Search Results for: blog contract or ongoing negotiation

Contract or Ongoing Negotiation?

‘Marriage is not a contract but an ongoing negotiation,’ so said one of the characters in the new TV show Blue Bloods. ‘Now there’s a topic for a blog,’ Mick said. Indeed it is. First I have to disagree, not with Mick but the comment. To me marriage is a contract, a binding contract. ’Till death do us part,’ sounds pretty binding to me. It is a contract and a commitment made before witnesses and often before God. However there is a sense in which marriage is also an ongoing negotiation. The very word ‘negotiate’ means, according to the dictionary, … Continue reading →

Know What You Are Willing to Give Up in Negotiations

You may know that when you enter into a negotiation—whether for a contract, a customer sale, or some other reason—you need to know what it is you are hoping to get. You do need to know the reason for the negotiation and have in mind what you would like to come away with. BUT, you also need to know what you are willing to give up. The more prepared you are in advance; the more likely you are to come away with a satisfactory result. Next to good communication skills (both verbal and non-verbal), I think that knowing what you … Continue reading →

Workers’ Strike Over Health Insurance Could Close Stores

Grocery store workers in Southern California may go on strike this weekend. The strike is a result of a breakdown in negotiations between the union and the stores. If the strike occurs, Ralphs grocery stores will close. Where do you do your grocery shopping? There has been an ongoing issue that involves the health insurance of grocery store workers. This is taking place in the grocery stores located in Southern California. A contract negotiation has lasted eight months, (so far), and has not come to a conclusion. A few weeks ago, the unions that represents 62,000 workers indicated that they … Continue reading →

Could Your Husband Cope?

Could your husband cope if you were laid up for a while? The impression I get from many women, particularly those around my age group or older, is that their husbands wouldn’t know the first thing about how to cook a meal, do the laundry or do any of the other household chores that need to be done, especially when the wife is laid up. This puts pressure on the wife to keep going, even when she should not because she is too sick. Mick thankfully has done a great job over the last few weeks and given the ongoing … Continue reading →

Men Don’t See

Sometimes I hear women complain about their men. A common complaint is that men don’t see things that need to be done around the house. They don’t see washing up that needs to be done, the laundry that needs to be hung out, or the floor that needs to be mopped. Of course, as women we can become so independent that we refuse to ask for help and mutter to ourselves while doing the job about how our men never see these things that need doing. A lot too, depends on the way we respond when men do decide to … Continue reading →

Lack of Understanding

I hate it when Mick and I argue. It doesn’t happen that often but when it does it leaves a sour taste. More often than not, our arguments occur near and about the computer. I am no-one’s idea of a computer expert and so when I run into trouble I call on Mick. Unfortunately trying to explain what is happening and how it got that way, which I usually don’t know, presents a problem. I’m still convinced computer gremlins exist because the computer often seems to do things I have never told it to do, but that’s another story. So … Continue reading →

The Greatest Love Story

What do you consider to be the greatest love story ever told? I’m sure we might all have different opinions on that. On Thursday night Mick and I and another couple of married friends went to see a production of William Shakespeare’s, Romeo and Juliet. To many people this story of star crossed lovers from warring families is considered to be one of the great love stories. Certainly our local drama company put on an excellent performance which we enjoyed immensely, as we do nearly all their production. We quickly became caught up in the story unfolding before our eyes … Continue reading →

Taking Each Other for Granted

‘Everything’s getting quicker these days, even infidelity,’ Mick said when I told him about a recent article which had discovered it was no longer a seven year itch but a three year glitch. However infidelity isn’t the reason for these couples splitting up. Rather than infidelity, a recent survey has found it is about that three year period where couples start to take each other for granted. And what are the things that are causing them to get disenchanted with their partner? Such things as ‘weight gain, stinginess, and toe-nail clippings on the bathroom floor and snoring’ are among the … Continue reading →

Being a Couple

‘The trouble with you is you’re so bloody independent, you don’t even know how to be a couple.’ That was the accusation flung at a character in a book recently. Unfortunately that attitude is not confined to fiction. It exists in real life. We see it every day – people who are so intent on retaining their individuality and independence that they don’t know how to maintain a relationship, because they never really see themselves as part of a couple. They are still just two individuals. I’m not saying when we get engaged or married we should be joined at … Continue reading →

Know Your Spouse

In a good marriage you know your spouse and their interests better than anyone see does. For example my daughter recently suggested her father might like to go and see the musical version of Doctor Zhivago. I had my doubts, since part of the attraction as far as I could see for Mick was he liked Julie Christie, but I decided to test it out in conversation. By the end of the conversation I was left in no doubt he did not want to see it. In his opinion it was never intended to be a musical and he saw … Continue reading →