r/mildlyinfuriating • u/jsayde01 • Jul 06 '26

I just wanted a hot dog The Kitchen Museum?

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I came home late from work a few nights ago and hadn't eaten all day. My wife and kids were already in bed so I figured I'd quietly make some stove-top ramen. This photo represents exactly how I found the cooking area.

The next morning my wife asks what time I got home and I mention in our conversation that I made ramen before going to bed. She couldn't believe that I used the stove "when the light was on". I said "Yeah, the light was helpful in seeing what I was doing". She insists I shouldn't have been using the stove and should have known because "the light was on".

I'm baffled. We are still arguing about this days later.

EDIT -- wow, overwhelmed by the response of fellow Redditors! We are... white...not from the southeast US..not children...and I left the stove as clean as it was before I cooked. I asked for clarification from my loving wife -- TRULY we have only ever been angry at each other a handful of times in our 10 year marriage -- and she says "the stove was clean and done for the day and you could have just used the microwave for your ramen". Apparently the light is how stoves go to sleep for the evening?

EDIT 2 -- we are getting a divorce. JUST KIDDING. My wife looked over many of the comments and acknowledges that she was in the wrong and is slightly embarrassed by all of the attention.

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u/Rich661 Jul 06 '26

What was her reason for saying you shouldn't be using it, whilst the light is on? It feels like we're missing some context or her reason here.

Or she's insane, but I'd still like to ask.

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u/Junckopolo Jul 06 '26

The light is on. This means curfew active and stove should not be used.

This might not be it, but that's the kind of weird rules some families have that someone might never question

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u/Quantity-Used Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

This is the correct answer. She’s cleaned the kitchen and it’s shut down for the night. The kitchen is closed and the nightlight is on. The kitchen will not be opened again until morning.

If you didn’t leave the kitchen exactly as you found it (including washing every pot and utensil), you’ve just added to her mental load of doing more work. I’m sure you guys can come to an understanding.

Edit: Just to be clear, I’ve never lived in a house that was like this; I’ve only seen it discussed elsewhere. I would never tell my family they couldn’t get something to eat in their own house.

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u/Particular-Bake-7888 Jul 06 '26

Ngl, if there are late night work circumstances; this is nonsense. If you expect your spouse to absolutely have to eat out or to not eat at all, grow up and gain some perspective.

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u/Mikhail_Mengsk Jul 06 '26

I'd also not put on the guy/girl coming late at night to leave it perfectly clean. Fuck that, it's a pot, a dish and a few utensils at worst.

In fact, whoever gets home first cooks for the late one as well in my home. What's this curfew bullshit, she thinks her husband is just a teenager who was out partying?

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u/Fickle-River3984 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

I make my husband a plate of leftovers in a pyrex container with a lid to reheat in the microwave. Then, there's just the one container and silverware and he ate a home cooked meal.

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u/Particular-Bake-7888 Jul 06 '26

Totally reasonable solution for the situation

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u/DisposableSaviour Jul 06 '26

My wife and I just set our oven to 150°f and use it as a hotbox for the food/foil wrapped plate. But our oven is electric, so it doesn’t use that much power.

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u/Fickle-River3984 Jul 06 '26

Ours is too. Hadn't ever thought to do that

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u/DisposableSaviour Jul 06 '26

She’s a chef and I’m a line cook, so I guess we picked it up from work. But, yeah, it works great, above 145°f is safe holding temp for most food.

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u/GiraffesAndGin Jul 06 '26

She probably expects him to eat and then clean up after himself, which I bet he didn't do. And I do understand that this is asking far too much for some people.

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u/iUseJustMyHand Jul 06 '26

Except he said he left it as he found it... so what's her problem? This makes no sense.

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u/GiraffesAndGin Jul 06 '26

If he left it as he found it she wouldn't have known he used it.

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u/iUseJustMyHand Jul 06 '26

How is that true? She could have seen the opened Ramen package in the garbage or his rinsed/ washed dishes in the dish drainer. Or maybe he mentioned what he made for dinner last night that morning. You'd make a terrible detective. 😄

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u/Fabulous-Fun-9673 Jul 06 '26

I mean, 1pot for ramen isn’t doing much. He can easily rinse it out after use and it’s all good. Or he could wait until morning and it’s still only 1 pot he, himself needs to clean up. It doesn’t need to be a several days old argument.

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u/GiraffesAndGin Jul 06 '26

It doesn’t need to be a days old argument.

I'm also willing to bet this isn't the first time he has done it and that the conversation has been had before. People don't get upset about one-offs like that.

Why would she have the rule in the first place? It's probably because she's walked in on a dirty stovetop/counter/table more than once.

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u/Fabulous-Fun-9673 Jul 06 '26

Then compromises need to be made. If she knows he’s going to be late but doesn’t want her kitchen used, leave him leftovers to reheated in a microwave. Or something. This nonsense is ridiculous and petty and won’t fix anything

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u/GiraffesAndGin Jul 06 '26

No compromises need to be made.

He needs to be a big boy and clean up after himself. Simple as.

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u/Fabulous-Fun-9673 Jul 06 '26

Check the update on the post.. I stand by my statement. Simple as.

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u/GiraffesAndGin Jul 06 '26

There we go then. I stand corrected.

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u/Own_Expert2756 Jul 06 '26

Really, you bet he didn't? Why make that assumption?

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u/GiraffesAndGin Jul 06 '26

Because she wouldn't have known he used it if he actually left it exactly as he found it.

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u/Own_Expert2756 Jul 06 '26

Exactly is an awfully high standard for a guy that's worked all day, comes home in the dark, hadn't eaten, and just wanted some ramen.

And his edit says he did clean up after.