My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Retirement Ain't What It's Cracked Up To Be

I bought a new iMac about a week ago and have been so busy transferring things over—and thinking this was a great time to get rid of some old files and documents I hadn't used for a loooong time (I do NOT recommend you try this at home.)—while going about my daily chores that I've barely had time for laundry. Love Bunny told me he was out of undergarments and I suggested we run to the store to buy more—seriously, I did! He declined, explaining he didn't have room for any more but that I should think about just washing what he does have. This—my time at the computer— has left him with way too much time on his hands. He needs a keeper—me. Sigh.......
~*~

When Love Bunny retired I insisted he get a "side job" to keep busy. Oh, he has a hobby: model railroad trains. But he can only do it so long and then needs a rest, so he teaches real estate classes on the side. His other hobby is rearranging my kitchen! I swear he is so lucky to have both legs it isn't even funny. I've thought of knee-capping him just to keep him out of my kitchen. He's driving me nuts.

Introducing my pantry:

Top shelf left. Already he's taken stuff off the top shelf and relegated it to the garage. This has left a great deal to be desired. I have room for stuff up there but can't decide what I want up there, and frankly, I'm too busy to think about it at the moment.

Now, these little cansolidators are great but I think they should go in the garage. They take up more room in this tiny amount of space. He insists we keep them. I could get lots more in here without them. LOTS more!

See all that empty space? He insists I shouldn't have to put anything more in there!

Look at all the empty space begging for more cans. I have cases of vegetables under our bed and in a closet in his office. In fact, if our bed collapsed I'd be awash in beans, corn and applesauce for a month.

I can stack cans on top of one another and get more in this space without the little organizers. But having them on big metal storage units in the garage would be much better. I like having my shelves very packed with canned goods.


Then, get this: he even takes cans or boxes out and sets them on the counter in the morning if I happen to mention what I'm preparing for dinner! Drives me crazy. It can stay in the pantry until I get ready to fix it. I know what I'm preparing and don't have to be reminded. This happens almost every day. I put it back in the pantry and tell him it's fine in there. It's not like I need an 8 hour reminder sitting on my counter. I like my countertops as uncluttered as I can get them.

I am seriously looking at another part time job just to get him out of my hair. Maybe WM is looking for greeters??

But he did put up some shelves in the craft room that I needed. The top ones are just too tall for me to be reaching up there every time I need something.

I haven't even wanted to go into this room lately because I need to organize it—AGAIN!!—before I can make my great granddaughter something. *Sigh*...........
~*~

37 comments:

  1. *shudder* I am NOT looking forward to the day my hubby retires. He won't rearrange the pantry, but he WILL drive me crazy! LOL

    Question: where did you get your Pink swing arm lamp?

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  2. Wow... I don't even have a larder to organise... I think if a freak snowstorm hit and we were housebound for a week we would run out of food.... I have a 12" x 12" x 24" cupboard that stores all my tins and jars... I cannot deny... I covet your larder! lol

    Mr P is self employed and I doubt if he will ever retire... I think maybe this is a good thing ... ;D

    big hugs
    Alex
    x

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  3. Are you saying this is what I have to look forward to when my husband retires? gee...funny stuff!

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  4. My DH has not yet retired but as he gets older he gets "fussy". Drives me nuts!! I told him when he retires he needs to get a pt job too!!
    Good Luck!! LOL!!
    Love,
    Marilyn
    xxoo

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  5. Oh Connie, Love Bunny is just trying to help!!! HeHe.

    Love the shelves in your craft room. It's amazing how often we can clean up and organize our craft area. How does it get so messy?? Those busy minds and hands of ours I guess!

    Have a great day! And you do have an awful lot of canned goods. I had to giggle when you said you have some under your bed. A bit excessive, no? :)

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  6. Oh Connie,
    Just wait it gets better. After they get through organizing everything in the kitchen (don't know how in the world I managed for 30 something years on my own) they begin to take over the rest of the house. I need a chain to hold down my beverage, if I sit it down for more than 2 minutes he feels compelled to take it to the kitchen and empty and wash the cup or glass......Oh it does get better.

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  7. Oh Connie, you are cracking me up! I remember when my Dad retired, he drove my Mom crazy with his helpful hints about how to do things in the house. Things she had been handling quite well for many years.

    xoxo
    Claudia

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  8. Mrs 'B' can't reach the top shelf in our kitchen cupboard. I guess that's about the only time that there is a use for me in the kitchen!
    That reminds me of the time - about 50 years ago now - when I visited my Gran, who was a frail 90 year old. We only had gas-mantle lights, and it was getting dark. So....I found her; climbed up onto the stout wooden table, box of matches in hand, trying to reach up and light the light! One slip and......

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  9. Hilarious.... you are describing MY husband to me... I know that's what he'll be doing too! LOL

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  10. G'morn sweet Connie ~ I laugh, I cry, I say AMEN! I thought 'retirement' would be fun ... harumph! Not so much. Mine, like yours, is always into doing MY stuff ... GO AWAY & LEAVE IT ALONE!!! it's been fine like this FOR YEARS, I tell him. Go clean up your garage that you do the 'stop 'n drop' with out there!

    The consulting jobs he does are not enough BUT last August he got a wonderful FULL time consulting job ... I took him out to dinner as I silently celebrated!!! Oh, yes, I silently did!!!

    Love him, YES ... live 100% all the time under foot ... NO!

    Happy Valentine's
    Have a beautiful day ~
    TTFN ~ Marydon

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  11. Connie, this post cracked me up. I can so relate :) My husband has to have the kitchen just perfect, that's the only room he really complains about, so I let him (get it perfect). I have WAY too much other stuff to do than worry about it so sometimes I just "give him that look" and it's his!

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  12. Oh and one other thing...yes, I believe men should keep working and not retire, not a good thing, maybe just work less but otherwise they are itching for something to do!

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  13. Too funny. Mine's not retired, but he was in the Air Force and tries to impart his organizational skills on me all the time!

    Ha Ha
    Leann

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  14. I can just see LB pulling out ingredients for supper at 7am!!

    I am soooo in love with your pantry door!! Did you stencil the word on there or print it out? I wanna do that, too, if you don't mind me stealing the idea?!?

    Love,
    Stephanie
    Angelic Accents

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  15. Oh my sweetie, don't even get me started on this one...I'll try to keep it short and sweet.
    Retirement is; Twice as much hubby on half as much money.
    My husband has become so anal about the kitchen. Every thing is not spotless, he tastes soap on the dishes cause I don't rinse them good enuf...he tells me how to do things in there...I tell it's amazing how he is still alive after all these 50 years doing things my way...and he sure ain't lost any weight...etc..etc..
    and so on....
    I'm just saying"
    Told ya not to get me started...
    oh well...gotta love em!!
    glenda @ Serendipity Cottage

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  16. Oh thank You for visiting me! And babies do keep you very busy! Thanks again!

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  17. Cute post, Cindy! You always make me laugh. Well, a bored hubby in my way is (fortunately) something I don't have to worry about. ha!

    Now your panty and craft room is way too organized, gf! ;)

    We all know how blogging requires a good deal of time. Maybe you could get him to start his own blog...one about how to drive the wife crazy to occupy your time once one retires?! heehee

    Cheers!
    Tina

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  18. LOL..I can just see my Bobby G. cleaning and reorganizing our pantry now....He wouldn't touch it. However, he did reorganize his sock drawer the other day because he couldn't find his snow socks. :)

    What I wouldn't give to have a pantry as big as yours.

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  19. if he gets the stuff out of the pantry I'd let him cook it too.
    Don't stop progress. bwaa ha.


    (I don't have a larder to organize either. I'll come to your house in case we have Armageddon)

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  20. Hi Connie, I'm still making my Pink Saturday visits. Love your pink post this week, those images are adorable. I love your Pantry door, it looks so pretty. Very neat and organized in your craft room also. Love you GGD baby gifts also.
    Blessings, Shirl
    Shirls Rose Cottage

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  21. Glad to know you're okay then, and hopefully LB's knee-caps are where they're supposed to be. I was wondering when I didn't see the two of you at church. For a second I thought you had either a) personally marched yourself into Apple headquarters for whatever it is or b) crushed underneath a pile of clear Rubbermaid shoe boxes and fluffy-stuff. Happy to see that neither is the case. Yep, I'll be returning those lamps I borrowed... 'been MIA for a while.

    ~Stacey

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  22. Oh Sweetie....
    I have so been laughing as I read this, and shared with my DH. He was laughing too. He says yeah, I have posted 200 times in 7 months. He said to tell you, I am so busy, "He has to do his own undergarments." Your hubby is lucky. We both just laughed and laughed.

    Sweetie, I so love you blog. You always give me a happy"heart" and such a happy soul. Thank you for that. The last 2 days at work have been horrible. Brought me to my knees in tears, so you my friend, have made it so worth while. I just love ya girl.

    Have a beautiful evening. Country hugs and so much love...Sherry

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  23. I can empathize with you! My dh LOVES the kitchen, he thinks he owns the kitchen - the refrigerator, the pantry, etc!! I'm a Southerner and Southern women are used to having the kitchen all to herself! He changed all this when we married 13 years ago! I finally just gave up and let him do his thing. (Choose my battles!) He does help me a lot, he scrubs the floor, cleans the refrigerator, etc.

    Good luck!

    Katherine

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  24. LOL, Connie! Poor Love Bunny. I can just imagine how frustrating it would be to be home with Dear Hubs all the time! I totally agree with you about the can holders. Love the fact you have a CRAFT ROOM.

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  25. Connie, your post has me laughing myself silly. One big difference, my dh wouldn't dare touch my pantry. He might get killed in the process by falling everything!!! I just cleaned mine and I still can't find anything. I know things are in there but things are so crowded it is terrible. I have those can space savers and I agree, they take up too much room. LOL. what to do. Speaking of cans, I think you have a canned goods fetish. HA! I do like your pantry way better than mine. My shelves are just to deep.

    I love your work room. I would love to have a room like yours. I do get how things can get disorganized. A challenge to say the least. Good luck with that project.

    Oh joy retirement. I agree, it has it's drawbacks. Overall I love being retired.

    Thanks for the laughs Connie.
    Hugs, Jeanne

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  26. Hi Connie! If I have all that storage, they will be filled with dishes, lol. Good luck in all your projects and send hubby back to work and then you'll have more money to buy more stuff to put on the shelves, lol.....Christine

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  27. Well girl I am so glad I came to visit you this morning as it has me cracking up laughing on such a dreary rainy and cold day. I feel your pain but just because I have a good imagination. My Punkin Darlin is a tad younger than I and in fact is still 55 for goodness sake so he has awhile until his retirement but when he is home he loves to sit in front of the puter and play Solitaire. He claims it relaxes him so you might suggest that to Love Bunny. Mine does all the physical stuff at work and when he retires I know he will be a Solitaire Genius. XX Mollye

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  28. I, too, have a retired hubby. My "rub" is when we go to the grocery story....he often questions everythng I buy.

    It drives me nuts!

    He pretty much avoids the kitchen area because he knows if he come in there; I will put him to work.

    Blessings,

    Jo

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  29. Hi Connie,
    I am still laughing. Way too funny how your dear one tries to help. You do look pretty organized though. Something that I love to be and work on constantly.
    You craft room shelves look wonderful. You should see my store room now. Looks like a tornado hit. Everything needs to come out and start over. LOL

    My break is over and I missed being here. But got a lot done.

    Have a great day dear friend.
    Hugs, Celestina Marie

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  30. Thanks for the chuckle, Connie!
    AND it gave me pause to wonder what life will be like when Steve retires..in 1 1/2 years! ;-)

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  31. Oh you have me laughing over this post Connie! When Earl got laid off the first thing he did was take over the kitchen. It drove. me. crazy! After all, the kitchen was mine! Why do they have to organize our stuff? He leaves piles all over the house that Iwould welcome him putting away, but he is blind to that, he can only see my messes! Ah well, I'll keep him anyway because I love him and he is Mr. Wonderful in so many other ways:>)

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  32. i'm laughing so hard!

    retirement DOES stink when it comes to privacy, your schedule and being the "queen" of your home. ha!

    my honey also likes model railroading, except it takes as much room as Rhode Island! sheesh.

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  33. Hi Connie
    Oh dear you do have a problem. I wouldn't like my pantry all rearranged. Whew. But then does your hubby like cooking with you? Now if he did that MIGHT be a bit better. Could you help him with another hobby to keep him busy?
    cute post.
    Have a super day
    Judi

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  34. Great organizing! I love pantries but do not have one...nor do I have a husband! I think I need to hire one to organize my craft room! LOL Hugs Grace

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  35. Hi Connie
    Yes, this blog stuff is annoying! I did do as I read on the blogger to eliminate any downloaded gadgets and it worked. But the real culprit was the foreign give away button I had put on. I tell ya, nothings safe anymore! My husband has been home from Nov.2008! And I know what you mean about the cupboards! Craft room looks good, I'm jealous! Please take care and good luck ironing out the computer issues! Lori

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  36. Hhmmm... love bunny would be in serious trouble if he touched my pantry. Find that man a job and quick Connie before he makes his way into your craft room and starts re-organising in there too. Great that he is handy with the tools though.
    Hugs ~ Kerryanne

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