A Much Maligned Skill

Procrastination is a much maligned skill. Today is Friday and it is my designated writing day. I am engaged in paid employment Monday to Thursday, so Friday is the day I can sit and bang away at the keys on my laptop.

I have a W.I.P. called Lovesick which is 34 chapters old (first draft). It will be my fifth novel. I could have used the last two hours to add to those 34 chapters, but I have found other more important things to do.

Music is an important accompaniment to my writing so firstly I had to find a CD to put on. Whilst at the bookcase I noticed the recently purchased, and as yet unopened box set of Star Trek: The Original series. Very tempting. (I chose to listen to Ixnay on the Hombre by Offspring by the way) A pile of unwashed dishes begged my attention,as did a laundry basket overflowing with dirty clothes. I needed a cup of tea, and there were bills to pay. I love online banking: so convenient. There was a moment of consternation as I noticed a balance transfer to an interest free credit card had not occurred two weeks after I activated the account. This necessitated a phone call to the bank. I had to turn off my music because the 'on hold' music was very loud, and actually pretty good. 

I sent a message to my son asking him to call me, then logged on to Twitter which I haven't done for ages. I always post to Facebook and it automatically feeds to Twitter, but now I have temporarily deactivated my Facebook account so I will tweet directly.

Breakfast seems like ages past, so I've just made myself a cup of tea and grabbed a couple of Double Choc Tim Tams from the fridge. I love Tim Tims. Now, with Lamb of God's Wrath playing on the CD player, I am ready to write, but before I do that I think I'll have another Tim Tam, and wait...I hear the washing machine beeping to tell me the load is finished. I have to go out at 1pm, and I'll need to eat some lunch before I go. Do you see how skillfully I procrastinate?

How do you like to waste time?

Photo source:
http://timemanagementninja.com/2013/02/29-ways-youre-wasting-time-today/

Progress

I wrote approximately two thousand words yesterday. Not impressive at all, although I did also do quite a bit of planning and organising. I decided for example, that this book will probably need to be in two parts, so I wrote the last chapter with a teasing end. Furthermore, through much contemplation, I developed a stronger sense of the heart of this book. It will be my best so far.

Add to the above, four stories submitted to writing competitions, a wad of administrative tasks completed, and a little housework, and I'm going to call yesterday a success. How was your day?

Man the Dishwashers Boys!

Some people would wonder why I bother. Seriously. Even I wonder why sometimes but there are occasions in life when you simply have to stand up for what you believe in. Regardless of the cost, the potential ridicule and the likelihood that you efforts will be exactly like attempting to resist the Borg: futile.

The current television ad for Finish Powerball, that's dishwashing detergent not the lottery, offends me. There I said it. I find it so disturbing that I have written to the company to complain. The ad suggests that only women use dishwashers. That crowd of enthusiastic Finish supporters at the end of the ad is comprised solely of mums. No dads, no singles, although there may be a few single mums, just mums. However, mums are not the only ones who use dishwashers. Everyone in my family uses the dishwasher and I am solely responsible for the choice of dishwasher detergent. All I'm asking for is a little credit.A little respect.

I clean the shower but I've never seen a man cleaning a shower in an ad for some too-good-to-be-true cleaning product. I'd like to see them use that stuff on a real bathroom, an old one, a dirty one, instead of a showroom version, but I digress. Am I the only man who washes the shower? No way. Am I the only bloke who cooks and cleans? Fat chance. So where are the men in the ads doing the business with the toilet brush, or scrubbing, spraying, wiping, chopping, dicing and cooking(celebrity chefs aside)?

A recent survey showed that an increasing number of women are becoming the household breadwinners. Househusbands are on the increase. Is this really happening? Or are women doing even more than they have traditionally done, that is, just about everything, and men doing even less? Whether it be childcare or housework, shopping or cooking, I don't think it is at all unusual for men to share the load at home these days.

That's not what I'm seeing in advertising though. Advertising, which targets particular demographics with particular products, reinforces cultural stereotypes as it serves its master and searches for sales. To the companies who use these discriminatory ads to promote their goods and services, I say...beware the slighted househusband. Ignore us at your peril!

To my fellow househusbands, and all those men, who may eschew that title but nonetheless pull their weight at home, and do so willingly and modestly, and even enjoy it, I say...bravo. I love you all. Man the dishwasher boys!