After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to
scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg

As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of
all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find
something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg

She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg

Isn't it?

On 5/29/2013 11:05 AM, Danny D wrote:
After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to
scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg

As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of
all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find
something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg

She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg

Isn't it?


maybe. probably. you might use a brass brush to remove it, or a plastic
tool of some sort. i wouldn't use that metal screwdriver, as if you scar
up the underlying grout, it'll look worse, and you'll then be asking how
to remove grout so you can do a regrout job (which i don't look forward
to because it'll be another 500 post thread).

Danny D writes:

After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to
scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg

As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of
all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find
something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg

She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg

Isn't it?

Grout comes in all kinds of colors.
Looks like black grout to me.

Ever consider that you might be at least a little OCD?

--
Dan Espen

On Wed, 29 May 2013 14:52:04 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

Looks like black grout to me.

What's confusing is that the black stuff is soft, and grout,
I would think, would be rock hard - yet - I would also think
that a countertop should be smooth and not have crevices for
crud to inevitably get trapped in.

Do any of you have a similar countertop?

Is yours smooth across the edges of the blocks?
(I'm not sure what material it's made of. Granite?)

I'll also look at a countertop store; but they'll only have
new stuff, and not stuff that has been in use for years.

OCD?

Who me?

On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 1:17:10 PM UTC-6, Danny D wrote:
On Wed, 29 May 2013 14:52:04 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:



Looks like black grout to me.



What's confusing is that the black stuff is soft, and grout,

I would think, would be rock hard - yet - I would also think

that a countertop should be smooth and not have crevices for

crud to inevitably get trapped in.



Do any of you have a similar countertop?



Is yours smooth across the edges of the blocks?

(I'm not sure what material it's made of. Granite?)



I'll also look at a countertop store; but they'll only have

new stuff, and not stuff that has been in use for years.



OCD?



Who me?

Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessi...lsive_disorder

Can't hurt...MUCH.

On Wed, 29 May 2013 12:18:44 -0700, Roy wrote:

Check it out:

"Its sufferers commonly share personality traits such as high attention
to detail, avoidance of risk, careful planning, exaggerated sense of
responsibility and a tendency to take time in making decisions."

On 5/29/2013 12:17 PM, Danny D wrote:
On Wed, 29 May 2013 14:52:04 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

Looks like black grout to me.

What's confusing is that the black stuff is soft, and grout,
I would think, would be rock hard - yet - I would also think
that a countertop should be smooth and not have crevices for
crud to inevitably get trapped in.

Do any of you have a similar countertop?

Is yours smooth across the edges of the blocks?
(I'm not sure what material it's made of. Granite?)

I'll also look at a countertop store; but they'll only have
new stuff, and not stuff that has been in use for years.

OCD?

Who me?


sandless grout is softer than sanded grout. i have 1' granite tiles with
very thin grout lines. grout should be just below the surface of those
tiles, and smooth. either it was a bad job, or it's crud.

you might put a paper towel over the lines, dampened with a strong
gleaner (409 or such) for a while. see if it gets really soft. if so,
it's crud.

this is why granite slab is so popular, btw. no grout.

On Wed, 29 May 2013 12:18:44 -0700, Roy wrote:

Check it out:

"Its sufferers commonly share personality traits such as high attention
to detail, avoidance of risk, careful planning, exaggerated sense of
responsibility and a tendency to take time in making decisions."

Can't be me because I don't have an exaggerated sense of responsibility!

On Wed, 29 May 2013 12:25:24 -0700, chaniarts wrote:

put a paper towel over the lines, dampened with a strong
gleaner (409 or such) for a while. see if it gets really soft.

I'll try that (when the wife leaves the house), and report back.

this is why granite slab is so popular, btw. no grout.

I must agree. It's crazy to have places that will just trap crud.

Same thing with the edge of the counter behind the sink; it should
be a smooth curve!

Danny D writes:

On Wed, 29 May 2013 12:18:44 -0700, Roy wrote:

Check it out:

"Its sufferers commonly share personality traits such as high attention
to detail, avoidance of risk, careful planning, exaggerated sense of
responsibility and a tendency to take time in making decisions."

Can't be me because I don't have an exaggerated sense of responsibility!

OCD comes in mild, hardly noticeable all the way to can't go outside
debilitating.

If you think you might have some of the symptoms (and from here you seem
like you might), the best thing to do, is learn to listen to your wife
when she tells you to worry about something else.

Meanwhile, if you can avoid annoying others, you can use it to your
advantage. Sounds to me like you're getting lots of things accomplished.

Go tell your wife thanks.

--
Dan Espen

Danny D wrote in :

After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to
scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg

Looks like grout to me. What makes you think it isn't?

As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of
all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find
something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg

She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg

Isn't it?

Looks like grout to me. What makes you think it isn't?

You'd call it "crud", but to decide how best to clean it up, you pretty well need to know precisely what that crud is.

If this is the tiling near your kitchen sink, I'd say that crud was a mixture of food spatter and bacteria feeding on that food. I'd clean it off with dish washing detergent using a denture cleaning brush (because they have much stiffer bristles than tooth brushes) for more aggressive scrubbing.



A denture cleaning brush won't scratch up your grout like a screw driver might.

Doug Miller wrote:
Danny D wrote in
:

After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to
scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg

Looks like grout to me. What makes you think it isn't?

As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of
all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find
something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg

She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg

Isn't it?

Looks like grout to me. What makes you think it isn't?

If it looks the same even in the distant corners, it's probably grout.

Roy wrote:
On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 1:17:10 PM UTC-6, Danny D wrote:
On Wed, 29 May 2013 14:52:04 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:



Looks like black grout to me.


What's confusing is that the black stuff is soft, and grout,

I would think, would be rock hard - yet - I would also think

that a countertop should be smooth and not have crevices for

crud to inevitably get trapped in.



Do any of you have a similar countertop?



Is yours smooth across the edges of the blocks?

(I'm not sure what material it's made of. Granite?)



I'll also look at a countertop store; but they'll only have

new stuff, and not stuff that has been in use for years.



OCD?


Who me?

Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessi...lsive_disorder

Can't hurt...MUCH.

It would be OCD if he did it every day, whether or not the crud was
there, but every once in a while?
I do my grout with Simple Green and a toothbrush every hour. :-)

--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeros after @

On Wed, 29 May 2013 18:05:35 +0000 (UTC), Danny D
wrote:

After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to
scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg

As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of
all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find
something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg

She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg

Isn't it?

Considering the color of the countertop and the evenness of the color,
I'd say it is grout. It may pick out easy, but if not careful, you'll
f-up the entire counter. It may need sealing or regrouting.

If that grout can be scraped out with a small screw driver like that, then it wasn't done properly from the start. I would have been soft and easily scraped away since the tiling was done.

If the grout does scrape out easily like that, then I'd regrout that top.

If there are tiles on the backsplash and floor tiles on the floor, I'd check the grout in those places as well.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Wed, 29 May 2013 18:05:35 +0000 (UTC), Danny D
wrote:

After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to
scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg

As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of
all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find
something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg

She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg

Isn't it?

Considering the color of the countertop and the evenness of the color,
I'd say it is grout. It may pick out easy, but if not careful, you'll
f-up the entire counter. It may need sealing or regrouting.

Hmm,
I'd steam clean it fisrt and see.

On May 29, 7:05*pm, Danny D wrote:
After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to
scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:
*http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg

As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of
all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find
something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:
*http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg

She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:
*http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg

Isn't it?

It's probably algea.
Tiled worktops/counters are extremely unhygenic, people get food
poisoning from bugs living in the cracks which can't be properly
cleaned,

On Wed, 29 May 2013 16:55:13 -0400, willshak wrote:

It would be OCD if he did it every day, whether or not the
crud was there, but every once in a while?

All I really want to know, is if it's crud or grout.
I'll run the 409 test, and report back.

If it's grout, it stays; if it's crud, it goes.

On Wed, 29 May 2013 19:47:01 +0000, Doug Miller wrote:

Looks like grout to me. What makes you think it isn't?

It's soft. It's cruddy.
When I scraped it away, a beautiful "V" shaped crevice resulted.

On the other hand, the "v" crevice isn't flush with the material.

BTW, is this granite or fake granite or what? How can I tell?

Danny D wrote, On 5/29/2013 2:05 PM:
After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to
scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg

As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of
all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find
something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg

She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg

Isn't it?

If its crud you don't need a screwdriver to remove it. If it's crud,
some soapy water and a brush will remove it, do they?


--
dadiOH

Danny D wrote in :

On Wed, 29 May 2013 19:47:01 +0000, Doug Miller wrote:

Looks like grout to me. What makes you think it isn't?

It's soft. It's cruddy.

When compared to a steel screwdriver, grout *is* soft. As for "cruddy"... maybe it wasn't a
very good grout job.

When I scraped it away, a beautiful "V" shaped crevice resulted.

When you're scraping it out with the corner of a screwdriver, what else would you expect??

On the other hand, the "v" crevice isn't flush with the material.

Of course not. You scraped some of the grout out.

BTW, is this granite or fake granite or what? How can I tell?

Try to gouge the granite -- on the underside -- with your screwdriver. If you can, then it's a
synthetic composite material; if the screwdriver gets worn down, it's probably real.

On Wed, 29 May 2013 13:06:33 -0700, Bob F wrote:

If it looks the same even in the distant corners, it's probably grout.

I looked this morning, while the wife was still asleep, & it seems
that there *is* a slight lip at some of the distant "tiles".

http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190424.jpg

On Thu, 30 May 2013 05:08:18 -0400, dadiOH wrote:

If it's crud, soapy water and a brush will remove it, do they?

Yes.
Befo
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190426.jpg
After:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190427.jpg

A problem was the brass brush dulled the "tiles" a bit; so
I should have used a softer brush (e.g., a toothbrush).

On Wed, 29 May 2013 16:55:13 -0400, willshak wrote:

It would be OCD if he did it every day, whether or not the
crud was there, but every once in a while?

Crud doesn't bother me normally - but - the real reason I care
is the wife uses the countertop to make bread or pastries or
pasta most mornings - and - well - if she only knew what I
*think* is on her countertop ... she'd stop making the stuff.

Here's what I found lying on the counter this morning, ready
for cooking:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190429.jpg

If she figured out it was crud, then I'd have nothing to eat
for breakfast anymore.

On Wed, 29 May 2013 15:38:29 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

If you think you might have some of the symptoms (and from here you seem
like you might), the best thing to do, is learn to listen to your wife
when she tells you to worry about something else.

Actually, she just wants me out of her hair. She was used to me being
at work all day, every day, and now I'm home all day driving her crazy.

Little does she know I cleaned her countertops this morning:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190428.jpg

Regarding OCD

While I have a great attention to detail, and, I have trouble making
decisions when I don't have enough data, I'm actually not OCD (I was
just joking). I'm not afraid of germs, snakes, spiders, poison oak,
ticks, etc., even though I'm exposed to all of them every day, all day.

I do have a great attention to detail, and, well, I do ask questions
of everything, in that I love to learn, and to teach. But you'll
notice that I snap pictures for you guys, so you don't waste your
time guessing at the situation (plus smart guys like Oren tell me
stuff that I didn't even think about, just from looking at the
pictures). I've been on USENET for decades, and I know how bad
some posts can be (lack of detail, lack of response, etc.).

I'm all about detail. Getting the numbers exact.

I despise, for example, automotive shop manuals, which have almost
no attention to detail. I have them all, but I prefer a DIY video
to what they have in the shop manual. I read the booklet that comes
with an ice-cream maker, and I ascertain *why* each warning is there.
I figure out the dimensions of my replacement pool pump o-rings,
so that I can order them in bulk, and always have them on hand.
I ask how best to move brush, even though I can move it by hand,
hoping there's a better way than the primitive method.

That's not OCD; that's just a desire to learn, to improve, and
the ability to think about what is being done. It's what
distinguishes humans from dogs.

"Danny D" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 29 May 2013 16:55:13 -0400, willshak wrote:

It would be OCD if he did it every day, whether or not the
crud was there, but every once in a while?

Crud doesn't bother me normally - but - the real reason I care
is the wife uses the countertop to make bread or pastries or
pasta most mornings - and - well - if she only knew what I
*think* is on her countertop ... she'd stop making the stuff.

Here's what I found lying on the counter this morning, ready
for cooking:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190429.jpg

If she figured out it was crud, then I'd have nothing to eat
for breakfast anymore.


There is a difference between being on the counter or being on a plastic
sheet on the counter
I'm willing to bet that
1) your wife cleans the counter regularly
2) Most food is NOT placed on the actual counter when being prepped
3) food that is placed on the counter will most likely be cleaned or
peeled after contact with the counter

Maybe you need to engage brain a bit more

On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 2:05:35 PM UTC-4, Danny D wrote:
After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to

scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg



As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of

all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find

something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg



She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg



Isn't it?

It looks like grout
full strength bleach. Worry about uncleaned buttons, keys, money, door knobs and the insides of the piping that delivers all your unboiled water

On May 29, 1:05 pm, Danny D wrote:
After energizing a bit at breakfast this morning, I decided to
scrape out what I think is "crud" on top of grout on the counter:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184925.jpg

As soon as the wife saw me digging away, she wryly reminded me of
all my mistakes from the past, and suggested that I go and find
something to fix anywhere else - but not in "her" kitchen:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184927.jpg

She wasn't convinced at all that this is pure crud, not grout:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13184923.jpg

Isn't it?

A simple test is to put some of the crud in her mouth. If it is
grout, it will have no taste... If it is crud, it will make her throw
up.... By observing the effect, you will either win or lose the
argument....

On Thu, 30 May 2013 08:16:07 -0500, Attila Iskander wrote:

1)your wife cleans the counter regularly
2)Most food is NOT placed on the actual counter when being prepped

I was remiss in not mentioning that she rolls bread & pasta flour
on the counter top all the time (you'll notice the white powder
embedded in the "grout" cracks in the previous photo).
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190765.jpg

All "that" is in these:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190756.jpg

Anyway, I will discreetly clean her counter top when she's not
in the kitchen (which is pretty much when she's sleeping) because
breakfast is ready (it's just missing the ice cream inside):
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190757.jpg

On May 30, 6:41*am, Danny D wrote:
On Thu, 30 May 2013 08:16:07 -0500, Attila Iskander wrote:
1)your wife cleans the counter regularly
2)Most food is NOT placed on the actual counter when being prepped

I was remiss in not mentioning that she rolls bread & pasta flour
on the counter top all the time (you'll notice the white powder
embedded in the "grout" cracks in the previous photo).
*http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190765.jpg

All "that" is in these:
*http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190756.jpg

Anyway, I will discreetly clean her counter top when she's not
in the kitchen (which is pretty much when she's sleeping) because
breakfast is ready (it's just missing the ice cream inside):
*http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190757.jpg



You might take a stab at cleaning the oven while you're at it. :-)

Seriusly though. There isn't much grout in that countertop. You
should have someone come and fix that problem for you and then you
won't have stuff hiding in there.

On Thu, 30 May 2013 13:14:23 +0000 (UTC), Danny D
wrote:

Little does she know I cleaned her countertops this morning:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190428.jpg

The wife may take a skillet to your head.

Why so many grout lines and so many pieces?

My granite tops only have two grout lines (front to back) in the
entire kitchen. Closer grout lines than what you have. There is a line
where the back splash is set. Epoxy is used - not grout.

Danny D wrote in
:

Subject: Need to convince the wife that it's crud on her
countertop (not grout) From: Danny D
Newsgroups: alt.home.repair

On Wed, 29 May 2013 15:38:29 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

If you think you might have some of the symptoms (and from here you
seem like you might), the best thing to do, is learn to listen to
your wife when she tells you to worry about something else.

Actually, she just wants me out of her hair. She was used to me being
at work all day, every day, and now I'm home all day driving her
crazy.


Let me guess. You are "retired" on disability.

"Danny D" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 29 May 2013 15:38:29 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

If you think you might have some of the symptoms (and from here you seem
like you might), the best thing to do, is learn to listen to your wife
when she tells you to worry about something else.

Actually, she just wants me out of her hair. She was used to me being
at work all day, every day, and now I'm home all day driving her crazy.

Little does she know I cleaned her countertops this morning:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190428.jpg

Regarding OCD

While I have a great attention to detail, and, I have trouble making
decisions when I don't have enough data, I'm actually not OCD (I was
just joking). I'm not afraid of germs, snakes, spiders, poison oak,
ticks, etc., even though I'm exposed to all of them every day, all day.

I do have a great attention to detail, and, well, I do ask questions
of everything, in that I love to learn, and to teach. But you'll
notice that I snap pictures for you guys, so you don't waste your
time guessing at the situation (plus smart guys like Oren tell me
stuff that I didn't even think about, just from looking at the
pictures). I've been on USENET for decades, and I know how bad
some posts can be (lack of detail, lack of response, etc.).

I'm all about detail. Getting the numbers exact.

I despise, for example, automotive shop manuals, which have almost
no attention to detail. I have them all, but I prefer a DIY video
to what they have in the shop manual. I read the booklet that comes
with an ice-cream maker, and I ascertain *why* each warning is there.
I figure out the dimensions of my replacement pool pump o-rings,
so that I can order them in bulk, and always have them on hand.
I ask how best to move brush, even though I can move it by hand,
hoping there's a better way than the primitive method.

That's not OCD; that's just a desire to learn, to improve, and
the ability to think about what is being done. It's what
distinguishes humans from dogs.




I would suggest that while still able, you spend some part of your daily
routine doing volunteer work applying and passing on knowledge in your
field of expertise.
Then also look ahead at what your expectations of future ability are, and
plan something around that.
it will force you out of the house for a few hours a day, and allow your
wife to adapt to your increased and increasing presence.

Danny D wrote:
On Thu, 30 May 2013 05:08:18 -0400, dadiOH wrote:

If it's crud, soapy water and a brush will remove it, do they?

Yes.
Befo
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190426.jpg
After:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190427.jpg

A problem was the brass brush dulled the "tiles" a bit; so
I should have used a softer brush (e.g., a toothbrush).

Looks like good grooves there now to hold the crud.

Attila Iskander wrote:
"Danny D" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 29 May 2013 15:38:29 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

If you think you might have some of the symptoms (and from here you seem
like you might), the best thing to do, is learn to listen to your wife
when she tells you to worry about something else.

Actually, she just wants me out of her hair. She was used to me being
at work all day, every day, and now I'm home all day driving her crazy.

Little does she know I cleaned her countertops this morning:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190428.jpg

Regarding OCD

While I have a great attention to detail, and, I have trouble making
decisions when I don't have enough data, I'm actually not OCD (I was
just joking). I'm not afraid of germs, snakes, spiders, poison oak,
ticks, etc., even though I'm exposed to all of them every day, all day.

I do have a great attention to detail, and, well, I do ask questions
of everything, in that I love to learn, and to teach. But you'll
notice that I snap pictures for you guys, so you don't waste your
time guessing at the situation (plus smart guys like Oren tell me
stuff that I didn't even think about, just from looking at the
pictures). I've been on USENET for decades, and I know how bad
some posts can be (lack of detail, lack of response, etc.).

I'm all about detail. Getting the numbers exact.

I despise, for example, automotive shop manuals, which have almost
no attention to detail. I have them all, but I prefer a DIY video
to what they have in the shop manual. I read the booklet that comes
with an ice-cream maker, and I ascertain *why* each warning is there.
I figure out the dimensions of my replacement pool pump o-rings,
so that I can order them in bulk, and always have them on hand.
I ask how best to move brush, even though I can move it by hand,
hoping there's a better way than the primitive method.

That's not OCD; that's just a desire to learn, to improve, and
the ability to think about what is being done. It's what
distinguishes humans from dogs.


Hmmm,
Desire to learn? Asking around? Learning comes from doing yourself.
Sounds like you are lazy bugger. I don't have enough time at hand every
day. There are lots to do around and many books to read. I average 2-3
books a month on eReader. Next six month I am teaching seniors computer
introductory class. At completion of the class they will be able to use
email, use word processing, surf i'net, use skype and roam with laptop
on WiFi hot spots. I am a senior as well. LOL! going onto 80.


I would suggest that while still able, you spend some part of your daily
routine doing volunteer work applying and passing on knowledge in your
field of expertise.
Then also look ahead at what your expectations of future ability are,
and plan something around that.
it will force you out of the house for a few hours a day, and allow your
wife to adapt to your increased and increasing presence.

On Thu, 30 May 2013 13:14:23 +0000 (UTC), Danny D
wrote:

Actually, she just wants me out of her hair. She was used to me being
at work all day, every day, and now I'm home all day driving her crazy.

I retired six months before the bride. What a hoot. She retired six
months later, and not long after that, was on my case a bit. I went to
work for awhile to give her some room.

But wait, there's more. Wait 'till Menopause. You never know which
wife you came home to. G

On Thursday, May 30, 2013 7:41:58 AM UTC-6, Danny D wrote:
On Thu, 30 May 2013 08:16:07 -0500, Attila Iskander wrote:



1)your wife cleans the counter regularly

2)Most food is NOT placed on the actual counter when being prepped



I was remiss in not mentioning that she rolls bread & pasta flour

on the counter top all the time (you'll notice the white powder

embedded in the "grout" cracks in the previous photo).

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190765.jpg



All "that" is in these:

http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190756.jpg



Anyway, I will discreetly clean her counter top when she's not

in the kitchen (which is pretty much when she's sleeping) because

breakfast is ready (it's just missing the ice cream inside):

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13190757.jpg

Oh! Oh! That oven looks like it needs cleaning...put that on your
list before you forget. Please use proper gloves and use a recommended
oven cleaner. Do not inhale the fumes...they will burn the lungs.

"Oren" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 30 May 2013 13:14:23 +0000 (UTC), Danny D
wrote:

Actually, she just wants me out of her hair. She was used to me being
at work all day, every day, and now I'm home all day driving her crazy.

I retired six months before the bride. What a hoot. She retired six
months later, and not long after that, was on my case a bit. I went to
work for awhile to give her some room.

But wait, there's more. Wait 'till Menopause. You never know which
wife you came home to. G



LOL
Indeed
Menopause is like being married to a harem..

On Thu, 30 May 2013 07:13:29 -0700, ImStillMags wrote:

take a stab at cleaning the oven while you're at it.

I've never cleaned an oven before.
It would be interesting to see what's in the oven cleaners, and
then see if we can find the same stuff at the hardware store.

You should have someone come and fix that problem for you

That wouldn't be in keeping with the charter of alt.home.repair!