It hurts to admit this truth

There are literally hundreds of folks around the country who serve as marriage counselors. Then there are the Dr. Phils of this world, the person who thinks (s)he can get into every person's soul and tell us if certain couples are compatible.

I am sure they are all fine people and some of them may even make sense. But here is a subject that never gets covered in these sessions. Mastering it can help a relationship immensely.

I speak, of course, of laundry.

There are a lot of potential land mines for couples doing things together. Wallpapering is a well known battle spot. Ever try painting together? (My neighbor had the best idea. She painted upstairs by herself while he went solo downstairs.)

Laundry? I am here to report that, with a few exceptions, it is best to let everybody do it on their own.

Currently, we are sans washer and dryer because we are redoing our basement. As a result, we have using the local laundromat the last couple of weeks. While it has gone better than anticipated, it is still an adventure.

You see, men compromise easily when it comes to laundry. (It becomes even easier to do this at $2 a load for the washer.) Women, for some reason, do not. For example, women don't think grays can be allowed to mingle with whites. Women also don't like to share the washer with their male counterparts when it comes to ... er ... unmentionables. A waste of two bucks perhaps. The again, what price do we put on for peace in the household?

Men shrug off potential landmines. A stain that didn't quite get eliminated doesn't bother us because we'll get it next time. And is there any real reason a shirt has to be totally wrinklefree? Men say no. Women tend to disagree. And so it goes.

It's not all bad there. I have learned to like the fact you can use several washers at once. Getting all the clothes done in less than two hours is a good thing. The laundromat we go to even has a Ms. PacMan machine. Revisiting your youth now and then is okay, too.

But here is something I never thought I would say and may get me demoted in the man union: I miss having a washer and a dryer at our immediate disposal. One can only wears the same pair of socks for so many days in a row.