Simply A Moment: February 2014 'Ah but 'monumental' doesn't get the creases out of jeans'

Hello, hello.

While I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front I am, as ever, determined to keep pausing for 'Simply A Moment' hosted by Alexa at Trimming the Sails.

[To learn more you can read Alexa's February moment here, [which includes a place to leave your own post link if you join in - or else Alexa also has a few tips on how to record your own moments.]

'Ah but 'monumental' doesn't get the creases out of jeans'

Date: Sunday 16th February 2014
Time: 21.15 ish
Location: home

Still smiling from the text conversation I've been having with my sister since Call the Midwife ended a few minutes ago I stand at the chopping board preparing sandwiches for tomorrow's lunch.

James has switched channels to the BBC4 documentary about 'Brutalist' concrete architecture he wanted to watch but here he is wandering in to see what I'm doing.

"I like a bit of Brutalism" he declares as I attempt to chop beetroot without getting any of its vivid, lasting, stain on my fingertips.

With his help the sandwiches get finished and safely packed away until the morning. And I head upstairs.

While I'm there I hear the kitchen tap running. "What he's doing now?" I think to myself.

As I make my way back down the staircase, just as the living room door comes into view, I see his hands carefully set down both a full glass of cold water and the water jug for the iron. Then I notice the ironing board is up with the iron sitting patiently on top, its power cable unfurled expectantly.

And I creep back upstairs ... unnoticed ...

"I know I left the camera on here somewhere" I think as, in complete darkness, I carefully grope about on top of my workroom desk. In that room you're never too far away from something to either knock over, spill to the four winds or cut yourself on ... but eventually the palm of my hand finds the camera-shaped object it was feeling for.  And I sneak back down to capture this ...

It's not like he doesn't ever iron. That's not my point.

But on a Sunday night? That's new.

The sight drags me right back to the days of having my uniform ironed just in time to start a new week at school the next day ... and suddenly I feel an urge to check if I've finished all my homework ...

"Why are you doing that now?" I ask.

"Because this is on" he replies, nodding his head toward the TV. As if that's some sort of logical explanation. I look confused.

"Because I can watch this and do this at the same time" he clarifies.

And, while I'm not really convinced that that's the real answer I decide not to question the situation further.

In the background the presenter of the architecture programme quotes a commentator who stated that: "the 'Monumental' should have no practical use".

Mmmm ... maybe not ...

... but then, when was the last time 'monumental' spared you the trial of the ironing pile?

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