Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Jul 15, 2013 11:34:53 GMT -5
Yes, Phoenix, it certainly does! The food thing gets to me, as well. So does making the darned bed so I can unmake it, sleep in it, and make the beast again! Rinse and repeat ... rinse and repeat ... that's life! You make your bed? I almost never do that. That's one of those chores where the only person that's going to see it is me, so if I don't care if the bed is made then no one else is.
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Jul 15, 2013 11:38:14 GMT -5
*chuckle* Yeah, Phoenix, I still make the darned thing ... when I sleep in it, that is. Lately, I usually sleep on the living room couch. I can better hear mother if she gets up from that location. I guess old habits die hard.
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mmhmm
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It's a great pity the right of free speech isn't based on the obligation to say something sensible.
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Post by mmhmm on Jul 15, 2013 11:39:17 GMT -5
Yes. Especially with a kid. And a DH with a weird schedule. It's food all day long. I'm tired of cooking, cleaning, planning, prepping, packing and most especially the bill at the end of the month. The worst part is that a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine is no longer considered a meal. LOL! Add cheese and some grapes!
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Jul 15, 2013 11:42:17 GMT -5
That's one aspect of military service that seemed appealing to me. When you're in the military, you don't have to cook or clean or do laundry unless it's your job or if your CO tells you to. When you want to eat you just go to the mess and eat. You just turn over your laundry to the laundry guys. If you are on a ship, you don't even need to commute.
I'm sure other parts suck, but that aspect seems nice.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Jul 15, 2013 12:02:08 GMT -5
You just need to make more money so you can hire people to do all this stuff. I wouldn't rely on a wife to do it for you
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Jul 15, 2013 12:17:56 GMT -5
We have a grocery store chain here that allows you to place your order online and some of their stores will even deliver your order. If the local store doesn't have the delivery service, you can schedule when you'll pick up your order so you can schedule it around your schedule.
I have used a store which uses the on-line ordering and used a local taxi service to pick it up and deliver it (I paid for the order by CC). Worked great but they had a limited list of foods you could order.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Jul 15, 2013 12:17:58 GMT -5
Oh wow I'm such a luddite. I love to cook - for me it's creative and relaxing (pauses while everyone throws things at me). It WAS harder with kids in the house, now it's easier. At least for me, a well-stocked pantry is the key to helping you turn out great dishes with minimal to medium effort - especially if you build your pantry around one - or maybe two - flavor profiles (mediterranean, Indian, American comfort, Asian - whatever floats your boat). But you DO have to put in some effort to make sure your freezer and pantry are well-stocked and stay well-stocked - THEN it's easier. We live in an instant-is-not-fast-enough world, and I like instant gratification just as much as the next person. But for those of us who love instant gratification, the sad truth remains: if you want to eat healthy, SOMEONE in the household needs to spend SOME amount of time in the kitchen. I guess we all need to win the lottery and make that "someone" a private chef
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 12:35:52 GMT -5
I don't get tired of it. Food is fun. My latest thing is flavoured oils and vinegars. Easy and so tasty. Food is one of the easiest ways to enjoy myself and I have almost total control of it. I get to pick what I like to eat and when I will eat it. The wonderful flavours and then that feeling of having my hunger satisfied...no, I don't get tired of it.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jul 15, 2013 12:38:56 GMT -5
It just seems like life is one big treadmill sometimes, doesn't it?
Yes, it's the little secret that no one tells you. Most of life is really made up of very tedious moments all strung together. That said, there are things you can do to alleviate the tedium. I live in a midsized city (200K), and the more expensive grocery stores will shop for you and deliver your groceries at no cost if you spend $40. I've struggled with ennui since grade school. I have no idea why people seem to enjoy doing the same things endlessly over and over and then complain about how horrible things are when they can't keep doing those things (my friends and I are getting older and everyone seems to be starting to replay/relive their 'glory days' cause you know since they can't do what they use to do - they can't do anything else so all they have left are their memories). Buddhism has helped me more than anything else... The "chop wood carry water" bit of zen stuff - is something I struggle with... although facing the daily grind - first with an eye to 'streamline' or 'stop doing the things that have no meaning in my life' and then going after the things I can't do with out with a chop wood carry water frame of mind has been very helpful. I hadn't made my bed in decades - but some part of my mind would agonize over that - cause it was something I was suppose to do - and other people get great satisfaction from doing it. It's a waste of my time and mental energy to find 'meaning' in making my bed. I've quieted the part of my mind that sez I'm obligated to find meanding/enjoy it. The routine things I HAVE to do whether I want to or not I do try to find some 'meaning' or 'value' in them since I can't get away without doing them and I don't want to succumb to ennui. Before enlightment chop wood, carry water. After enlightment chop wood, carry water.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jul 15, 2013 12:44:57 GMT -5
I find 'meaning' when dealing with 'food' by concentrating on not generating a lot of trash (ie trying my best to avoid fast food and all it's packaging, and then not 'stocking up' on perishables, and not 'lying' to myself that if I buy X, i'm gonna eat X before it goes bad, when it only takes a bit of reflection to realize I don't have the time to cook X or whatever. ) I also try to not eat on the run so much. To sit down, focus on the food, and work on enjoying it while I'm eating it. All of these things helped me save money, loose weight, and feel like the 'food chores' while tedious do add value to my life.
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greeniis10
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Post by greeniis10 on Jul 15, 2013 13:26:26 GMT -5
Yes, the food thing is actually draining these days instead of nourishing like it should be. DH will only eat meat, potatoes, eggs, very limited vegetables, NO cassaroles or one-dish meals, etc. He and I eat none of the same things, so I have to juggle meals for 2 people. Generally, I cook for him (and hope to have leftovers for at least one night) and I just snack on fruit or vegetables or whatever. I do like to cook (when I have time and am not in a hurry) but I've really lost interest these days. Feels more like an obligation to feed DH and I just grab whatever. I don't even need to make a grocery list anymore: it's the same old items week after week. Blah...
I also feel this way about the yard: waste water watering the lawn to try to keep it green and for it to grow just to cut it and pay for it to be hauled away. It's an endless cycle. We desperately need to xeriscape but we're finishing up the inside projects first. Hopefully next year.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Jul 15, 2013 13:27:55 GMT -5
Still, we should keep things in perspective. Back in the olden days, people couldn't go to a grocery store and buy food. They had to grow it or hunt it themselves. Imagine not only doing most of the chores listed, but also having to spend 9 months of the year sowing the fields, growing it, harvesting it, and hunting it.
Man, farming must have been a lot of work.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 13:32:47 GMT -5
Farming still is a lot of work. It just isn't me doing it.
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KaraBoo
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Post by KaraBoo on Jul 15, 2013 20:11:22 GMT -5
For the meal planning aspect - I LOVE this app! Plus it's free: www.anylistapp.com/This thing has saved my meal planning and grocery shopping list. Also - it doesn't just do grocery lists - it will save any list you use on a regular or even an irregular basis (my camping list for example). I love this app! It has made grocery shopping and meal planning SO much easier for me!
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quince
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Post by quince on Jul 15, 2013 20:28:25 GMT -5
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Jul 16, 2013 0:03:56 GMT -5
Very much so. I need a wife too--my husband could use more help. ;-) I usually wrangle the kiddos while he does dinner. It is such a chore--more so after a full day at the office. Having a toddler and a baby in the house doesn't help matters either.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jul 16, 2013 0:24:50 GMT -5
Adulthood is not as fun as it seems like it should be.
For the moment, I've given up a bit on cooking. Or, another perspective is my husband has kicked me out of the kitchen. I'm the type that "this is what I've made. You'll thankfully eat it." My husband has turned into a short order cook. I know I shouldn't complain, but it's just weird. So, I'm stuck doing the dishes all the time (Our general rule is that one person cooks, the other cleans up.) He'll make himself something, me something else, and the girls something else. His reasoning is that he eats what he wants to eat and he'll make others what they want so they don't gripe at him. No one was griping!!! Well, okay maybe the youngest was, but she doesn't like anything!
Okay, I'm done ranting now. I kind of miss cooking, but he's really taken over.
In regards to the cleaning stuff: It's not that I love to clean, it's that I love the house to be clean. So, I keep it clean, and I feel better when I'm in it and when I come home.
But yeah, adulthood is not all it's cracked up to be!
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lurkyloo
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“Time means nothing now,” said Toad. “It is just the thing that happens between snacks.”
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Post by lurkyloo on Jul 16, 2013 10:08:35 GMT -5
I was at a conference in April. Out till midnight the first day with coworkers and networking, the second day a full day of seminars followed by a really boring event. At 7:30 the event finally ended and I was gratefully bidding my coworkers goodnight so I could haul my 7 months pregnant butt back to the hotel for some sleep when one of them said "Wait, don't you want dinner?" "Shit. Dinner." That's pretty much been my attitude since I got knocked up. I have more energy and less nausea now, but eating is an annoying necessity and cooking anything more complicated than basic pasta is not going to happen. Even going out or getting takeout is too much effort most days. It's a shame, I used to like cooking and grocery shopping and love eating. On the bright side, losing the baby weight was never an issue.
I've never enjoyed housework and tend to skimp on it anyway. Funnily enough laundry doesn't bother me.
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aliciar6
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Post by aliciar6 on Jul 16, 2013 12:14:50 GMT -5
As long as I don't have to attempt to use the stupid zero turn to mow the lawn or edge with the gigantic gas powered weed whacker...I will cook all day long. I love coming up with new recipes. Unfortunately they tend to use a lot of dishes, but I just do them as I go. DH doesn't much like cooking and hates going to the grocery store. But he loves his job so working to pay for the groceries isn't a big deal.
DH is NOT allowed to do laundry unless it is his own and even then he will mess things up.
Pull a "tucker max" and put an add online that you will hook up with girls that will come over and cook and clean for you. it seemed to work for him, he got booty and his laundry taken care of. granted he doesn't have much in the way of a moral compass, but he sure seems to enjoy life
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aliciar6
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Post by aliciar6 on Jul 16, 2013 12:26:56 GMT -5
That's one aspect of military service that seemed appealing to me. When you're in the military, you don't have to cook or clean or do laundry unless it's your job or if your CO tells you to. When you want to eat you just go to the mess and eat. You just turn over your laundry to the laundry guys. If you are on a ship, you don't even need to commute. I'm sure other parts suck, but that aspect seems nice. lol this made me laugh so hard. you ALWAYS have to clean!!!!!! unless you live off base or somewhere other than the barracks (but then you at least still have to clean your own house anyway), because they will still do room checks. The Army is why I am so OCD about clean and the places they look to find dirt/dust when you think you cleaned everything...OMG. Because of the Army, I spent a whole weekend cleaning DH's house and all the molding, washing the walls....that was a horrible weekend. you sometimes have KP duty, so you help out in the kitchen and most of the time you do your own laundry. the only time mine was done for me was in basic/AIT and when I was deployed. and you gave it to them and had to march all over the place with heavy laundry bags. FYI, they did a crappy job with my laundry when I was deployed. I've also never been able to just go eat when I wanted either...the mess hall usually has hours and you can't just be like "see ya sarg, I'm going to chow" when ever you want. though i may be mistaken but I just have my experience to go on.
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formerroomate99
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Post by formerroomate99 on Jul 16, 2013 13:03:11 GMT -5
Actually one way to get around the whole food thing and to loose some weight is to get onto one of those diet plans where your food is delivered. Jenny Craig, Medifast, and so on. They're not cheap, but if you need to loose some weight, they are an investment in health.
Until Medifast, I had never had success dieting. I usually just exercise the weight off. But it worked very well for me, and one of the biggest appeals was the fact that I was mostly off the hook for cooking.
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Pants
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Post by Pants on Jul 16, 2013 13:12:00 GMT -5
Yup, Phoenix I was thinking of recommending this for you too. There are people who just don't care about food. This is as low maintenance as you are going to get.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2013 14:40:54 GMT -5
Specifically, stuff having to do with food?You go to the grocery store and buy the food. Wife does. You come home and put the food away. I usually do. You then have to cook the food. Wife does. Then you have to do the dishes and put those up. I do. And at the end of it all you have to take out the garbage to dispose of all that food wrapping. I do. Rinse and repeat.
I need to get a wife to do all this for me.
I have a slave wife when it comes to cooking. She either cooks or we eat out. I say slave because she has no choice in it. She either cooks, buys something or has to eat what I cook. Anyone trying to eat what I cook has to be like me, I don't care if it's hot or cold or even how it tastes. It just has to keep me alive for 24 hours. I should also say that I've built up an immunity to my cooking so what doesn't bother me just might kill a normal person (or even worse they might linger for weeks near death). So again it comes down to eating out, her cooking, or a trip to the ER for a stomach pump (or worse). Oh & my mom taught me at a very young age: You can eat what's set before you or you can starve. Complain & you WILL starve (cause you won't get another meal that I fix even after you come to from me slapping you up side the head with a pan). I have not eaten exactly ONE meal my wife has ever fixed since we have been married. In my defense on that one meal, even our dog wouldn't eat it.
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Jul 18, 2013 20:44:50 GMT -5
This is me, too.
I like to eat, so I like to cook/bake. I also tend to like to do things the "hard way", so if we're having pizza for dinner, I first make the mozzerella cheese, then make the dough and knead it by hand, so I only make pizza on days that I'm not working. Days that i'm working until 5pm, and DH or someone else has to be somewhere by 6pm are the days when the kids take over making dinner ('cause DH won't). Most days the kids help w/ dinner around the edges: make the salad, set the table, schlep stuff from the fridge downstairs, mix up koolaid or iced tea, etc.
As far as mindless, repetitive chores, that's par for my job: empty the bookdrop, scan the books in, put on cart to reshelve, fill delivery bags with returned books for other libraries, clear the pull list of requested books for other libraries (also go in delivery bags), check out books to patrons, request books for patrons, empty delivery bags after the MWF swap, scan delivery in, call patrons to announce requested books are in, check in books returned, call patrons when overdue notices go out...
Of course, for the summer, my routine is expanded: take down the tables and arrange chairs only for Movie Monday; put tables and chairs back in meeting format for meetings and Story Hour craft time; take tables down and arrange chairs other direction for SRP program performers; repeat each week.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Jul 20, 2013 9:30:39 GMT -5
Totally! There are times I contemplate just through a bunch of stuff in the blender and freezing it in meal sized portions. We eat very well thanks to me, but cooking "fresh" can mean spending a lot of time and dirtying a lot of dishes.
Yeah, I could totally use a wife to do some of these things for me!
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