Mess Appeal

My teenage daughter comes home after being dropped off outside by some of her friends in their car.

Daughter: “Mom! Dad was out in the garage again! It’s so messy! All my friends saw! It’s embarrassing!”

Me: “I know, but your father says he has a system in there.”

Daughter: “He’s been putting stuff in there since before I was born! We need an intervention!”

Me: “I promised him that as long as he didn’t let it spill into the rest of the house, he could do what he wanted in that space.”

Daughter: “We could get rid of half of it, and he wouldn’t even notice!”

Me: “You think? Okay, when he’s finished in there, let me show you something.”

An hour later, my husband has finished tinkering with whatever it was, and I take my daughter into the garage. I spot a random tray of junk and move it a few inches to the side.

Daughter: “Okay… and?”

Me: “Now we wait.”

A few hours later, my daughter and I are watching TV in the living room, when my husband walks in and asks:

Husband: “Who touched my tray of extension cords?”