Major Adoption-Related Events

  • 09-04-29 Part One Sponsorship Application Completed and Sent
  • 08-11-04 Dossier in Ethiopia -- the wait begins
  • 08-10-24 Dossier on its way to Ethiopia
  • 08-10-23 Dossier back to Imagine
  • 08-10-17 Dossier to Ottawa
  • 08-10-07 Dossier (finally complete) at Imagine
  • 08-09-10 Dossier (most) Sent to Imagine
  • 08-09-04 Provincial Approval Received
  • 08-07-08 Completed Dossier Sent to Province for Approval
  • 08-06-26 HAR Signed and sent back to ABC
  • 08-05-16 HAR Started
  • 08-04-22 Int'l Adoption Self-Study Course Completed
  • 08-04-07 Application sent to ABC
  • 08-02-19 Initial Application faxed to Imagine
  • 08-02-16 References Requested from Friends

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Do I Need A Man?

I'm an independent woman. I'm educated, hard-working, self-sufficient, and smart. But there are times when I think to myself, "I could really use a man." It's not that I need a man, so much as one would come in useful on occasion. There is the obvious reasons for wanting a man -- for company, love, sharing of responsibility, and well... you know. But that's not the reason I've found myself wanting one on recent occasions.
I have a fence to build. I've been working on it most of the summer. I'm tired of the bloody thing! I want to snap my fingers and have it done. And I don't want to pay students to do my heavy lifting (they are moving cement patio blocks for me). I mean, I could do it, but I am so stinking tired from just regular life. I just want to have a man, for even a week, to finish my fence. My neighbor is married, and she keeps the house clean and makes food, and her husband takes care of the yard, does the shoveling in winter and takes out the garbage. I'm not really jealous of the marriage, I just want someone to take care of my yard and garbage.
I had another mouse this week. It's an ongoing problem. I haven't had one for a while, but in the last week, I just knew. So I set a trap inside a paper bag in the pantry (for easy pick up), and while I was watching TV the other evening, I heard it snap. "I knew it!" I said to myself, and decidedly ignored the sound, opting to clean it up in the daytime (because, as a disliker of darkness and dead things, I just thought it seemed like a good idea). But then I heard the trap banging around in my pantry. "Just the last throws before death," I told myself. But they continued, on and on.
I peeked into the pantry, and saw the mouse, neck in trap, running around frantically, fear-pooping everywhere. What a survivor! You kind of have to respect the little guy. I didn't want it dead then, I just wanted it out of my house. But I do not have the stomach to pick up a live mouse in a trap to carry it outside and release it. I just can't. I thought maybe I could throw the whole thing in the toilet and drown him quick, and then he wouldn't suffer anymore, but I just don't have that in me either. So I went looking for a man. One of my students lives across the street, and I know his dad so I zipped over. But it was almost eleven at night, so there was no sign of movement. I heard low voices and saw two guys standing on the lawn of the Legion, near my place. So I went over to see if I knew them. I didn't. "So, how are you with mice?" I started my introduction. They agreed to come and help me out, and free my little critter. We exchanged names as they came inside (maybe not the best call, but I was desperate) and the one on mouse duty declined my offer of a pair of socks to cover his hands. Then they were gone, with many thanks from me, and I haven't seen them since. But it is just one more example of when a man in the house would come in useful.
Do I NEED a man? Not really. Would I like one? Absolutely... and not just for the mice and yardwork.

3 comments:

Karen said...

I hear you! I could use someone to climb the ladder to help paint the house, someone to help stain the deck, keep two steps in front of the yard, deal with mechanics who I swear rip me off...sigh.

Melanie said...

You don't need a man. You need a robot cause trust me, I'VE GOT A MAN and yet the garbage sits idle at the back step and our garbage box is still half complete. It's worth it to pay someone, baby!

Melissa said...

Melanie, I'm telling Jim you said so!