Tuesday 16 January 2007

Coming to terms

First I’d like to acknowledge that my job has acronyms that Mrs Grendel can’t understand. But that is no excuse at all for her to take up a hobby with acronyms and terms that require months, yes months of intensive study to master.

This isn’t helped by the fact that scrapbookers also use their own shorthand when chatting on the internet or SMS’ing each other. I am sure that some of these abbreviations have caused misunderstandings leading to relationship breakdowns over innocent conversations between scrappers misinterpreted by dull witted scraphusbands.

I’ve often been asked what Mrs Grendel does – “well” I explain, “She’s a scrapper”. They look at me with pity in their eyes, either because they think she likes to fight all the time or because they too are married to a scrapbooker and understand exactly what I mean.

So one day I overhear a conversation between Mrs Grendel and another scrapper – they are talking about ‘Triads’. This I understand, Chinese organised crime. I’ve read books, I’ve seen reports – I am with this topic. Then they are choosing triads – choosing triads? WTF is going on? Oh – a colour wheel, apparently triads are three complimentary colours on a colour wheel, not heavily tattooed Asian mafia.

Or it may be that you pass by the computer and see a chat like:

Mrs Grendel: Oh yeah, the MIL and SIL were here on the weekend, I made them a LO, but SIL is a CMC and frowns at anything not made with CM product.

Mrs Grendel’s Friend: What a PITA, CMC can be so uptight about non CM stuff – I was ROTFLPIMP the other day when my friend “X” who is a CMC was won a BG product pack from a challenge at the crop night.

Mrs Grendel: I bet we start seeing a few RAK packs from her then with BG stuff in.”


Now I don’t know about you, but as far as I could see they might be talking about scrapbooking or planning a government take-over. Either way, I recommend staying out of the scrapbooking room!

6 comments:

backyardmissionary said...

does she get to start one called 'coffee-widow'!

"Grendel" said...

Not as long as she is drinking it!

Anonymous said...

I am really glad to see that the International community of ASBHs (anonymous SB husbands) starts to get built up on the Web :-) For me, a long awaited process, at least since my wife started SBing two years ago.
Actually, I dont know, where all that may end one day but today, I feel shivers on my back imaging the horrible job to COUNT all the 12 sq.inches acid-free sheets in her studio, all the ribbons, doodles, diggles and whibbles, pins, eyelets, badges, tags, mips, flips, squirks and shlorks. I dont have a clue, how many LOs she allready has produced, I think, I stopped the surveillance mode somewhere in summer last Year...
...and I might start the next finance plan for a bigger home this summer...
Well, but love is all you need :-)

But guys, do you know what really scares me when I read the documented chat in "Come to terms"?
I UNDERSTAND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Grendel" said...

Snoman - that is very damn scary that you understand that conversation - you need to do what I ended up doing and get a hobby of your own!

I started roasting my own coffee. It was either that or rocketry and the local aviation people would NOT have been excited about that prospect.

Mrs Grendel has her own account that receives money diverted from my pay each fortnight and I don't ask questions!

From time to time it gets used for groceries (as does my coffee budget).

It is good to hear from other scrapbook husbands (we need a term for this. . .)

Anonymous said...

You already have a term, DH.

Anonymous said...

Grendel - we fortunately dont have to clarify finance issues 'cause we do have our own accounts too :-)

ref. Hobby: still practicing things from my early software engineering times, so, I set up and customize software tools (PhotoImpact, FotoFix, Picture database) and a management system for online workshops with embedded retail shop and a Kit Assembler :-)

And: I really like the private coffee roasting thing! Maybe I start that here in Hamburg one day :-)