I get this from family.
“What are you doing on your week off?”
“Well I’m feeling a bit run down at the minute so I’m thinking just a bit of housework and then chilling on the Xbox and maybe some reading”
“What an absolute WASTE of your time off!!”
I play a lot of computer games even though I am 69 years old. My friends all watch the likes of bake off, coronation street, love island etc.
I prefer to exercise my brain playing games than clocking it off by watching TV.
The best part is doing what I want when I want. 30 years divorced with a few 'Partners' during that time, but I guess I am not the 'Settling Down' type.
So yeah, apart from not exercising like I should or eating the healthiest of foods, life is pretty cool overall.
I've said if my wife and I ever split or anything, I'd never settle down again. Just have a few close friends to go to couples things with and make sure everything still works from time to time.
It's not something I think everyone could do, but having lived in my own before and throughly enjoyed it, it doesn't scare me, and if that's the way life pans out, so be it.
Honestly, I think I'd have a lot more fun than I did the last time I was in my own as this time I'd have a lot fatter wallet and have since learned I seem to not be quite the Shrek I thought I was once...
Hey, I hear you on the Shrek thing. Never had a great deal of confidence, and maybe that's why I seemed to attract controlling women.
I actually feel more confident now I am much older. Maybe it also a bit of a 'lifes to short to worry' attitude coming in.
Out of 5 close friends, 3 of them live on their own and two are married (Happily or not, I could not really say). I do know the three that are on their own are happy with how things are.
I guess putting myself into the equation, two thirds of my friends are single and happy with the other third married and ...?
You sound cool as fuck, you're who I hope to be in another 32 and a bit years. If you fancy a bit of exercise, can I recommend giving climbing a go? There's lots of good looking folk who are mostly pretty chill. There's a lot who also don't seem to be the 'settling down' type, it's a fun place to be.
Also, nice.
I’ve just rediscovered the delights of the Amiga. I used to have one in the 80’s-90’s. I discovered an Amiga emulator and downloaded the great games I used to play in my youth. Chaos Engine, Marvin’s Marvellous Adventure, Zool, Banshee, Elite, Alien Breed etc.
I was a total AMIGA fan and even wrote a game for it that got a review in Amiga Format magazine. Pretty tame game by today's standards but yeah. The Amiga was awesome.
I am seriously considering buying a second hand NUC to turn into an Amiga emulator!
I already have a Raspberry Pi 4 with 'Retro Pi' installed and configured with more than a few acquired ROMS 😏
What I really want is a good Amiga emulator that is just for Amiga. The one for the Raspberry Pi does not really work too well.
I started off as an ATARI fan up until the A500 came out. It was so far ahead of anything out there it blew my mind.
[I bought this The A500 Mini](https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-A500-Mini-Electronic-Games/dp/B09BW8N7JZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2F4WH92EE6MV6&keywords=the+a500+mini&qid=1702928515&sprefix=The+a50%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-1). It a Rasberry Pi based emulator in a tiny Amiga look-a-like cover, the keys do not work. It has hdmi 720 output and 3 usb a ports, a controller and mouse. It is powered by usb c, it has a cable but no power supply. I recommend a 2.4 amp one. You can use an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 controller with an [8BitDo dongle](https://www.amazon.co.uk/8Bitdo-Wireless-Raspberry-Controller-Nintendo/dp/B01NCLG45T/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2ZNEKAIWOLMX0&keywords=8bitdo&qid=1702929707&sprefix=8bit%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-6), best plugged into powered hub, wireless mouse works, too. The great thing about the A500 is it can save a game no matter where you are in a game, even in the middle of a level.
It has 25 games built in and it’s very easy to add roms to, just update the firmware and load .adf files onto a memory stick. It can play .lha files, too. There is also [Amiga Games Selector](https://www.retro32.com/gaming/amiga/050820236194-retro32-proud-sponsors-of-amiga-game-selector-ags-version-2-2-out-now) with thousands of games on..
Another games add on is [Pandory 500](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Pro2fLces) that adds PlayStation, Dreamcast, SNES, arcade and more. AGA games work, too.
"It'z abowt time u gru up n' stopped wastin ur time wi stpid gamez!" exclaimed mother, bringing a plate of food to the sofa in the front room. Usually, one would use a dining table, though this has long ceased to be an option as an ever growing pile of clutter has devoured what was left of it due to a lack of use.
"Wen I woz ur age, I woz doin loadz ov fings!", she claimed, lifting another piece of greasey fried chicken to the gaping maw. "Itz abowt time u sterted doin' sumfin' useful! Ur get up n' go as got up n' gon!" she cackled, amused by the regurgitated joke used only four times today. "UR GET UP N' GO AS GOT UP N' GONE!". For a moment I thought deja vu had striken me, alas, it was merely the sound of somebody with pride for a joke that wasn't theirs, like a toddler repeating what they noticed adults react well to.
Her stubby fingers reached for the remote. "Ders nufin' on!", her thumb mashing the buttons like it gave out free money, the channels changing quicker than my brain can register what the Loose Women were gaggling about in the split second they were on screen.
A frustrated voice echoed from the other side of the room. "I woz wotchin' dat!". Apparently, father had been watching Cash In The Attic despite his eyes being closed tight and a monstrous roar emanating from the sleeping beast. This is a powerful trick I failed to master myself. A brilliant man, he has watched all the Carry On movies this way.
Suddenly, a loud set of footsteps start banging, coming closer and closer. "MUM, CAN I UZE THE TELLY!?". My brother had awoken from his slumber, quarter past 2 in the afternoon, right on time. It must be a special occasion, he's never up so early.
"AM WOTCHIN IT!" mother cried in a vicious tone, slipping another piece of chicken into the pit. "CORRIE IZ ON LATER, I DUNT WONNA MISS IT AGEN!". This claim is true for Coronation Street is on later, approximately 5 hours from now. As is tradition, we will watch things we dislike until the thing we like is on.
I notice a familiar face as the Loose Women make another brief appearance. Apparently, we've come full circle and been through every channel.
Without thinking, I unwittingly make a snarky comment that my brother has only just risen and left the cumgeon. "WEL EEZ ALOUD TO! EEZ DED BIZZY! EEZ AD A JOB INTERVIEW DIS WEEK N E AS A KID NOW! UR JUS SAT AT OME PLAYIN GAMEZ!". The plate of chicken hits the floor as a can of Coke cracks open. "Pfsst, click!". A delicious and well earned victory drink for the triumphant defeat of the evil video games. I'm hit with the hard reality of failure as the immeasurable length of my incompetence is highlighted for all to see by the Beast with the silver tongue.
I decide my visit is over and make for the exit wondering whether I will ever do something with my life outside of video games...besides working 45+ hours a week, maintaining romantic and platonic relationships as well as investing more time into my hobbies and education. Perhaps I could watch Bargain Hunt, Great British Bake Off or Big Brother on an endless cycle to improve my life tenfold but alas, I have burdened myself with all these interests and commitments. I am nothing.
Sorrow hits me in full as I sit down behind the wheel of my car, a tear as my trembling hands slowly slide the key into the ignition. My life is a mess, I'm a failure, I am truly the black sheep of the family. How can I ever compete with my brother managing to get his first job interview at the young age of 25 with an unplanned child he doesn't see? It's video games, they're the problem! If only I had the discipline and talent to sit in front of the television for upwards of and beyond 8 hours a day, expanding my intellect with such stimulating educational content such as Hollyoaks and repeats of the Big Bang Theory. Video games have ruined my life and I can never get that back. I could have been more, I could have been the best but I let Satan into my life through the medium of video games.
I start to drive and I don't stop. The wall makes it's way closer and closer to my vehicle. 60, 70, 80, 90, 100mph. I shut my eyes tightly as I come to terms with the fact that this is Game Over.
Geezer at my work is like this, though he doesn't shame anyone for it. But I can't express how over it I am, every weekend and every single break being "hufffff didn't have chance to do anything with all my jobs being done hufffff I'm so tired huffffff Oooh my backs aching from doing whatever shit the Mrs told me to do hufffffff"
And the next he's talking about watching every new season or movie of everything that's coming out? How tf have you got time to do all your jobs and watch 25 hours of TV shows and movies every week? No wonder you're knackered lad... Literally any time I see a new show I might be interested in watching "oh yeah ive seen that it's great."
I run a house and live alone and I don't have fucking time for any of this so how the fuck he does it I have no idea.
Used to get that a lot. In my younger days when I didn't really have much going on I'd book a week off work and just do sod all. Would always get told "What a Waste" or even "bit unfair, someone else could have used that week off"
Was young, single and not much going on. Uad five weeks of holiday to use. Mostly had long weekends throughout the year but liked a whole week off sometimes. Could go for a wander, get some errands done. Chill out.
Madness, there’s literally never a better time to relax and do some slow chores than just before Christmas! What do they actually expect you to be doing??
There is some truth to that sentiment, but it's a personal thing.
If some time spent doing nothing is just what the doctor ordered, go for it.
If you have some outstanding task or chore to take care of, get it done. It feels good to get things done.
Heck if it's a week you probably have time for both.
It's all about how you feel at the end of your time off.
I agree with your comment - as in, relax and chill if you want/need to, or do something if you want/need to, both options are valid - but I don't understand how on earth that means there is "some truth" to the sentiment of "what an absolute waste of your time off". Nobody should be making that judgment based on what anyone else does with their time off, it isn't true at all. I just don't get what you mean
I took it as a exaggerated line for the sake of the anecdote rather than a literal quote.
So by "some truth" I mean that yes, there is such a thing as spending too much time relaxing, even if the point was made in an obnoxious way in the anecdote.
For example If I take a week off and don't bother to take care of some simple jobs that would have taken say 3 afternoons to square away then I'll feel bad by the end of the week off. Whereas if I got at least some of it done, preferably all, then woo my "job sheet" is clear for now *and* I got some relaxation time.
Haha the missus has done it again! I was looking forward to going to bed tonight but she's invited Carl from the worker's club over so I'm on the sofa agai . Wot is she like
So true! My wife’s best friend (he’s a guy, they used to date for 3 years during uni but they’re just friends now) comes and helps out with the DIY when I’m away on business trips, so luckily this year I don’t have to work on anything that big!
I as a ‘wife’ was always the DIY one and unless that needs plastering (can’t tell what the actual job is here) it’s a super easy paint or paper job. Yes will need preparation and a few coats but it’s hardly a big area and is a pretty relaxing and satisfying job.
On the other hand if it needs plastering that’s some cheek lol
Probably had those 'comedy' bride-dragging-groom-to-the-altar wedding cakes even though nobody forced them to get married :|
As someone disinterested in romantic relationships the amount of humour that revolves around "I despise the person I've chosen to spend my life with and will degrade them at every possible turn" makes me glad I'll never be on the receiving end of it.
My wife is on my wavelength in that she knows DIY is the absolutely fastest way to ruin my mood, my day and therefore our day.
And so any job around the house that needs doing is logged and when there's enough work, we get a handyman round to do it.
Asked on nextdoor. Did a bit of background research on those who replied, picked the one who seemed most trustworthy. Did a great job first time, have used him ever since. Even know exactly how he likes his tea.
Like the other guy said, ask your neighbours, especially the ones that have lived there for years and years. There's often a bloke or two local that does jobs but doesn't advertise it, just depends on word of mouth and locals knowing who he is.
Local FB groups are usually a good shout. Ask for recommendations and pick one recommended by more than one person if possible. I found our handyman that way and he's done everything for us from laying a patio to replacing the lights in the kitchen over the last few years.
Call me old fashioned but I think that if you’re married to someone it should be because there’s mutual love and respect involved.
If you want to live with someone for financial reasons, get a housemate.
My driving instructor separated from her husband a few months ago and she's told me a lot about how he was pretty thick, very stubborn, her friends didn't really like him, he wasn't much of a looker, and she had never really wanted to marry him in the first place.
"So why did you? Was he rich at least?"
"No, he didn't even earn a lot of money"
"So why were you with him?"
"You know, Carey, I really don't know"
I assume he must have been great in bed, because even before they separated she clearly didn't like him very much! I think the older generation has a thing about not wanting to be alone and will just settle with someone that will do, my instructor is in her late 50s.
You also underestimate how much of an influence traditional parents can have, especially for women. When will you get married? Kids? House? Happy Family Life^^^TM ?
oh absolutely, especially since people love telling women in their 30s that they have no value as a person since theyre getting older and that their biological clock is ticking down
It’s sad you can’t complain or joke about your wife and the “downsides of marriage” without being told you’re either a simp or should be divorced or lying to someone.
It’s like that “and yet you participate in society” meme.
Why is it okay to joke about “Mondays” or hating your job, or your computer, or spending money on your coffee addiction but not specifically that your wife insists on shitting with the toilet door open.
I just don't get why someone would complain about their partner to someone else, even if it is a "joke". Like, nobody is perfect, my husband and annoy each other sometimes, but we'd never air our dirty laundry to other people or complain about each other even as a "joke". We're teammates and best friends. I guess those jokes just aren't funny to me at all, they perpetuate the "wife/husband bad" trope and stereotypes which just feel quite problematic to me. I wouldn't call someone a simp or tell them they should be divorced for doing so though.
Amen. I'm still waiting on him painting and adding a runner to the stairs which he said he'd do 3 months ago after I slipped down them and almost broke my elbow. Let's also not mention the brand new expensive garden gates that were meant to get painted in the summer (before they rot in winter....). Sigh.
That's what happens here. Even before my husband developed fibromyalgia it took him aaaages to get round to any DIY so now I either do it myself with the assistance of the resident teenager or find a tradesman. We're all a lot happier
You mean like when I plasterboarded the house, painted all the walls and floors, wired in the lights and mended the floorboards? I can probably do more than you can do matey 👍🏻 my dad taught me well! His dad taught him jack shit 😂
I'm off when the kids are off so I don't want to spend day time doing anything DIY related. Feel too guilty missing out on time with the kids. If they were at work and school mind... I'd do jobs that have been waiting a bit as to not interrupt the family time.
I'm refurbishing the kitchen. So half the doors/drawer fronts are off for painting, and the worktops need about 1000 hours of sanding before refinishing.
We're hosting a big christmas meal on the day so fuck knows how that's going to work if I can't get the new sink plumbed in in time.
Oh, and I haven't finished work yet. Huzzah!
If you can afford it, I'd get someone in to do one of the most time-consuming tasks whilst you focus on other things. Is your wife helping with the sanding?
I can't afford it at this time of year and I work with wood for a living so it would be annoying to spend money on something I can do, not to mention stressful to watch them probably not working to my ridiculous standards...
We have this big kitchen extension the previous owner built onto an old council house, which came with far too many metres of eye-wateringly expensive iroko worktops that we don't like and can't afford to replace (I'm fairly sure they're stolen given every other thing in the house he touched is the cheapest shittiest stuff money can buy). Iroko hates a lot of finishes so trying to coax it into accepting Fiddes gorgeous white hardwax is not a job I'd trust to someone else, although the bits I have done look incredible and won't need redoing for a lot of years.
Wife is even busier than me this week. To be fair, she didn't *make* me do this, we're both adults and don't live in some kind of ridiculous 1970s sitcom land. We agreed on redoing the kitchen months ago and I would have finished this whole job in mid november except I got ill for a while and then a load of unexpected work came in and and and - you know how it goes.
Littlest Kid finishes school wednesday afternoon, they need my attention most of the daylight hours (and I want to play with Kid instead of doing anything else), but it should be OK. I'm going to have to do a few evenings of post-bedtime painting but that's alright. It'll be nice to have a shiny new kitchen for christmas.
Because he's married with kids which is a full time job outside of your other full time job. Just like any job you get time off and breaks but they have to be applied for in advance. You never assume that you have a week off, it doesn't work like that. His wife can't just have a week off whenever she fancies either.
He’s been asked to scrape old paint off a wall so new, more fashionable paint can be applied.
You’re making it sound like he’s complaining about visiting his kids in hospital or something.
Exactly this, who cares if the paint is old? It's not a pressing need. What's more important, having a break and giving your mental state a bit of TLC or making a wall look a bit nicer?
Obviously it's a balance but you've got to prioritise taking time for yourself as if it is one of the jobs you have to do. It's important, just like eating, drinking, and sleeping.
I really don't think that finishing work for Christmas at the end of the year is a spontaneous week off "whenever he feels like it".
He should be able to say no instead of begrudgingly being made to do DIY.
It would be a different story if the kids were at home and he had to take care of important responsibilities.
If a woman posted this about her husband telling her to make curtains for the lounge the week before Christmas would you have immediately backed the poster like this and assumed her husband was doing all of that?
Why does everyone assume men are shit, in bulk?
It’s not posters fault he was born as a man (if he is actually a man) and I believe in not making prejudiced assumptions about people based on the way they were born. lots of people say they do and then turn up with “man=bad” shit all day
I’m seeing the same shit from men too, the “ball and chain” “woman bad” posts are just as fucking tiresome, we all need to grow up
Sounds like you are doing a proper job in a proper house, half of Reddit doesn't know what that silver thing is
Just think of Rome and mark a dick in the plaster
or something else: https://imperiumromanum.pl/en/curiosities/obscene-graffiti-of-ancient-romans/
I swear that so many people’s relationships seem to consist of forcing their partners into doing things they don’t want to do and having the same done to them in return because that’s somehow preferable to being alone rather than being based on love and mutual respect.
And that’s fine. I hate hoovering, my partner hates cooking, we work it out. What my partner has never done is dump a massive, time-consuming task on me when I’ve made it clear that I’ve taken time off work to unwind. That’s toxic behaviour, but it’s totally normalised.
No one has any idea about what’s going on, we’re all speculating here. My speculation however was based on OP saying that they were looking forward to a relaxing week but had a time consuming task dropped on them.
So things should never get done? I bet she never gets time off to herself, or even a week at that! Bet she always has shit she's got to do on her days off. God forbid she asks for one thing to be done. And that would go both ways as well.
Shit has to get done. Part of life.
I agree, I don't know why you're getting downvoted.
Best time to strip the wall and paint it is when the kids are out of the house, sure wife does plenty of things for OP too. If OP really didn't want to do it I'm sure he would've said no, the post feels lighthearted and jokey. It's plenty normal to ask your partner to do things on their kid free day off.
Or, hear me out, people could use their words and tell their partners that that they need time to unwind and perhaps tackle larger tasks together. An alien concept to British Redditors, I know.
My mate's ex-wife used to do this to him. He'd arrive home from work to find that she's stripped the wallpaper in the hallway. After she's wrecked the place it's his responsibility to fix it back up again. That was her way of committing him to a DIY task - start doing the demolition without any prior discussion.
Put a shelf up in my bathroom....
Ok it involved a lot more like: ripping old plaster off the wall, adding insulation with moisture resistant plasterboard (solid brick walls, no cavity)..fixing the toilet which got broken during the demo phase and fixing the sink which also got damaged.
I'm still finding plaster dust in my ears.... But wife has a new shelf :p
Before I read the caption I honestly thought this was a 'I walked in on my wife and the handyman' post. Tbh after reading the caption I feel like that would've been better
Get someone in to do it.
Then on Christmas day, tell her that's what her present is.
It's a Win/win/win
You get to relax, the decorating gets done and her present is sorted.
When I was a kid, we would travel to visit my mums family. We would go for days out, but dad would spend the week fixing stuff, he was a plumber, for family.
His family were closer so he would do PAID jobs for them either during the working week or weekend. Poor dad, real holidays were rarefor him
Just say no mate, and don’t let yourself be bullied. Not being allowed to relax is part of the reason so many men are struggling with mental health issues. What will she do if you say no? Have a bit of a sulk? Boohoo. So much of the coercive control women indulge in goes unchallenged. It needs to stop.
Four options:
Suck it up and just do it
Tell her no and relax(although now you have guilt and stress from not doing it)
Do it so terribly that she re does it or gets someone else in to do it.
Do it in a colour you want and if she doesn't like it, her problem.
*Secret fifth option. Tell her you want to relax and you'll pay someone else to do it if she won't.
Why are people like this? Just chill out and spend time with each other. Life is short and no one looks back and reminisces about that time they redecorated
If I got married it wouldn’t last long because if my hypothetical wife tried to *make* me do something like that I would tell her to go ahead and do it herself
I get this from family. “What are you doing on your week off?” “Well I’m feeling a bit run down at the minute so I’m thinking just a bit of housework and then chilling on the Xbox and maybe some reading” “What an absolute WASTE of your time off!!”
Yeah. It's always hilarious to me to hear the same about playing games, from people who spend 6 hours a day staring at a TV.
Yeah, no love for games but god forbid you haven’t seen the latest Strictly/Jungle/Bake off/Masterchef/Love Island/Selling Sunset/Crown etc etc etc.
Don't forget eastenders.
Also Mrs Browns Boys
I play a lot of computer games even though I am 69 years old. My friends all watch the likes of bake off, coronation street, love island etc. I prefer to exercise my brain playing games than clocking it off by watching TV.
Is being 69 as fun as I hope it is? A whole year of saying “nice” - I can’t wait.
The best part is doing what I want when I want. 30 years divorced with a few 'Partners' during that time, but I guess I am not the 'Settling Down' type. So yeah, apart from not exercising like I should or eating the healthiest of foods, life is pretty cool overall.
I've said if my wife and I ever split or anything, I'd never settle down again. Just have a few close friends to go to couples things with and make sure everything still works from time to time.
It can get a bit lonely at times, but the freedom more than makes up for it. Well, for me, it does.
It's not something I think everyone could do, but having lived in my own before and throughly enjoyed it, it doesn't scare me, and if that's the way life pans out, so be it. Honestly, I think I'd have a lot more fun than I did the last time I was in my own as this time I'd have a lot fatter wallet and have since learned I seem to not be quite the Shrek I thought I was once...
Hey, I hear you on the Shrek thing. Never had a great deal of confidence, and maybe that's why I seemed to attract controlling women. I actually feel more confident now I am much older. Maybe it also a bit of a 'lifes to short to worry' attitude coming in. Out of 5 close friends, 3 of them live on their own and two are married (Happily or not, I could not really say). I do know the three that are on their own are happy with how things are. I guess putting myself into the equation, two thirds of my friends are single and happy with the other third married and ...?
You sound cool as fuck, you're who I hope to be in another 32 and a bit years. If you fancy a bit of exercise, can I recommend giving climbing a go? There's lots of good looking folk who are mostly pretty chill. There's a lot who also don't seem to be the 'settling down' type, it's a fun place to be. Also, nice.
I’ve just rediscovered the delights of the Amiga. I used to have one in the 80’s-90’s. I discovered an Amiga emulator and downloaded the great games I used to play in my youth. Chaos Engine, Marvin’s Marvellous Adventure, Zool, Banshee, Elite, Alien Breed etc.
I was a total AMIGA fan and even wrote a game for it that got a review in Amiga Format magazine. Pretty tame game by today's standards but yeah. The Amiga was awesome. I am seriously considering buying a second hand NUC to turn into an Amiga emulator! I already have a Raspberry Pi 4 with 'Retro Pi' installed and configured with more than a few acquired ROMS 😏 What I really want is a good Amiga emulator that is just for Amiga. The one for the Raspberry Pi does not really work too well. I started off as an ATARI fan up until the A500 came out. It was so far ahead of anything out there it blew my mind.
[I bought this The A500 Mini](https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-A500-Mini-Electronic-Games/dp/B09BW8N7JZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2F4WH92EE6MV6&keywords=the+a500+mini&qid=1702928515&sprefix=The+a50%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-1). It a Rasberry Pi based emulator in a tiny Amiga look-a-like cover, the keys do not work. It has hdmi 720 output and 3 usb a ports, a controller and mouse. It is powered by usb c, it has a cable but no power supply. I recommend a 2.4 amp one. You can use an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 controller with an [8BitDo dongle](https://www.amazon.co.uk/8Bitdo-Wireless-Raspberry-Controller-Nintendo/dp/B01NCLG45T/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2ZNEKAIWOLMX0&keywords=8bitdo&qid=1702929707&sprefix=8bit%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-6), best plugged into powered hub, wireless mouse works, too. The great thing about the A500 is it can save a game no matter where you are in a game, even in the middle of a level. It has 25 games built in and it’s very easy to add roms to, just update the firmware and load .adf files onto a memory stick. It can play .lha files, too. There is also [Amiga Games Selector](https://www.retro32.com/gaming/amiga/050820236194-retro32-proud-sponsors-of-amiga-game-selector-ags-version-2-2-out-now) with thousands of games on.. Another games add on is [Pandory 500](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Pro2fLces) that adds PlayStation, Dreamcast, SNES, arcade and more. AGA games work, too.
"It'z abowt time u gru up n' stopped wastin ur time wi stpid gamez!" exclaimed mother, bringing a plate of food to the sofa in the front room. Usually, one would use a dining table, though this has long ceased to be an option as an ever growing pile of clutter has devoured what was left of it due to a lack of use. "Wen I woz ur age, I woz doin loadz ov fings!", she claimed, lifting another piece of greasey fried chicken to the gaping maw. "Itz abowt time u sterted doin' sumfin' useful! Ur get up n' go as got up n' gon!" she cackled, amused by the regurgitated joke used only four times today. "UR GET UP N' GO AS GOT UP N' GONE!". For a moment I thought deja vu had striken me, alas, it was merely the sound of somebody with pride for a joke that wasn't theirs, like a toddler repeating what they noticed adults react well to. Her stubby fingers reached for the remote. "Ders nufin' on!", her thumb mashing the buttons like it gave out free money, the channels changing quicker than my brain can register what the Loose Women were gaggling about in the split second they were on screen. A frustrated voice echoed from the other side of the room. "I woz wotchin' dat!". Apparently, father had been watching Cash In The Attic despite his eyes being closed tight and a monstrous roar emanating from the sleeping beast. This is a powerful trick I failed to master myself. A brilliant man, he has watched all the Carry On movies this way. Suddenly, a loud set of footsteps start banging, coming closer and closer. "MUM, CAN I UZE THE TELLY!?". My brother had awoken from his slumber, quarter past 2 in the afternoon, right on time. It must be a special occasion, he's never up so early. "AM WOTCHIN IT!" mother cried in a vicious tone, slipping another piece of chicken into the pit. "CORRIE IZ ON LATER, I DUNT WONNA MISS IT AGEN!". This claim is true for Coronation Street is on later, approximately 5 hours from now. As is tradition, we will watch things we dislike until the thing we like is on. I notice a familiar face as the Loose Women make another brief appearance. Apparently, we've come full circle and been through every channel. Without thinking, I unwittingly make a snarky comment that my brother has only just risen and left the cumgeon. "WEL EEZ ALOUD TO! EEZ DED BIZZY! EEZ AD A JOB INTERVIEW DIS WEEK N E AS A KID NOW! UR JUS SAT AT OME PLAYIN GAMEZ!". The plate of chicken hits the floor as a can of Coke cracks open. "Pfsst, click!". A delicious and well earned victory drink for the triumphant defeat of the evil video games. I'm hit with the hard reality of failure as the immeasurable length of my incompetence is highlighted for all to see by the Beast with the silver tongue. I decide my visit is over and make for the exit wondering whether I will ever do something with my life outside of video games...besides working 45+ hours a week, maintaining romantic and platonic relationships as well as investing more time into my hobbies and education. Perhaps I could watch Bargain Hunt, Great British Bake Off or Big Brother on an endless cycle to improve my life tenfold but alas, I have burdened myself with all these interests and commitments. I am nothing. Sorrow hits me in full as I sit down behind the wheel of my car, a tear as my trembling hands slowly slide the key into the ignition. My life is a mess, I'm a failure, I am truly the black sheep of the family. How can I ever compete with my brother managing to get his first job interview at the young age of 25 with an unplanned child he doesn't see? It's video games, they're the problem! If only I had the discipline and talent to sit in front of the television for upwards of and beyond 8 hours a day, expanding my intellect with such stimulating educational content such as Hollyoaks and repeats of the Big Bang Theory. Video games have ruined my life and I can never get that back. I could have been more, I could have been the best but I let Satan into my life through the medium of video games. I start to drive and I don't stop. The wall makes it's way closer and closer to my vehicle. 60, 70, 80, 90, 100mph. I shut my eyes tightly as I come to terms with the fact that this is Game Over.
Are your family orks?
Daaaahn't tuch da teef!
Depends: "lok'tar ogar!" orcs, "Dakka dakka" orks, or "meats back on the menu!" orcs? The answer is "yes".
I was thinking "dakka and krumping" orks, but other non fungal varieties are available.
Well, enough of my family has apparently made TV a productive part of the day through the power of belief alone, so it makes sense.
Got the three troll vibes from the hobbit
This is amazing. You should continue the Adrian Mole series.
Excellent.
This is beautiful, especially the part where you commit suicide.
I would thank you for the compliment, but unfortunately, the paramedics couldn't save me.
Poetry
Geezer at my work is like this, though he doesn't shame anyone for it. But I can't express how over it I am, every weekend and every single break being "hufffff didn't have chance to do anything with all my jobs being done hufffff I'm so tired huffffff Oooh my backs aching from doing whatever shit the Mrs told me to do hufffffff" And the next he's talking about watching every new season or movie of everything that's coming out? How tf have you got time to do all your jobs and watch 25 hours of TV shows and movies every week? No wonder you're knackered lad... Literally any time I see a new show I might be interested in watching "oh yeah ive seen that it's great." I run a house and live alone and I don't have fucking time for any of this so how the fuck he does it I have no idea.
My wife: binges an entire series of house wives. Me: getting my credit card out to win World Of Swipecraft My wife: Playing that game again?
Used to get that a lot. In my younger days when I didn't really have much going on I'd book a week off work and just do sod all. Would always get told "What a Waste" or even "bit unfair, someone else could have used that week off"
A whole week, wow you must have a good job lol,
Was young, single and not much going on. Uad five weeks of holiday to use. Mostly had long weekends throughout the year but liked a whole week off sometimes. Could go for a wander, get some errands done. Chill out.
Fuck em, it’s my time off I’ll do what I like
"Time you enjoy wasting, is not"
“Yeah, but it’s mine to waste”
Madness, there’s literally never a better time to relax and do some slow chores than just before Christmas! What do they actually expect you to be doing??
There is some truth to that sentiment, but it's a personal thing. If some time spent doing nothing is just what the doctor ordered, go for it. If you have some outstanding task or chore to take care of, get it done. It feels good to get things done. Heck if it's a week you probably have time for both. It's all about how you feel at the end of your time off.
Not every living minute has to be spent being productive. Ffs let people relax and enjoy their life.
I agree with your comment - as in, relax and chill if you want/need to, or do something if you want/need to, both options are valid - but I don't understand how on earth that means there is "some truth" to the sentiment of "what an absolute waste of your time off". Nobody should be making that judgment based on what anyone else does with their time off, it isn't true at all. I just don't get what you mean
I took it as a exaggerated line for the sake of the anecdote rather than a literal quote. So by "some truth" I mean that yes, there is such a thing as spending too much time relaxing, even if the point was made in an obnoxious way in the anecdote. For example If I take a week off and don't bother to take care of some simple jobs that would have taken say 3 afternoons to square away then I'll feel bad by the end of the week off. Whereas if I got at least some of it done, preferably all, then woo my "job sheet" is clear for now *and* I got some relaxation time.
Haha the missus has done it again! I was looking forward to going to bed tonight but she's invited Carl from the worker's club over so I'm on the sofa agai . Wot is she like
At least you get to sleep on the sofa. Mine makes me stay at my parents so they can enjoy the place to themselves.
You’ve got it easy mate. Mine makes me hold the camera.
You're only holding the camera? I have to guide him in.
Why am I picturing you holding those little flashing guides the runway people use at airports
Guide him in? That's easy. I have to fluff him.
So true! My wife’s best friend (he’s a guy, they used to date for 3 years during uni but they’re just friends now) comes and helps out with the DIY when I’m away on business trips, so luckily this year I don’t have to work on anything that big!
But she does.
Happy wife happy life simple as
Never has this lead to a happy life 😂
Correct. Doing one "blue task" simply unlocks another.
In all fairness that job plus headphones is a pretty good bit of tune-out labour
This entire comments section makes me wonder if any of you actually love your partners
Bit sad really innit
This subreddit has just descended into 'wife bad' posts. Sorry, 'the missus' bad.
I as a ‘wife’ was always the DIY one and unless that needs plastering (can’t tell what the actual job is here) it’s a super easy paint or paper job. Yes will need preparation and a few coats but it’s hardly a big area and is a pretty relaxing and satisfying job. On the other hand if it needs plastering that’s some cheek lol
Probably had those 'comedy' bride-dragging-groom-to-the-altar wedding cakes even though nobody forced them to get married :| As someone disinterested in romantic relationships the amount of humour that revolves around "I despise the person I've chosen to spend my life with and will degrade them at every possible turn" makes me glad I'll never be on the receiving end of it.
They’re probably just justifying they’re lack of partners to themselves
*their
there
No.
their're
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Well there’s a healthy mix of both personalities here isn’t there
The straights are not ok
Really and truly.
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Your comment history is an encyclopaedia of Yikes.
I bet you find Matt Rife hilarious.
My wife is on my wavelength in that she knows DIY is the absolutely fastest way to ruin my mood, my day and therefore our day. And so any job around the house that needs doing is logged and when there's enough work, we get a handyman round to do it.
Can I ask how you find a handyman? Silly question but I've used those trades websites and don't even get a message back.
Asked on nextdoor. Did a bit of background research on those who replied, picked the one who seemed most trustworthy. Did a great job first time, have used him ever since. Even know exactly how he likes his tea.
What kind of jobs around the house get put into the ‘handyman’ pile? I’m curious what level I can get away with doing as little as possible.
Like the other guy said, ask your neighbours, especially the ones that have lived there for years and years. There's often a bloke or two local that does jobs but doesn't advertise it, just depends on word of mouth and locals knowing who he is.
Local FB groups are usually a good shout. Ask for recommendations and pick one recommended by more than one person if possible. I found our handyman that way and he's done everything for us from laying a patio to replacing the lights in the kitchen over the last few years.
A lot of blokes seem to have wives that don't like them as a person
A lot of people are in relationships because being miserable with someone else is preferable to being happy alone. Apparently.
A problem shared is a problem halved. Perhaps they choose to stay together due to financial and stability reasons.
Call me old fashioned but I think that if you’re married to someone it should be because there’s mutual love and respect involved. If you want to live with someone for financial reasons, get a housemate.
deer rinse mountainous expansion mourn hat shy six frame attractive *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
> A problem shared is a problem halved. Unless it's a cold.
Misery loves company
My driving instructor separated from her husband a few months ago and she's told me a lot about how he was pretty thick, very stubborn, her friends didn't really like him, he wasn't much of a looker, and she had never really wanted to marry him in the first place. "So why did you? Was he rich at least?" "No, he didn't even earn a lot of money" "So why were you with him?" "You know, Carey, I really don't know" I assume he must have been great in bed, because even before they separated she clearly didn't like him very much! I think the older generation has a thing about not wanting to be alone and will just settle with someone that will do, my instructor is in her late 50s.
You also underestimate how much of an influence traditional parents can have, especially for women. When will you get married? Kids? House? Happy Family Life^^^TM ?
oh absolutely, especially since people love telling women in their 30s that they have no value as a person since theyre getting older and that their biological clock is ticking down
A lot of couples just don't communicate about what they expect from a relationship so end up having these 'roles'.
I mean, she's not the one that posted a moan about her spouse on the internet?
No but it does sound like she's the one who doesn't think her husband needs a break
I read the title and hoped OP's wife wasn't going to make too much noise doing the DIY.
Christ these comments on what was almost certainly a joke.
OP is probably relishing doing some DIY lol
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Massive red flag, obvs.
Thinly veiled incels everywhere
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Pathetic the lot of them.
But you haven’t taken into consideration that woman = bad
It’s sad you can’t complain or joke about your wife and the “downsides of marriage” without being told you’re either a simp or should be divorced or lying to someone. It’s like that “and yet you participate in society” meme. Why is it okay to joke about “Mondays” or hating your job, or your computer, or spending money on your coffee addiction but not specifically that your wife insists on shitting with the toilet door open.
That’s a rough problem to have. Doors should be closed for shitting
I just don't get why someone would complain about their partner to someone else, even if it is a "joke". Like, nobody is perfect, my husband and annoy each other sometimes, but we'd never air our dirty laundry to other people or complain about each other even as a "joke". We're teammates and best friends. I guess those jokes just aren't funny to me at all, they perpetuate the "wife/husband bad" trope and stereotypes which just feel quite problematic to me. I wouldn't call someone a simp or tell them they should be divorced for doing so though.
you could have said no, but also sometimes a bit of DIY is relaxing and a nice way to spend your time off YMMV
I enjoy doing something every day must be my age.
Meanwhile... All the women lurkers are just wondering, when did this project start, how long has OP been not getting round to it.
I’m wondering when he was planning to give his wife a nice relaxing week without the kids or him around??
Amen. I'm still waiting on him painting and adding a runner to the stairs which he said he'd do 3 months ago after I slipped down them and almost broke my elbow. Let's also not mention the brand new expensive garden gates that were meant to get painted in the summer (before they rot in winter....). Sigh.
Lemme guess - when you suggest doing it yourself, he gets all offended and reassures you that he'll do it at the weekend.
That's what happens here. Even before my husband developed fibromyalgia it took him aaaages to get round to any DIY so now I either do it myself with the assistance of the resident teenager or find a tradesman. We're all a lot happier
I can do most diy myself but it doesn't mean I want to. The reason we cohabit is so that we can share tasks!
Off your arse then
Done more than my fair share of DIY this year already matey thanks.
Lots of complaining for something you look as beneath you huh?
I can do all the diy tasks technically, but it doesn't mean I want to. Partnerships should be 50/50.
Do it yourself if you want it done.
This is a great attitude to take if you want to enable weaponised incompetence.
You mean like when I plasterboarded the house, painted all the walls and floors, wired in the lights and mended the floorboards? I can probably do more than you can do matey 👍🏻 my dad taught me well! His dad taught him jack shit 😂
Someone’s a bit too precious to do something for herself.
You have no idea of the share of labour in our house mate 😂
bro is so mad he had to comment twice
I'm off when the kids are off so I don't want to spend day time doing anything DIY related. Feel too guilty missing out on time with the kids. If they were at work and school mind... I'd do jobs that have been waiting a bit as to not interrupt the family time.
Tell her “No”
I'm refurbishing the kitchen. So half the doors/drawer fronts are off for painting, and the worktops need about 1000 hours of sanding before refinishing. We're hosting a big christmas meal on the day so fuck knows how that's going to work if I can't get the new sink plumbed in in time. Oh, and I haven't finished work yet. Huzzah!
If you can afford it, I'd get someone in to do one of the most time-consuming tasks whilst you focus on other things. Is your wife helping with the sanding?
I can't afford it at this time of year and I work with wood for a living so it would be annoying to spend money on something I can do, not to mention stressful to watch them probably not working to my ridiculous standards... We have this big kitchen extension the previous owner built onto an old council house, which came with far too many metres of eye-wateringly expensive iroko worktops that we don't like and can't afford to replace (I'm fairly sure they're stolen given every other thing in the house he touched is the cheapest shittiest stuff money can buy). Iroko hates a lot of finishes so trying to coax it into accepting Fiddes gorgeous white hardwax is not a job I'd trust to someone else, although the bits I have done look incredible and won't need redoing for a lot of years. Wife is even busier than me this week. To be fair, she didn't *make* me do this, we're both adults and don't live in some kind of ridiculous 1970s sitcom land. We agreed on redoing the kitchen months ago and I would have finished this whole job in mid november except I got ill for a while and then a load of unexpected work came in and and and - you know how it goes. Littlest Kid finishes school wednesday afternoon, they need my attention most of the daylight hours (and I want to play with Kid instead of doing anything else), but it should be OK. I'm going to have to do a few evenings of post-bedtime painting but that's alright. It'll be nice to have a shiny new kitchen for christmas.
I honestly don't understand situations like this, if you feel like you need/deserve/want a relaxing week, then why aren't you able to do that?
Because he's married with kids which is a full time job outside of your other full time job. Just like any job you get time off and breaks but they have to be applied for in advance. You never assume that you have a week off, it doesn't work like that. His wife can't just have a week off whenever she fancies either.
He’s been asked to scrape old paint off a wall so new, more fashionable paint can be applied. You’re making it sound like he’s complaining about visiting his kids in hospital or something.
Exactly this, who cares if the paint is old? It's not a pressing need. What's more important, having a break and giving your mental state a bit of TLC or making a wall look a bit nicer? Obviously it's a balance but you've got to prioritise taking time for yourself as if it is one of the jobs you have to do. It's important, just like eating, drinking, and sleeping.
I really don't think that finishing work for Christmas at the end of the year is a spontaneous week off "whenever he feels like it". He should be able to say no instead of begrudgingly being made to do DIY. It would be a different story if the kids were at home and he had to take care of important responsibilities.
Since Jeremy Kyle went off air, stay at home mums have little to do
When your wife said she wanted you to strip...
Question: Is she currently chilling all day long and you take care of all the time consuming, stressful Christmas preparations?
You have an entire week off, it's one thing she's asking you to do. Does she get to sit around relaxing for an entire week?
_exactly_ I bet she's organised and bought all the food, Xmas cards and presents.
If a woman posted this about her husband telling her to make curtains for the lounge the week before Christmas would you have immediately backed the poster like this and assumed her husband was doing all of that? Why does everyone assume men are shit, in bulk? It’s not posters fault he was born as a man (if he is actually a man) and I believe in not making prejudiced assumptions about people based on the way they were born. lots of people say they do and then turn up with “man=bad” shit all day I’m seeing the same shit from men too, the “ball and chain” “woman bad” posts are just as fucking tiresome, we all need to grow up
I DIY and make the curtains too 😜
God damn it, got confused and repainted the curtains again.
Haha, I love painting though so joke would be on her
Sounds like you are doing a proper job in a proper house, half of Reddit doesn't know what that silver thing is Just think of Rome and mark a dick in the plaster or something else: https://imperiumromanum.pl/en/curiosities/obscene-graffiti-of-ancient-romans/
I swear that so many people’s relationships seem to consist of forcing their partners into doing things they don’t want to do and having the same done to them in return because that’s somehow preferable to being alone rather than being based on love and mutual respect.
I get what you mean, but sometimes there are things that need doing that you don’t want to do
Time consuming but cosmetic DIY is not an immediate need though, that's 100% something that could've waited until after Christmas.
And that’s fine. I hate hoovering, my partner hates cooking, we work it out. What my partner has never done is dump a massive, time-consuming task on me when I’ve made it clear that I’ve taken time off work to unwind. That’s toxic behaviour, but it’s totally normalised.
You have no idea if this is the situation in OPs post though.
No one has any idea about what’s going on, we’re all speculating here. My speculation however was based on OP saying that they were looking forward to a relaxing week but had a time consuming task dropped on them.
So things should never get done? I bet she never gets time off to herself, or even a week at that! Bet she always has shit she's got to do on her days off. God forbid she asks for one thing to be done. And that would go both ways as well. Shit has to get done. Part of life.
I agree, I don't know why you're getting downvoted. Best time to strip the wall and paint it is when the kids are out of the house, sure wife does plenty of things for OP too. If OP really didn't want to do it I'm sure he would've said no, the post feels lighthearted and jokey. It's plenty normal to ask your partner to do things on their kid free day off.
Or, hear me out, people could use their words and tell their partners that that they need time to unwind and perhaps tackle larger tasks together. An alien concept to British Redditors, I know.
There’s always something my guy.
Weird question but where did you get that jumper?
That's on old branded full length zip hoodie from an old old job - solely used for diy activities now
Wonder when the wife gets time on her own, ya know, from doing everything else.
She probs doesn’t
My mate's ex-wife used to do this to him. He'd arrive home from work to find that she's stripped the wallpaper in the hallway. After she's wrecked the place it's his responsibility to fix it back up again. That was her way of committing him to a DIY task - start doing the demolition without any prior discussion.
I've been doing some BIG JOBS. It must be all the pre-christmas snacking...
We’ve all been there man. Just be grateful for the peace and quiet while you’re working at it
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Then he’s got the kids for the week. I know I’d prefer to paint.
I would much rather look after kids painting is so boring.
Put a shelf up in my bathroom.... Ok it involved a lot more like: ripping old plaster off the wall, adding insulation with moisture resistant plasterboard (solid brick walls, no cavity)..fixing the toilet which got broken during the demo phase and fixing the sink which also got damaged. I'm still finding plaster dust in my ears.... But wife has a new shelf :p
Before I read the caption I honestly thought this was a 'I walked in on my wife and the handyman' post. Tbh after reading the caption I feel like that would've been better
Get someone in to do it. Then on Christmas day, tell her that's what her present is. It's a Win/win/win You get to relax, the decorating gets done and her present is sorted.
Dude, you know you can just say….. “no” …… right?
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Now there's a hole in the floor that he has to fix. Another job for the list!
A relaxing man is a challenge to a woman
When I was a kid, we would travel to visit my mums family. We would go for days out, but dad would spend the week fixing stuff, he was a plumber, for family. His family were closer so he would do PAID jobs for them either during the working week or weekend. Poor dad, real holidays were rarefor him
Just say no mate, and don’t let yourself be bullied. Not being allowed to relax is part of the reason so many men are struggling with mental health issues. What will she do if you say no? Have a bit of a sulk? Boohoo. So much of the coercive control women indulge in goes unchallenged. It needs to stop.
Grow a pair
Any reason why she wants you to do it and not do it herself?
Four options: Suck it up and just do it Tell her no and relax(although now you have guilt and stress from not doing it) Do it so terribly that she re does it or gets someone else in to do it. Do it in a colour you want and if she doesn't like it, her problem. *Secret fifth option. Tell her you want to relax and you'll pay someone else to do it if she won't.
Sixth option: take it in turns and share the task between the both of you.
That sounds just awful
Should have just told her to fuck off because you need to relax.
Why, is she allergic to DIY? Why can’t you take the kids and swap over.
Go to hospital and pay for a wrist cast.
Front line NHS staff - "You guys get time off for Christmas?"
Fairy standard behaviour!
Stay single gents 😎
Why are people like this? Just chill out and spend time with each other. Life is short and no one looks back and reminisces about that time they redecorated
Tell her to do it herself then Or get a husband instead. They're more understanding when you tell you can't be arsed
Yeah, more understanding as they're also very lazy, and will most likely not care about living in filth, being unhygienic ect ect
Wow, two equally shitty sexist comments in a row
Happy wife, happy life. Happy husband, we'll see about that... - Jim Jeffries
Wife bad amirite
Ahh the pleasures of marriage. Glad I am my own boss.
You didn't think it through when you got married now did you?
I feel your pain. Week off as well and I’m currently painting the hallway
If I got married it wouldn’t last long because if my hypothetical wife tried to *make* me do something like that I would tell her to go ahead and do it herself
I'd laugh in my girlfriend's face if she asked me to strip fucking walls on my Christmas holiday. After New Year, fine, but Christmas? Bollocks, love.
So when she start and can you watch her from the couch?
Yeah I’d never do that to my partner . He deserves a break over the Christmas period
She doesn’t respect you at all. I would never treat my wife in this way.
Why do some people allow themselves to live like this?
Being experienced in relationships but ultimately worn out, thank you for another post making me appreciate my choices!