February 07, 2006

Etiquette question

Let's say you are fifteen years old. One of your chores is to scoop the cat litter box every day. Your cousin, who is doing her own chores at the same time, tells you that the cat scoop is nasty, and makes gagging noises to indicate just how disgusting she thinks the smelly cat scoop is.

What is the appropriate response?

1) Take the hint and wash the cat scoop in hot soapy water.
2) Toss the cat scoop in the garbage can and ask your mother to buy a new one.
3) Duct tape the nasty scoop to a piece of PVC pipe and chase your cousin around the house with it.

ShaggyHairWeapon

28 comments:

Badger said...

4) get the spaghetti server out of the utensil drawer and use it to clean the litterbox instead.

Mrs. Coulter said...

(3) is so obviously the correct answer! I knew that before the photo loaded.

When I was 13, a distant cousin was visiting at the lake. She was very prissy (carefully groomed hair, make-up, etc.). So my other cousins and I (a mixture of boys and girls all about the same age, who spent our summer days swimming, boating, and tromping through the woods) told her that she had seaweed in her hair.

"EEEEEEW!!!!!" She shrieked, and ran off to find a mirror.

Now that I'm an adult, it occurs to me that we were kind of mean. However, it was still funny.

ccw said...

Wonderful! Thanks for the laugh.

RageyOne said...

LOL! #3 of course! I mean, he is a teenage boy and they tend to do things to aggravate family members - especially if they know it will cause grief for the other person.

Anonymous said...

You know, I'm starting to think he may be on to something. I wonder if I can scoop cat litter while standing with a PVC attached litter scoop.

listie said...

LOL; #3, of course.

Rana said...

*giggling*

I love option (3). Too cool, that boy.

(I would have gone with option (4): hand it to her and tell her that now _she_ gets to clean the box.)

Mona Buonanotte said...

I can see that happening in our house in about 6 years. And it'll be the Girl-child weilding the offensive scoop. I. Can't. Wait!

Seeking Solace said...

Ah, another great use for duct tape!!!!

EmmaNadine said...

We always have duct tape on hand. I'm starting to think we need to keep PVC pipe on supply also.

Xtin said...

This is clearly a Very Deep Problem philosophically. Etiquettely speaking, the right thing to do was (1), and then offer a cup of hot tea while seated in the wing armchair, with a discreet dish of lavendar buds placed thoughtfully nearby.

Ethically speaking, however, Scooper-Boy had an absolutely clear duty to humanity to provide a vivid and lasting disincentive for Sniffy-Girl being clear and unambiguous about how icky she thinks icky things are. After the Trauma of The PVC Tube, she will henceforth swallow any statements about ickiness, thereby becoming the kind of useful and pleasant member of society who simply Sucks It Up.

Go Scooper-Boy!

Anonymous said...

Love. Him. I dream of having a son this cool one day.

And your February post made me weep.


SuperB

zelda1 said...

Oh for sure the chasing is the thing to do. I'm so liking your son.

Anonymous said...

Oh, lovely!

Teri said...

for the record, upon inspection of the photo, the scoop is not very icky at all. She should see mine. I'll send you the address at my dad's house, and my dad the address at your house, if you ever want to trade. sans hot soapy water, of course. where's the fun in that?

Kate said...

Oh, I would have chosen number 3 as well! The cat scoop is going to continue to get poopy, I don't bother washing mine.

Leslee said...

I can't believe you even have to ask. Of course the answer is #3!

Jane Dark said...

I take #5: buy an identical scoop and leave it on her pillow...

Liz Miller said...

I was expecting you to just say, "3, of course." but then the picture just killed me.

Anonymous said...

did he scoop the litter box, after all the fun? that is the real question.

Michael LeVan said...

I didn't realize that you lived with the Ramones.

Bardiac said...

Where's the option for waving it under her nose and pretending to use it in her food?

Yankee, Transferred said...

HOWLING!!!

Cheeky Prof said...

LMAO. Thanks for the humor.

Perfesser Slaughter said...

Dude:

was there any real choice?

Hilarious!

nancy said...

The BEST thing about years spent trying to get pregnant, being pregnant and breastfeeding was that I never had to clean the cat litter.

Now I do. Ick.

purple_kangaroo said...

LOL, you have to give him credit. Most boys would have skipped the duct tape and PVC and gone straight to the chasing part.

Anonymous said...

ROFL

mind you SEVEN cats???!!! that's a lot of scooping! you sure the chores are evenly distributed Jo(e)