun is a better idea that procrastinating or complaining. We made the challenge entertaining. I’m not one to avoid things I don’t understand or haven’t experienced. According to social conditioning household chore have long been feminine domain and the outdoor chores fall into the masculine realm.

What would happen if we switched roles? I was concerned a few appliances might be harmed during the completion of this challenge, so we decided to work together. Turns out my honey adapted better than I did. Household duties don’t necessarily require high level skills just the ability to become inured to tedium

Changing the oil in the vehicle would be easy with practice and if I knew what I was doing. My honey offered to talk me through the procedure and became the inadvertent director of a comedy production. I thought it was grunt work to carry the mat to absorb spills and placed it under the vehicle along with the drip pan to catch the used oil. He handed me a rag to facilitate cleanup and I slid under the vehicle on my back just like a professional.

“Turn the plug slowly and then remove it quick and get out of the way.”

I didn’t follow that direction quite right. Oil spurted and ran down my arm. I dropped the plug and it fell into the drip pan. I had to fish it out and wipe it off to put it back once the oil drained.
My hair fell into my eyes and I swiped it away and gave myself two black sun-glare blocking marks under my eyes.

With the plug back in place, I crawled out with the used oil and smeared rag. I had to stand on a stool to be able to reach to pour in the new oil. Then I checked the dipstick to make sure it was at the right level. Success. My honey walked me through checking the other fluids and tire pressure and where to put the oil to go to the recycler.

Learning new things can be fun. I’m not sure about the motor oil facial and hair treatment but my accomplishment left me refreshed and ready to learn more about “outdoor” chores.

THE END