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Dad’s gone to Sainsburys

Mar 10th, 2008
by Dan.

We were video chatting with Greg and Deb last night. They told us they had recently become addicted to How Clean is Your House – a British TV show where two middle aged busybodies go into “the UK’s filthiest homes” and point out how stomach churningly foul they are. Greg and Deb said they liked the program because it reminded them of when they came over to visit our house.

The bastards.

In our defense we haven’t been doing all that badly recently. The visits from Environmental Health are down to twice a week now, and I’m pretty sure I caught a glimpse of our lounge floor last Thursday. What’s more I’ve been making a conscious effort to restrict the fungus growth in the kitchen to just the sink and the counter tops.

Now Kerry has gone back to work full time I’ve had to take responsibility for a greater proportion of the cleaning duties. Of course we’ve always shared out the housework duties pretty evenly – I neglect the kitchen and Kerry neglects the bathroom for example. But now that Kerry works five days a week and I work only four it’s only fair that I take on more of the jobs. Oh yes, I’m becoming quite the domestic goddess. I’ve even learned how to make a risotto.

Today I did the “Big Shop”. Usually when I go to the supermarket I’m only buying the ingredients for that nights meal, so today’s endeavor was quite the adventure. Of course I wasn’t alone in my expedition. Amy made scouting expeditions into neighboring aisles while Evan’s random product grabs added a delightfully eclectic quality to the shopping cart. I couldn’t have asked for two finer wingmen.

The whole affair was made about twenty times more stressful by Kerry’s shopping list. Milk, eggs, bread, and pasta sauce I can handle. But what the hell is “Swiss Vegetable Bouillon Powder”? I blame all those fancy cookbooks. When I eventually found it the packet said it was “instant stock or a delicious hot drink”. So that’s gravy that you can drink then; I think I’ll pass. I put it in the cupboard under the sink with the cleaning products just in case.

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In July of this year I shall be walking 78 miles in 6 days in aid of the Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity founded by my close friends in memorial to their son Joseph who died aged 3 in April of 2005. Please look here for further details and consider sponsoring me. Thank you.

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12 Comments on “Dad’s gone to Sainsburys”

  1. #1 Avitable
    on Mar 10th, 2008 at 1:24 pm

    I think it’s so strange – the concept of buying just enough food for that night’s meal. We buy groceries once every three to four weeks, and that’s it.

    Avitable’s last blog post..Old yet still Fabulous

  2. #2 Ed (zoesdad)
    on Mar 10th, 2008 at 3:00 pm

    Nothing like a shopping trip with the wingmen. I usually take the whole squadron. And I’m happy to report that I’ll never run out of mustard. Somehow, Zane feels like we use it a lot and slips a container of it in the cart each trip. I was up to 7 at last count. That includes the one I’ve had in the fridge for the past 4 months.

    And don’t get me started on the help they provide with house cleaning!

    Ed (zoesdad)’s last blog post..The Perfect Storm

  3. #3 Arjan
    on Mar 10th, 2008 at 3:02 pm

    I don’t have enough space to stock for 3 weeks. With 3 persons using one small fridge..with one person using it like it’s 99% hers..I can’t fit 3 weeks of meat in it. Canned food..wouldn’t know where to stock it.
    I might be able to stock for a week..depends on the food.

    My room isn’t dirty, but not cleaned up..cause stuff lies around.
    And I still have last weeks dishes left..cause I had no time, and this morning I was one of the happy 200 000 people in Groningen who went without water (no dishwashing, no toilet etc )

    Arjan’s last blog post..Inquisitorial Icon

  4. #4 Morticia
    on Mar 10th, 2008 at 3:56 pm

    I have two lovely but naughty chums who go to supermarkets and move items round to inappropriate places and then take photos of them. There is something sbout a picture of a tin of custard in the ‘feminne hygiene’ aisle that makes me laugh too.

  5. #5 Craig
    on Mar 10th, 2008 at 5:53 pm

    video chatting last night were you…. so that’s why you couldn’t come to my house :P (let me know about this sunday… )

  6. #6 Dan
    on Mar 10th, 2008 at 6:22 pm

    Avitable – Remind me not to have a glass of milk at your house.

    Ed – You should donate your mustard to Greg. He eats seven jars in one sitting.

    Arjan – “with one person using it like it’s 99% hers”. That’s a small glimpse of what it will be like when you have kids.

    Morticia – That’s a fantastic idea. I might have to steal it.

    Craig – Bloody hell, spying on me are you. I’ll have you know I was in bed by 10pm. If I’d come to yours I wouldn’t have been back until midnight. If any of the other sponging buggers drove it wouldn’t have mattered if I wasn’t there.

    I’m working next Sunday night I’m afraid

  7. #7 Gail
    on Mar 10th, 2008 at 7:06 pm

    So who wins the ‘buckaroo’ game with the kitchen waste bin? We play that a lot. It’s amazing how much you can pile up before it flings itself across the kitchen isn’t it?

    or…

    How about the ‘how many items can you fit in the dishwasher and still get them out clean without the gritty bits’ game .

    Gail’s last blog post..and the result….

  8. #8 Xbox4NappyRash
    on Mar 10th, 2008 at 7:12 pm

    I can relate to Arjan due to experiencing Dutch kitchens of liliputian proportions. In our first place here 45sqm, if we didn’t eat what we bought on any given day we had to hang it off the balcony.

    And if it makes you feel any better, we are the WORST tidy uppers. we’ve even taken to hiring someone every fortnight to scrape the grime off our walls.

    I feel dirty. ’cause I probably am.

    Xbox4NappyRash’s last blog post..Dan ‘da man

  9. #9 Morticia
    on Mar 10th, 2008 at 10:10 pm

    According to the godlike genius John Waters(who I want to adopt me as a wayward uncle) the other fantastic supermarket based game is:
    Following someone round and watching what kind of things they put in their basket and then putting in something highly inappropriate and watching their face at the checkout.

  10. #10 Rol
    on Mar 11th, 2008 at 7:22 pm

    Much respect for the reference to Bennet in your title. What a great band they were for all of five minutes.

    Rol’s last blog post..I Pledge Allegiance To All But Bryan May

  11. #11 (un)relaxeddad
    on Mar 11th, 2008 at 10:18 pm

    We’ve resorted to Ocado a few times but somehow seem to end up with nothing we can actually eat. As Nature Intended is great fun, though – they provide miniature trollies for your toddlers to terrorize pensioner’s shins with…

    (un)relaxeddad’s last blog post..Dudelette observations at 14 weeks/Looking for the elf

  12. #12 Steve
    on Mar 11th, 2008 at 10:30 pm

    You caught sight of your lounge floor? That’s just showing off!

    Steve’s last blog post..Hurrah for Humphries?

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