-=> Quoting Carol Shenkenberger to Sean Rima on 08-07-05  20:37 <=-   
      
    CS> The hard side is it's accepted for a woman to do this, but a man gets   
    CS> looked at  odd and has to deal with that.  Even simple things like the   
    CS> Laundrymat washing  my bras and such makes folks look at him odd.  His   
    CS> answer was a shrug and a  joke about them being jelous that they either   
    CS> didnt have a woman, or if they  did, didnt have a man willing to wash   
    CS> their clothes.  While a small number got  offended, most got a big grin   
    CS> and started chatting with him.  He's got more girlfriends than I do .   
      
   When the doctor put me on lifetime weight-carrying limitations, Richard   
   began going grocery shopping and doing the laundry at the laundramat   
   with me...  and when I broke my ankle this past February, he had to do   
   it all, without me...  We'd get some looks, but I notice lately that   
   there are more couples doing shopping and laundry together.  He never   
   reported back any strange looks when he had to do it alone... ;)  Except   
   for hanging up my dresses, he brought my things back for me to fold,   
   though.     He had to take over all the other normal household jobs,   
   too...  In some ways, his being available when I was stuck in bed with   
   my ankle for 10 weeks made his layoff a little less of a tribulation.    
   Made my being stuck in bed more bearable, too.... :)   
      
    CS> Don works now at the local auto-hobby shop, changing oil and putting   
    CS> cars on  the lift.  This is a bit amusing to us both as he doenst drive   
    CS> but he is a bit handy as a car mechanic in small ways.  He couldnt   
    CS> replace your break pads but  he can manage sparks and tuning etc.   
      
   I bet if he was there long enough, he'd learn how to do the more   
   complicated jobs, too... :)   
      
    CS> He'd be a dab hand at any generic handyman store job.  It may not be a   
    CS> big aim for most, but suits him well and would make him happy.   
      
   After a couple years of fruitless search for a job in his field after   
   being laid off at Kodak, Richard's finally gotten a job, working nights   
   at our local grocery store.  It may not be what he (or others for him)   
   had aspired to, but he's doing a good job with it, and finds some   
   satisfaction in doing his job well.   
      
   ttyl         neb   
      
   ... My finger got caught in my ZIPper... "AAAAARRRRRJJJJJ"!   
      
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