I think I could have had the kids scrub and wax the floor, work on the shower door with bleach and a tooth brush, repaint the walls, install a new tub, etc., and she still would find something wrong. The 180 you mention is how I usually respond to her comments...yes yes yes, I'll take care of it. I'm thinking that I should tell her that if she doesn't like the details, then she should take care of them. I want to explain to her that the kids and I just do not see the world the way she does, by inspecting every crack and corner for signs of bacteria.
And I am the guy that gets home from work at 4:30pm, does laundry, dusts, makes dinner, cleans up after dinner, and then finally gets to sit down about 8:30 or so, unless, of course, the kids have concerts or other events to attend or participate in, and then I don't get to sit down until later. I am not the beer guzzlin' couch potato that men are portrayed as on TV.
You're right about me speaking my mind in a constructive way. My tongue is too sore because I bite it all the time.
And MPT, as for adolescent things like eye-rolling, I may do these...without even thinking about it. I will work on not reacting negatively to her comments. It is so hard to do sometimes. My blood pressure goes up and I just want to say to her, "I am a great husband! I love you! I don't feel loved by you! So what if there is grunge in the corners of the shower door? Clean it! Don't complain about it. Kind of like when I masturbate...I just take care of my sexual urge myself instead of expecting you to take care of it!"
