Pickles by Brian Crane for June 27, 2023

Earl you’re not the only guy that learned that skill.

Training dividends

if water the plants, Earl would drown them with too much water

Earl’s husband level: Expert!

What they need is an iron that leaves a tie-dye pattern on t-shirts. Then she could let Earl iron his t-shirts.

I LOVE Earl!

Earl’s smarter than he looks!

Spouse used to understand my innate “Earlness” in this regard. But more recently, she just gets upset when I don’t know something that she knows perfectly well. Like telling me to get the bag of vitamins… “Where is it?”… “in the dresser (full stop).” There are three dressers within easy reach. Each has at least 5 drawers. If I just stare at her, she eventually says “WHAT?” without any understanding that she’s left me confused. If, on the other hand, I say “which dresser, which drawer?” she’s annoyed that I don’t already know.

And he gets to claim wanting to be helpful.

I’ll trim the bushes if I can use a chain saw.

Opal surely is fully aware of these rituals by her usually useless spouse…

Training Nelson at an early age, Earl?

No, he’s just lazy and never worked anyway. Now looking back he thinks he was clever.

One of my besties FIL would help him with various house renos. His go-to maxim to my friend was " You can do it that way, Jack. Or you could do it the right way."

So typical…… Good job Grampa.!!!

You’re an avatar of incompetence, Earl.

He should never have told his grandson. That kid can’t keep a secret.

Today’s comments seem to indicate ‘just a touch’ of irritation between some couples.

Funny, my late husband never had to ask me what I would like him to do as we split the chores. There was never an issue.

Nelson is learning a lot from Earls’ earls of wisdom. So are we, I’m taking notes

Do people still have irons and ironing boards? Clothes today are pretty much wash & wear, aren’t they?

My breaking dishes and burning food over 40 years ago got my wife to tell me that the kitchen/pantry/frig was off limits. Other than making coffee in the Keurig she got me for my birthday 8 years ago, and the brand new one she gave me yesterday, I am told if I want anything, she will get it for me.

This is when Opal needs to train Earl…but it’s too late for that!

It’s darned if you do and darned if you don’t, that’s why I don’t try anymore. Never could do it right to suit her, and if you don’t pitch in, I’m getting nagged for that too.

Old, old joke.

Got that right,same here

Trite. Hackneyed, and right on the money. Just normal husbands, no carefully engineered ploy involved, or capability.

I came by it naturally. I am that good.

Well, Opal can’t say Earl didn’t ask to help her do anything.

My Dad had that perfected. But then it didn’t hurt that my mom could and did do everything. Not just cook and sew. She could paint, hang wallpaper, manager tools. Her hobby was refinishing furniture. I remember as a teen she had me disassembling and assembling a couch that she was re-upholstering. I was never as good as my dad at feigning incompetence. She died of a stoke at 85 while she was laying patio paving stones.

40 years ago, when I was dating my wife, I made the mistake of showing off my culinary skills. She was impressed, but now she insists that I make most of the meals. That’s what I get for showing off!

I pity Nelson’s future wife.

Time to wash the Studebaker???

My mom turned this around on my dad. He was a perfectionist, she wasn’t. Eventually he took over all the household chores. I asked my mom one time if it bothered her that dad thought her incompetent. She just smiled a kind of Mona Lisa smile and then I knew she did it on purpose.

Advanced behaviour modification (Beyon the bell)- Psych 301a…

I was a house-husband while my second wife was in graduate school. I did the cooking and cleaning but had one firm rule: nagging had to be done in a separate room with the door closed. :)

I combine tasks to save time, so I would iron the plants and water the dust.

This is referred to as “fained incompetence”

Everyday This comic never fails to make me chuckle and at times belly laugh.. it’s so spot on, at least in this household

Reminding of Joe Banana, If I had put all that energy into becoming a lawyer instead of crime, I’d be much richer.