The irritating practicality of MEN!

So, you men may not want to read this post. Because I am very irritated with men.

We've had a problem with low water pressure for about a week now, and every day, the shower gave less and less pressure to the point where it wasn't worth taking a shower anymore. And then the faucet in the tub began to lose water pressure, to the point where it was only a trickle. We did our best to give the kids baths as long as we could, but by the time we got the tub halfway filled, the water had already turned cold. After that, it was washing hair at the sink and taking sponge baths. Through all this, Dennis was trying to figure out what was wrong, but decided a plumber should look into it, since plumbing doesn't seem to be an area he knows a lot about. Problem is, plumbers cost a lot of money.

I admit, practicality has it's moments. Dennis hooked the hose up to the sink downstairs...

...into the bathtub. The kids kept throwing the hose around, but you can't have everything.

Here is where I'm a little irritated.

We decided to use Roto Rooster, because they take credit cards and other plumbers don't. (Greedy little vipers.) I was told that they would be coming today around 9 to just look at the problem and give an estimate. So I thought that I could sneak in a quick nap for Henry, who usually naps about 9. I knew it wouldn't be much of a nap, so at 8:30 I tried to put him down early. Lucky for me, he did fall asleep. Unlucky for me, the plumber showed up at 8:45.

So I tried to keep calm and not worry about it, because he was there only to assess the situation. Or so I thought. Pretty soon, he was shouting from the bathroom to Dennis about what was going on, and pounding on the fixtures to get them open. He was doing this, even after being told that we had a baby sleeping across the hall and to please keep the door closed.

I realize that the plumbing is pretty important. I know that as usual, I worry too much over naps. I realize that practicality wins-again. But I can't help thinking--a promise was broken. He wasn't supposed to be here to fix the problem, he was here to assess the situation so that I could plan out Henry's naps another way. But Dennis and the plumber decided to go ahead and fix it anyway.

The irritating practicality of men.

So I've been hiding out in my room, because I don't trust myself to be nice to either man right now.

To back up my point, let me tell you this somewhat humorous story that happened last year when Dennis went ice fishing. I think I may have already told this story in my old, old blog, but I'll tell it again--just to lighten up the mood.

Dennis took the boys ice fishing last year--Luke and Max. Luke was 4, and Max was about 7, almost 8. This was supposed to be their first overnight fishing experience and I couldn't find any reason why they shouldn't go. But I begged Dennis to make sure the boys got to bed at a reasonable hour. I knew it wouldn't be the regular beditme hour, but at least not at 10:00.

So at 9:00, I decided to call Dennis to see if he got the boys to bed yet. He hadn't yet, but was getting to it and was about to turn off the lights. While on the phone, this man interrupted our phone conversation by knocking on the ice house door. Dennis told me to hold on and put the phone in his pocket because he thought it was the DNR, as they sometimes stop by fish houses to make sure everyone's following the rules. It turned out to be just another fisher man, stopping by to say hello.

So I'm sitting there waiting, on the phone, in Dennis's pocket, while Dennis and the stranger is sitting there chatting away. I was getting increasingly irritated, first with feeling forgotten, but then, as the minutes grew, I realized that this man was overstaying his intrusion and making it impossible to get the boys to bed, who were politely sitting there listening. Then, to increase my annoyance, I heard this man swearing every other word. Mama Bear was getting pretty angry, knowing that this man was totally disregarding the kids innocence in just assuming it was okay to talk in that way in front of them, and I couldn't hold myself back any longer. In the phone I yelled, "HEY! STOP SWEARING! THERE'S KIDS LISTENING TO YOU!!"

Suddenly, there was silence, and then a very embarrassed, "Oh. Sorry."  I was a little embarrassed myself, and quickly hung up. I had wanted him to hear me, and yet was sorry that he did.

And so, sometimes I just don't feel kindly towards men and their practicality. They will never think like a mother, I know, and I, will never think like a man.

And now, I would like to head off to the gym so I dont' go crazy listening to this man pounding on our pipes, but I can't. Because Roto-Rooster has me blocked in.