Blue = Mr. Black = Mrs.
Listen to this, the 2014 Reader’s Digest: “LIMIT ARGUMENTS TO THREE MINUTES. John Gottman of the University of Washington found that the most important points in any argument can be found in the first three minu–
I’d LOVE that! I’ll hold up three fingers to signal time’s up and you have to stop being pissed.
— after that people often repeat themselves at higher decibels.
*Guffaw*
Do you ever get tired of hearing that you’re right?
No.
Because I get tired of saying it.
If you missed Car Accident – in the Garage, one of the first posts on the Holistic Journey, don’t enjoy the prequel to the latest mishap too much. In a hurry getting out of the house last week, I somehow backed out of the garage before the door had rolled all the way up. The damage wasn’t as horrifyingly extensive this time but the door has a new, shall we say, design. A mold of the back of the minivan.
I’ll need to fix it with somebody. The bump is too big to tackle alone and we have to keep mice and cats out.
*Hardly able to get the words out in the laughing* I know how we can fix it.
How?
Ram it from the other side.
*Laughing along* “That is really funny. And logical.
Actually, you are the perfect opossum. It looks cute but when you get in its face, it is one scary mother.
How do you know this?
I ran into an opossum once. When I was a security guard. I was patrolling the grounds at midnight and thought I saw a cat, thought I’d chase it away. When I reached it, I saw it was moving too slow for a cat. I thought, this is no cat. It’s an opossum. It bared its fangs at me.
What did you do?
I slowwly backed off, saying, “Whatever you want, honey. You win.”
Sounds like marital mischief. Thanks for the laughs Diana.
I like that. Marital mischief. I first read martial. That too, sometimes. 😛
Maybe marital martial mischief could be a new Olympic sport. XD
Clever, B. It’ll incorporate judo and acrobatics. Probably will be among the first to find women winning a co-ed sport. 😉
LOL. I concede already. 🙂
LO L!!!
*stands on podium. bow. shake gold medal*
showoff!
YeaH!! I love that title!
LOL. I won’t pursue it. Let’s just leave it at that.
I read “martial,” too.Hmm. I wonder what that says about me. And you! Ha.
Well, I’ve learned a few moves. But I agree. Something subliminal there. =)
My favorite words: “Whatever you want, honey. You win.”
Ha ha ha ha. Happy wife, happy life.
I’ve learned long ago that when I enter a room and I haven’t talked to my wife for a bit, just to start out with two magical words. “I’m sorry.” Even if I didn’t do anything. 🙂
I’m thinking you shared this before. If not, I have TwO exceptionally smart men reading here. *grin*
whatever you want dear.
ExACTLy, my friend. Very good.
hehe 🙂
😉
This is great :)!
Nice to have you all laughing with us. =)
That’s the scariest possum I’ve ever seen! Ram it from the other side! Great advice.
Ha ha ha. There are some crazy photos out there.
Marital sense. Sometimes you let the wife have the last say 😉
Sometimes. Or a li-i-itle more often.
Yes. I think my husband learnt this 😉
😁
Love the last line.
I have a feeling it is used quite often at your house Hahaha!!
Great story. Thanks for the laugh. Wonderful to see you on the feed.
Have a great weekend! ☺
“I have a feeling it is used quite often at your house Hahaha!!”
*looks up at ceiling*
😁
Ha, pretty funny and some great advice all around. I’m forever denting my car. It’s to the point where i like to buy them with the scratches already there.
It takes talent. I am president of that club!
Well, is the vice president’s position still open?
You made it just in time! Good luck trying to elbow me off my throne. You know I have to be the best at everything – even at being bad at things.
Well, if you’re gonna do it…why do it half way??
Exactly. =)
Ha! Marital mischief indeed. That 3 minute thing is just not going to work for me. I need at least 3 minutes just to explain your opinion to you. 🙂
I like the part in marriage where you lose your desire to fight at all, where you’re like, “awesome, I can hardly wait to lose this argument.” It sounds kind of nutty but it happens, those moments of bliss where you just think ahhh, sometimes when you lose you really win, those moments when you go, “I think I’ll let him win and then I can just be married to a winner.”
Laughing. Out. Loud. This is so YOU, you kook. So…whether I let him win or not, I win either way. *grin* A matter of how I win, right? 😉
Well, well looks like you’ve been a naughty girl, Diana (verbal wizardry, wrecking doors and the like)! Thanks for the laugh. Out shopping for school clothes and it’s a jungle out here 😉
Yep. Call me Trouble. Which is also why you should be glad I’m not out there with you, esp in the parking lot. Human road hazard. Have fun!
You’re so right!
So funny! And I so needed a good laugh today 🙂
Happy to oblige!
xoxoxoxox
Haha, and backing off is always the most prudent action.
Well, if you’re the man. LOL.
He got that right. Don’t mess with an opossum. Loved the laugh this post gave me.
He’s been calling me opossum everyday, ha ha ha ha.
LOL. Scared of am opposum 😀 Then again, they do look like they bite hard in the image you showed…
I like your logic of fixing the garage door. You know, those things can be expensive to fix. Men should never, ever mess with the Missus. Never… 😀
Defending her cub against bullies is another story. =)
I learned a few things: 1) Opossums can act vicious. (I thought they just played dead.) 2) I am not the only one who struggles with garage parking/exiting. (I have not hit the garage door, but I do worry all the time about alignment and position. I am not the best “in reverse” driver.) 3) Mr. HJ has a good sense of humor to match yours! 4) Laughter is still great advice for a good marriage! Thanks for sharing.
Actually, the reason opossum came up is that he asked why I go limp when he’s affectionate (almost like playing dead)…ha ha ha. (I guess ‘cuz I wish he’d stop and walk away, LOL.) I didn’t want to lose the momentum of the narratives to explain.
There is a lot of material in your reply, but I won’t go there! Too funny!
LO…L You’ve become quite adept at sniffing out blog fodder, Deb. And you know some pretty intimate things about us now!
I think my husband would concur I’ve got some of that opossum in me as well 😬.
Go, New York Mamas!!
Lol, wise word choice. 🙂
He’s wiser every year. =)
Ah, nothing like the beauty of communication when both sides know the rules of the others… Hilarious and warms my heart with laughter to see you writing again 🙂
“when both sides know the rules” Reminds me of “know your enemy”. Ha ha ha. Was thinking of you, R. Thanks so much for joining me here.
Three minutes? Ha! Would never work in this family… 😉 When my boys fight, it takes much more than three minutes to sort through the the “he did – but he did – but he was the one who ….” strings. – But ok, this are kid’s fights…. Husband-and-wife-arguments…. well… different story… would we get three minutes each or is that for both sides of the story? That could be though… 😉
Three total. With both of you fighting for every word, that leaves you each 1.5 min!!
“You win” It seems to work, with any animal. ☺ Love your garage door solution. I thought you might have meant something quite different with that phrase. That would have shut down the argument in less than 3 minutes.
They always win…
LOL.
The gift of humor! Did you sock him after the opossum comment? Tell him he’s like a —? Funny. Cheers—
Actually, he’s long since had his own (literal) pet name. A very cute, gentle animal. Except when it’s fighting over a mate, LOL.
Very funny! TY for sharing!
TY for reading. =) Glad you enjoyed, L.
If only all marriages were this full of fun.
Oh, we need the fun to cushion the !@#%%!. =)
Here’s my two cents on garage doors. You can use this excuse if you want, D. I’ve told this story on a blog before. Down near Las Vegas there is a small park that stays green all summer. The Big Horn Sheep look down on the park from high up in their desert mountains and decide that the green grass will taste good. So down they come. Been doing it for years. A guy builds a new house next to their path and the house has a shiny aluminum door. The herd ram, a giant fellow, comes by one day and sees himself in the door. Only it isn’t himself he sees. He sees another large ram who wants his flock of pretty ewes. There is only one thing to do. He rears up and charges the other ram, smashing into the door. Again and again until the door is crushed. The guy had a heck of a time persuading his insurance agent that is what happened. True story. I’ve been there a few times to photograph the rams and they are indeed, big horny fellows. So next time you back into your garage door, tell your husband a big horn sheep did it. 🙂 –Curt
A horny animal. LOL. A bit hard to hide behind when I keep having car accidents IN the garage. But a story I won’t forget. Thx, C. Ha ha ha.
Have to keep things interesting… 🙂 –Curt
Ah, the banter of a happy couple. But, I’d fix that wall quick.
-Alan
Not sure we should. As soon as he fixes one thing, I go and break something else.
Diana, you do keep him on his toes!
-Alan
I think it beats a dull life. =)
Readers Digest, starting communication back up since forever. You two bring a smile to my face. I would’ve thought leaving the garage door as is would’ve added some bad ass character to your life. 😉
Oh, I like that. Clumsiness is really badass character. Well, I have quite a lot of character, then. LOL. Quite the euphemist, you are!
Haha this is actually so cute ! 😀
*laugh* Well, seriously scary if it’s true…(and it is. So why is it so funny?) Ha ha.
well…marital bliss works in mysterious ways Haha 😀
I think my Mr. could learn a few things from your Mr. 😉
I recently had a similar car-vs-garage mishap. Only I happened to be in a hurry to get back IN to the garage, and didn’t realize the door wasn’t all the way up. Sadly my antenna was taken off, but thankfully that was the only damage. Sigh.
Ha ha ha ha. Ok, so we are just two examples of extremely talented women, but we beg the asking: ANY guys out there who are as clumsy and uncoordinated? In any case, welcome to the Club! *stamp hand*
Funny.
=) Thx for the follow.
LoL, I feel like a male take on this is needed. We want your husband to blog the next post. 🙂
LOL. You are not the first to ask that he be allowed. Now Jason, this was a very male post. I quoted him word for word. But apparently you sense repression on his end..that there is more…LMAO.
Call it cynical me… 😂
I’d say the honey gets and appreciates you :). I love that you have a sense of humor around mishaps such as rammed garage doors. Our newly replaced bumper got dinged by our backyard door and I wasn’t as relaxed about it. In all fairness though, we’d had the new bumper for less than 48 hours and I had yet to enjoy it’s newness and shininess.
Aw, bummer. Sorry to hear. Hubby has resigned to the humor. Would be too easy to get and stay upset with me!
This is wonderful. Loved the dialogue. I’m a Gottman fan, but don’t read as much of his material as I want / need. I’ve been out of the blogosphere. I missed reading your blog.
Been away? That makes the two of us. I appreciate the sweet word, Daniel. Hope all is well.
D.
Gottman always makes these dramatic predictive statements. It gets him attention. I didn’t know he left UNH????
Well, the bolder you are, the brighter the spotlight on you. Esp in America.
I do believe I backed into my garage door before it had fully lifted a few years before you did. So, if you need any pointers on how to do this even better, just let me know. Wink, wink.
LOL. You’ve no idea how much I needed this right now. Just when we think we’re the best at something, there’s always someone else… =)
I’ll race you to the blue ribbon 🥇
I fight dirty.