Honey-Do

Last week during lunch with my friend Lauri, the conversation turned to our husbands--and the merits of giving them lists of jobs to do around the house. Lauri started spring/summer with such a list, and her projects both at home and their lake cottage are already nearly completed.
My dear Fred used to teach building construction, and during the summers off from school would build decks, shingle roofs, and do other remodeling jobs for people--but not accomplish much at home. It took three years for him to finish remodeling our bathroom--much to the amusement of our friends--and we even had a "bathroom-warming" party when it was finally done. In Elk Mound he wanted to replace the kitchen counters, and visualizing three years of preparing meals on the dining room table, I discouraged that idea.
I'm not complaining (too much)--he works extremely long hours, travels a lot, and it's not due to laziness that the chores don't get done; it's a simple lack of time. Having a cabin that he's constantly making improvements to cuts even more into the spare time he does have. Just FYI, these are the projects currently in progress at the cabin, or that he has purchased materials for: a deck for the hot tub, kitchen cabinets, redoing the bunk beds, improving the roads through the woods, finishing the front addition, finishing the back bedroom and shower room, doing firewood for winter. (My theory is that he thinks if he finishes all these he will die--so something always has to be "in progress")
Over the weekend we were talking about the things we want to get done at the house here this summer, and to my surprise he said, "Why don't you make a list of the jobs you want done, and I'll make a list, and we'll choose from the two." WOW! He's suggesting a honey-do list??! Ok...these are the jobs I want done most: put a shower door and a linen closet in the bathroom upstairs, replace the basement windows, and replace the storm door off the living room. These are fairly simple jobs that don't require a massive time commitment and can be accomplished rain or shine. Then he gave me his list: build a deck from door to door; redo the front of the garage, and build stairs to the top of the silo.
Oh oh. His list requires good weather and working outside, while my jobs are all indoors and could be pushed to fall or winter if needed. Will I have to pull out the big guns and withhold favors to get him on my list? "You can turn up the TV yourself!!" "If that shower door doesn't get done, I won't wash your underwear!"
So far, so good. A day after the list was made, he has replaced one basement window (for me) and a window in the garage (for him). The summer is begining on a good note. Check in with me in September and we'll see what my honey did!!