You complete me

It occurred to me while I was shoveling the front walk today that after 41 blog posts I must sound like the most pampered woman in Buffalo. What you may not understand is that Bill and I have switched the 'traditional' roles. You already know that Bill does the grocery shopping and the cooking. He also takes care of the dry-cleaning and takes out the garbage (when Will isn't home), figures out all the investments and helps tremendously with my mother.

I take care of the yard and the bills; I contract with any of the plumbers, electricians, gutter guys, roofers, plow guys, furnace guy, electricians - you get the idea. I hate to call any of these contractors for assistance - I would rather do this stuff myself. But, I know my limitations.

There are some things that Bill doesn't even KNOW I do. I bet he doesn't know that I oil the boiler 4 times a year or that I check the pressure levels. I bet he doesn't know that I replace the screens of our windows at ABC Hardware on Bailey (they re-wire them there) or that I cut the water to the outside taps in the fall. Little things, I know - but it's something he doesn't have to worry about. I don't think he knows where the water gauge is hidden in the basement. I also program the thermostats, reset the batteries in the alarm system when they die and re-caulk the bathtubs. I'm not sure he knows the difference between a wrench and a pair of pliers.

Growing up, my family expected us all to pull our weight. My brother, Kevin worked much harder than I did - a lot was expected of him. But, my dad was determined that I learn how to do everything, too. He used to say that he joined the women's liberation movement the day I was born. He made sure I knew how to sink a fence post, birth a lamb and plant a garden. 

I made sure to teach Emma that she needed to be able to do anything a man was expected to do. And she can. She drove home today to get her hair cut and asked me to join her. I overheard her conversation with the hairdresser when he was suggesting that she bat her eyelashes and get some man to do some menial task for her (I didn't hear what the task was). Emma didn't even let him finish. "My mother didn't raise me that way!".  

This afternoon as I made my way out to shovel the walk I stopped to admire the sky, the sun  and the crows that were roosting in the pine  I started to wonder what our neighbors think about our household. They only see me in the yard trimming trees or on the roof cleaning gutters or, today, shoveling snow. They must think that Bill is the laziest son-of-a-bitch. That made me laugh out loud.

If they only knew the charmed life I lead. I found someone who loves to do the stuff I hate and Bill found someone to take care of the stuff he hates.
How perfect!