The merry joys of Do it yourself projects and the arguments that tumble along with it. I always wonder how many divorces have occured over painting?  I think of this every time Mr. MBA stands over me  inspecting every single paint brush swipe I make in the hot sun.

“Honey!  Try not using so much paint! Do you know how much that stuff costs?”
“Yes, you told me! Fifty dollars a can! Don’t you have anything better to do?  I thought you were managing the play date? I hear children arguing. Can you go check on them?”

“But…”                                                

“Don’t but me right now!”
“Fine!  But I’m doing the second coat! Just to prove to you that I’m much better at it!”

“Whatever! Just get out of my hair before I drop this bucket of paint on your head!”

I watch Mr.MBA storm off to the backyard as his triumphant skills from reading “Good to Great” have failed miserably on his wife. I always wonder if he returns to the index of the book to check dealing with difficult people.

Several minutes later he returns, “It’s looking good!”

“Thanks!”

“Can I give you a suggestion?”

“Did you not heed my first warning?”
“Fine. All I was going to ask if you scrape the walls of the empty bucket of paint.”

“Why?”
“Do you know how much that paint costs?”

“Didn’t we just have this conversation?”

“All I’m asking.”

“Fine! I’ll use it on the touch-ups!”

“Fine!”

He stomps off to the back to manage the play date. I take a deep breath and ponder what it would be like to hire a handyman. Wouldn’t life be easier?