wash the dishes, dry the dishes

I am always just delaying the inevitable. I pretend not to see the stack growing and growing. But really, it can only be put off for so long. When there are no clean pots left to cook dinner in, I know it is time.
Washing the dishes is yet another household chore that I like to avoid. My dear husband usually does the washing up - which makes me very happy! - but sometimes the lot falls on me.

The dishwasher is one of my favourite modern-day luxuries. (And helps us save water too!) As many things as possible are maneuvered into the dishwasher. This is something I am very particular about, for some reason - which I will go into more detail about at a later stage. Another bizarre thing is that I really do not like to touch the dirty dishes at all. If my hand touches some food residue as I'm stacking them, I must wipe my hands immediately. And I will gag if my hand accidentally touches a cold, slimy piece of leftover food. I shudder at the mere thought.

For this reason, I must wear rubber gloves as often as possible. One of my biggest dilemmas occurs when I put one of the gloves on and realise some water has got inside it. Ew eww ewww! Cold, old water! But, then if I don't wear the gloves I have to touch the dirty dishes! Eww!! What to do??

I wear the dry glove on one hand and make the bare hand the 'scrubbing brush hand' - even if it means I have to awkwardly scrub at things with my left hand - as long as I'm not having to touch anything, then great. Problem solved! Unless both gloves got wet!? In that case I flip the gloves inside out and wait for them to dry. (Actually, my new, slightly more organised brain tells me it would probably be even easier to just find a more suitable place to store the gloves in the first place. Hmmm. Good idea, brain.)

So now you know my strange reason for avoiding doing dishes.

When I actually get to the mountain of pots and such, I have to lay out a couple of tea towels on the benches, as well as the drying rack, just to fit it all.

In this picture you will see a prime example from just a couple of nights ago. These are the clean objects laid out to dry. Two pots, a frying pan, a wok, a strainer, four baking trays, about ten containers, a knife block worth of knives, measuring cups and a few other odds and ends. It would be so much easier to just wash a couple of things each night. I know this, but I can't seem to do it.
(And, yes, that is a basketball you can see on top of the potato box in the corner.
Why is it there? That's a story for another blog.)