"A Love Problem"

I was home from work, sick, yesterday. My BF gets up in the mornings, and one of the first things he does just about every day is the laundry. As I sat, just relaxing (boyfriend's orders!) I could hear the sounds of him doing the laundry and then running it outside to hang it up to dry. (I do the laundry on Saturdays and Sundays--if there IS any on Sunday.)

The tinkle of the water hitting the tub as he wrung out the laundry and then the thump of the sliding glass door as he headed out into the yard for a hanging session were reassuring to me, solid. The sounds of home.

You caught that correctly: We do our laundry by hand, in the bathtub. The primary reason for this is we have a leak in the pipes between the laundry room and the kitchen. I have not yet had the money to get it fixed. We are both able-bodied and green-minded, so it doesn't make sense to either of us to spend the time, money, or gas to go to a laundromat. Washing it in the tub--one load a day--is our solution to this.

Since I was not allowed (again: Boyfriend's orders!) to do any housework at all, I watched him as he worked around the house. Finally, about 10pm, it was time to bring the clothes in off the lines. I offered to help, as he was working on something else--a painting project--but he declined and ordered me to stay put on the couch. Did I listen? No.

At about 10pm, I went upstairs and grabbed the basket and the pin bag and headed outside to take in the clothes. When he saw me, he said: "Hey! I think you have a listening problem, young lady!"

I responded, "No. I don't have a listening problem. I have a love problem!" Well, that hushed him up and gave the warm, night air an even warmer feel. The breezes seemed to embrace each of us, as we worked away in the little, golden pool of our backyard light. All was in harmony, moving along as it should.

I think the world would be a better place if more people had a "Love Problem!"