The Helper Is Sometimes Not So Helpful

Farmer H has been better about carrying in groceries lately. Or maybe he's just informed me of his absenteeism better. A few times, I've known he wouldn't be home, and thus left some nonperishable items in T-Hoe for later, and only carried in what was necessary. After that shot of Kenalog in my right knee, it has not been as painful. That's not to say I'm ready to dance Swan Lake. But it's easier to walk on a flat surface without thinking that knee might collapse on any step.

Sometimes Farmer H carries things in, and sets all the bags on the cutting block, then disappears to his recliner. Other times, he will put some items away. Oh, not where they really go, of course. And usually it just makes more work for me. But I've seen it as a goodwill effort. I think that it's not what I assumed.

Farmer H is FORAGING! Looking for treats in those bags or boxes of groceries! I often bring him treats. Last week, he was taking his little pies with him to his SUS2.5 for lunches! He even took the last Party Cake pie, of which I had asked for a single bite when he opened it. Also, he took a bag of cookies that I'd just bought a couple days previous.

Friday, he was standing at the cutting block, setting groceries on it, and digging back into the bags.

"Huh. I thought you might be putting away those mini drumsticks. They've got to get into the freezer. I couldn't find your kind. Two stores were out. I didn't get you anything today."

With that, Farmer H took the mini drums to the mini freezer in the laundry room. Then he went to his recliner!

"Oh. I guess you're done putting stuff away!"

"I put the bananas in the bowl. And them drumsticks."

"You quit because you found out there's nothing here for you! I thought about bringing you something, but there wasn't a display of anything, and I didn't go to the cookie aisle."

"I need treats, too!"

I put away the sour cream that Farmer H couldn't turn to set in FRIG II. And the four cans of white meat chicken, two cans of chicken broth, and two cans of cream of chicken soup that I had bought to make him chicken and dumplings later. Then the bread. I saw that Farmer H had left the 12-pack of toilet paper on a kitchen chair.

I'm used to putting things away. I don't have to have Farmer H's help. It's just that I had mistaken his previous behavior as contributing to household chores, not digging for culinary treasures!

I still can't find the box of tall kitchen trash bags that I KNOW I bought that day...