Normal couples argue about money. Clancy and I argue about… trash.
Though neither of us are particularly clean people, Clancy is the more cleanliness-minded of the two of us. But there are some things that get to me that simply don’t get to her. We’ve joked that I am guardian of the kitchen and she is guardian of the bathroom. However, due in no small part to her being on one of the more grueling rotations at work, I have had to take action on her sphere of influence.
I cleaned up the bathroom sink and straightened out the plethora of magazines we have in there. Then the controversy began when I took aim at the trashcan.
I can’t remember when it was that I made this discovery, but the best impromptu trashcans anyone has ever invented are computer case boxes. They are sized to fit in nooks and crannies, hold a standard trashbag perfectly, and hold quite a bit of trash. Ever since then I’ve been collecting the boxes and stationing huge trash reciprocals in every room. That way I only took out the trash once every couple of weeks (either when they eventually filled or it started to smell).
Clancy, on the other hand, is partial to these dainty little trashcanlets that can hold little more than a couple envelopes and a cheese wedge. That’s all fine and dandy, but it’s almost as if there are a couple laws of physics lined up against it: smaller spaces hold less stuff and when there is more stuff than space to hold it, it overflows.
I decided that it was time to resurrect the boxes. They are wonderfully utilitarian, but more than a bit conspicuous. So it was no surprise that Clancy noticed them almost as soon as she got up today. It was a bit of a surprise, however, at her vehement opposition to their use. How can my lovely utilitarian wife object to something so wonderfully… utilitarian? Yes, they are hideous, but they are the perfect trashcans!!
We ultimately reached a compromise. She will not let her dainty little trashcanlets overflow in the mainroom. The boxcan will go in the porch so that we have a convenient place for the trashcanletbags to go in to (right now we have to walk around the house, a definite disincentive). In return, the one in the bathroom stays until it’s demonstrated that the porchcan is all it takes for her to not let the trashcans overflow.
We use the trascanlet thingies too, but our compromise is that we take the bag out when full and keep putting stuff on it until it is all ready to go… kind of funny now that I think about it.
Comment by logtar — April 11, 2006 @ 8:37 am
“Dainty little trashcanlet”?!? How can you call it “dainty” when there isn’t, oh, a large collection of flowers or something like that painted on the side?
Comment by Clancy — April 11, 2006 @ 11:17 pm
I believe “dainty” is applicable to any small object, usually.
Note to self: acquire a couple computer-boxes and use for trash collection.
Comment by Webmaster — April 17, 2006 @ 1:39 pm
Wow… you don’t even have freedom of speech in your household… I almost feel like I am home!
Comment by logtar — April 18, 2006 @ 7:42 am