There are some big changes coming to the Harris household; not too soon though. I have to ruminate for days (okay, weeks) before we make any changes. I'm not someone who embraces change easily so I usually leave that up to David and hide while it's being implemented.
A prime example of my reluctance to change was when David decided we needed new living room furniture. He dragged me to several furniture stores where everything looked alike to me and started asking my opinion. I sat on each one he pointed out to see how comfortable (or uncomfortable) it was and waffled on making a decision. How can one really tell if it's suitable until one gets it home and starts watching television? Will I be able to take a nap without waking up feeling like I've been hit by a truck? This is the real question that needs to be addressed before one can take a piece of new furniture home.
Beds are even worse. If you choose the wrong mattress, unless you're really rich, you're stuck with it for years. On the off chance that he likes the new mattress, and I don't, he'll add a squishy pad thinking it'll make me happy. It doesn't always work but I appreciate the effort and suffer in (mostly) silence. I say mostly because I'll rise up, sit on the edge of the bed for a few minutes like I'm an old car warming up, then throw in a few grunts and groans as I shuffle like a 90- year-old to the bathroom. Such a lovely picture, ain't it?
When we (David) installed new flooring, I wanted to hide until it was all over. David dragged me to the home improvement stores here in town where we have about a half a dozen and tried to get me involved in selecting something I'll have to stare at and clean for the next 20 years. David studied each sample stuck to the display wall as if he were in an art gallery, while I stared at my phone. He insisted I get involved. It usually goes something like this:
David: Should we get laminate or vinyl?
Me: What's the difference?
David: One's waterproof, one's water resistant.
Me: Better go with waterproof.
David: Okay, what color? Me: Color? David: Yeah, light, or dark? What do you want?
What I want is for it to magically appear, already installed, without him asking me to make any decisions.
He pressured me, so I panicked and blurted out "the brown one."
"They're all brown. Could you narrow it down a bit?" he asked, giving me an exasperated look.
Repeat this conversation every few years with (fill in the blank.)
Unfortunately, anything involving technology falls into my lap. Now I know have David feels when he does his home improvement thing. I am barely technologically-savvy so once I commit to something I usually stay committed until it dies, or I do but even the “Queen of Procrastination” has her limits as to how much she can take.
We had really good internet when we first moved into this house almost 20 years ago but over the years the companies have either (1) taken on more customers than they can service or (2) no longer want to be in the internet business so they purposely sabotage their own customers. This is what we suspected happened with our old company a few years ago so we signed with one of the few willing to come to the suburbs. The only good thing I can say about this company is they rarely go down. They're slow as molasses in January most of the time but they rarely go down.
We are getting a new company coming into our neighborhood with newfangled fiber optic lines so we're going to bite the bullet and switch. I've always been a “Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” kinda gal so this is hard for me. Once we get our new internet, we're (and by we're, I mean me) going to start shopping for a new security provider. I don't have any real complaints with the one we've had for probably 15 years except for the fact that they're getting way too expensive.
The same thing can be said about our garbage pickup service. David's been hinting that we need to check some other ones out since we've seen a couple of other company trucks come through but as I've said time and again change is hard for me
Ḣow else can I explain how in the world we've been married 50 years come this next February? I guess a reluctant changer can live with someone who embraces it–as long as he doesn't ask my opinion.