And shut the silverware drawer.
And shut the dish cabinet door.
And shut the cooking utensils drawer.
And shut the …
Is it really that hard to close things back up that you open? You would think so if you lived here. In fact, the “act of finishing” seems to be an ability that neither daughter Karlyn nor her friend Tyanna (who’s been living with us for several weeks now) have acquired.
Apparently, it doesn’t dawn on them to complete even the simplest task. They will leave tissues and dinner napkins on the furniture after they’ve used them. They will leave laundry in the washer and dryer instead of taking it to their room. They will make a mess while preparing something to eat but not clean the mess up.
Tyanna in particular can be frustrating in one specific way: she’s a late-night eater. She likes to cook something for herself long after Ev and I have gone to bed so that I find dishes on the kitchen sink counter when I get up the next morning. In all fairness, she has been washing the prep items like the frying pans, spatulas, bowls, occasionally silverware, whatever, but there are still the plates, glasses, and whatever mess she’s made in the cooking process for me to find when I get up. And, yes, we do have that competing situation where I have my own way of doing some things like loading the dishwasher, so I understand why some dishes are piled in the sink instead of being put in the dishwasher. But I will have spent a good half-hour or more the night before cleaning up the kitchen after Evelyn and I have had dinner, loading the dishwasher, hand-washing pots and pans, and wiping down counters. When the stove has been messed up, I give it a good cleaning with the glass-top stove cleaner. By the time I’m done, the kitchen nearly glows.
And so it’s somewhat distressing to wake up the next morning and find that my work hasn’t survived the night. Yes, I have pointed out to the girls that I’d like to have them clean up after themselves, but that only lasts for a short time. To say that this is not the retirement I envisioned would be an understatement.
I don’t understand why it’s so taxing to finish what was started: to put things back and close the door; to take things out and close the drawer; to go ahead and get something to eat and then clean up afterward; to open a package and throw the wrapper away instead of leaving it out on the counter or table. You’d think we expected them to be hired help.