It is fun to watch the dynamics between my parents and laugh as they spar with each other. Yesterday, my mom walked in to the kitchen and said, "The radishes need to be picked." The comment was directed at my dad and he quickly responded, "Are you making an announcement or planning to go pick them?" It's a tactic many of us as spouses employ, hoping that the other person will quickly fulfill our implied request. So my mother answered, "Well, you can either go pick the radishes or wash these dishes." My dad: "I'll wash the dishes." Used to be that he would have gone to pick the radishes, but after knee surgery it is a lot easier to wash dishes.
This morning my mother again announced, "We need to do something with this meat." What she really meant to say was I would like you, Gordon, to put these cooked hamburgers in a container and then make sure they are put in the freezer. My dad's jovial response as he sat at the table reading the newspaper: "Are you asking me to do it or just psyching yourself up to do it, 'cause I'm really busy here?"
He washed the dishes.
