[Overpaid Slacker]

craig -- I agree about the list thing...

The first time a married friend referred to a "Honey-Do" List, I had no idea what he was talking about... I thought it had something to do with melons... seriously.

First the words, then the very concept of a spouse making up such a list, like she's your mom setting forth your chores, only made it through my brain by pranging off of every notion of mutual respect in my head, crashing directly into the "equality" facade so necessary today and finally getting wedged just behind my gnashed front teeth. In short, it pissed me off -- vicariously, I was pissed off for this friend of mine.

So, without thinking (which epitomizes so much of my life) I said "OH, this is cute... does she have a 'B!tch, Now, Dammit' list?"

It would require the Matrix/Swordfish slo-mo/bullet-time, full panoramic, widescreen HD explosion footage camerawork with DTS 6.1 surround sound to come close to adequately describing the carnage resulting from the fact that "she" was in the next room.

She's the kind of woman that'd make a list like that; she's the kind of woman who would go thermonuclear when you make a comment about a list like that -- it's simple arithmetic.

Now, when I talk to this friend, I ask if he's done all his chores and homework and if mom will let him out to play. He's learned not to have me on speakerphone when he's at home.

JP