Husband and I are in the midst of a ongoing ... discussion.
The hall, stairs and landing are in need of redecorating. I am in favour of paying someone to do it; Husband insists he is going to do it.
My arguments against him doing it go as follows.
1) It has taken him one month to paint the bathroom and toilet - and it's not finished yet. The hall is a much bigger job.
2) While he is decorating he leaves his tools and painting equipment lying all over the house, including the landing, spare bedroom and kitchen.
3) On my Husband Scale I reckon at least three months for this job, which takes us into May. Come March/April he starts working in the garden.
4) It's really tricky with high ceilings involving lots of precarious balancing.
5) He had a heart attack last year.
6) We can afford to have it done.
7) It will leave him free to enjoy himself.
His arguments for doing it himself:
1) 'I can do it.'
2) That's it.
What do you think?
20 comments:
Tell him not to be so stubborn and get a professional painter in, who will do the job in a couple of days tops. Precarious balancing and a recent heart attack scream loudly - Mike, your decorating days are over, we don't want to have to visit you in hospital.
It’s worth the money to pay someone to do it. In my house at least!
HIRE, HIRE, HIRE! I never do anything myself if I can hire someone else to do it better and faster. Just look at it as "helping the economy" by providing work to some young person who has a family to support.
It was with great regret that, several years ago, I stopped doing such jobs, myself. It gave me such a great sense of accomplishment and I didn't have to watch to assure that the job was done to my satisfaction. That does not mean that every job that I would previously have done, myself, is hired out. Some jobs just don't get done. The reason? Hunky Husband grew up in a household where his father did nothing at home, leaving it to HH's mother; so, that's the way it's been (except from 1958-1968) in our own home.
In the period 1958-1968, HH built rough study desks for each of us and, in Seattle, finished a room that had been roughed-in in the basement. Not only doesn't HH wish to do jobs, himself; he doesn't want them done when he is around. Since he is retired and since he is no longer going out on disaster response job, it is difficult for me to hire things done, let alone do them. Every couple of years, I have made him put up with a few days of inconvenience in order to 1) have the roof replaced, 2) have the back porch replaced, 3) replace the front steps and install handrails, and do tiling and cabinet replacement work in his bathroom.
When he lived alone (1977-1990), HH let the house fall down about his shoulders - never noticing that anything needed to be done. Just not his thing!
Cop Car
4) It's really tricky with high ceilings involving lots of precarious balancing.
5) He had a heart attack last year.
6) We can afford to have it done.
7) It will leave him free to enjoy himself.
all VALID arguments for hiring it done. and it's over sooner!
#5 should be taken SERIOUSLY! why take the chance of another one or worse?
Pay. Just on the basis of the balancing!
Mike, stop being a stubborn male and listen to Liz!!! If you can afford to pay someone. Just do it. This is their profession. And think of your health too.
Get YS to have him come to HIS place to help HIM do something at his new house. While he's gone, the work at your place will be at least half done!
Go ahead and call the painter, set a date, chose the paint and shoo husband out to the garden to start thinking about spring.
Exactly! Refuse to argue. Organise it all and while it's being done go on a couple of days to some nice garden centers.
Years ago the husband of a friend of mine insisted on trimming some trees in the back garden. He hired scaffolding and equipment, wore a hard hat and took all necessary precautions, but he fell and broke his back. He needed 24/7 live in care but after years of being bedridden he died. Make the call Liz, hire a decorator.
Organise a decorator and then a holiday to take care of some of the days when he thought he should be decorating.
Don't interfere; let him have his "fun".
Just move out until he has finished. You can afford it.
Thanks all. I know your advice is wise - but he is so stubborn I'm almost tempted to take Stu's advice!
I agree with Stu. Why kill the poor guy off with aggravation?
Cop Car
Liz, please keep us updated!
Liz:
Even though you can afford it, it may be bruising to his ego to not get the opportunity to accomplish the task. I know sometimes I can feel that a bit when a task I normally do is shunted away.
I guess I would try to talk more about if he really would LIKE to do it, or if he is worried about some other facet of having someone hired to do the work. When he reveals his feelings more, I think both of you will see the right path for the two of you.
PipeTobacco
Good advice, PipeTobacco!
So what's the decision?
Husband is going to do it.
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