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neil

chickory

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My wife and I have been decorating the front room for the last week. This is a pisser; for we have an equal relationship and neither of us likes to blink when it comes to the other's flaws. Hence, we over-step our abilities to work from stupid-bravado. Four days of fucking-hell. Working too hard when we were too knackered.

Four days of ladders, cans, brushes, white spirit, spite and angst. I don't know what you think about when you are applying a roller to the ceiling (if you do such a thing) but I'm always thinking about how the human condition has changed for the worse since we lived in caves. 

This is of course part of the game of ours, in this case my wife and I, but in general all of our lives. For we all play the game of our fellows..

For tonight, when everything is wonderful in the front room, while my wife skinned the boiled chickpeas between bowls I made a salad of chickory, chervil, tomatoes and basil. A peppery thing that only those who have a taste for bitter could understand.

I think the point is that we can't understand what any of this means.

So you should do as I do and take joy from what you have.

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tortoise

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Yes decorating can be a real bone of contention in our house too. We both work better on our own with a 'bail out' when we reach difficult patches. This is because we have our own ways of working and they are not compatible. We work best together if one knows how and the other takes directions like in furniture assembly. Otherwise the job must be divided into his and her tasks. I'm walls and woodwork, he is carpeting and ceiling - meaning we can't be in the room together. 

I have learned not to work to the point of exhaustion because I generally do something stupid like knock over the paint or drip gloss on something crucial or tear the paper.

 

 

Glad you survived the front room.