Groomed

For Christmas I gave the Long Suffering Husband planning permission. He wanted a huge TV but I objected on the grounds that sometimes I like to live in my living room or lounge in the lounge without a screen taking over, so instead I gave him permission to turn the spare room into a cinema room.

This has already had many benefits. The room, hallway stairs and landing have all been decorated with new carpet and a whole load of junk has disappeared. 

Spare rooms acquire all sorts of items that can't find a better place in the rest of the house. Ours had the ironing board, a stack of empty boxes, The LSH's drum kit, my dressing table (which he had convinced me wouldn't fit in our bedroom) and an exercise bike that was mainly used for hanging clothes on.

He moved the drum kit to my daughter's room, the exercise bike to my son's room and the dressing table to our room, while he decorated. My son liked having the bike in his room and I was thrilled to have my dressing table where I had initially wanted it.

With an exercise bike in his bedroom my son has already lost weight and I am slightly more groomed because I see the dressing table, sit down and at least brush my hair.

This kind of grooming is a shock to everyone that knows me. Bounding into the classroom, stopping short and quizzically beaming at me a girl asked, "Have you got make up on?"

"Oh, yes. Actually, yes I do have a little bit of make up on."

"She doesn't normally wear make up, though," said another, as though I wasn't there.

"You're right I don't often wear make up."

"Well, that's good." The girl folded her arms and set her face in a tight pout.

"I mean at least the make up explains it. I thought you'd suddenly got pretty."