Brought to you by Nissan X-TRAIL.
My husband had a favourite Chinese restaurant when we lived in Bondi. It was one of those places that looks like it’s been there forever, that you could have walked past a million times and never noticed it, but as soon as you get a hankering for a short soup… you notice it and stumble in. He noticed it and before we even met used to frequent it. It was his favourite cheeky dinner when he didn’t feel like cooking {which I imagine might have been a lot}.
For a few years when we were first together, we ordered home delivery or takeaway and enjoyed it as a couple. So romantic, eh? Then one adventurous day we decided to actually eat IN the restaurant. Like sit down, look at a menu, maybe partake in some wine. I think people call that a date.
On this date I needed to use the bathroom, so I did. I asked the owner where the bathroom was, and he told me to head back through the kitchen and down a small pathway. So I did. When I got to that toilet I was blown away, and not in a good way. I’ve never, ever, ever, ever seen anything so disgusting. It was the dirtiest, grimiest toilet I’d ever encountered. And I’ve done road trips before and stopped at petrol stations in times of desperation. I nearly vomited. I definitely gasped.
I didn’t eat my dinner. I pushed it around on my plate, and when we left I told Hubby that I hope he enjoyed his dinner because we were never eating there or ordering again. A dirty toilet is a deal breaker. If you don’t clean your toilet, I don’t hold out much hope for your hygiene standards in other places.
Snob? Yep.
Of course Hubby was devastated. It was a forced break-up, but it was me or the Chinese restaurant and thankfully he chose me. He has cheated once or twice when I was out of town, but I pretend that it didn’t happen.
Deal breakers are a very real thing. My other deal breakers? I couldn’t marry someone shorter than me, or someone with small hands. And I’m not sure I can be friends with you if you have those stick figure stickers on your car. Sorry.
Deal breakers aren’t limited to restaurants, men or people though, I even extend them as far as cars. Sedans, I’m looking at you. I can not, will not, must not settle for a small boot. It has to have enough room to have ALL THE THINGS inside it. And a flat surface for changing an emergency stinky nappy in the back at the car park. You can’t do that in a sedan, unless your kid can fold and shape like an origami crane.
I’ve been driving the Nissan X-TRAIL for almost four months now, and the boot passes my {fussy} test. When I first got the car the car-guy told me that it can be arranged in 18 different ways. It’s got dividers and pull out thingys. To be honest, I can’t figure out the 18 ways it does what it does. I just work out what’s going to work with what I’ve got, and do it.
My sister just had a baby. Can we stop for a moment and say ‘Awwwwwww’?
I wanted to make them some dinner, to help when they’re wrangling an 18 month old and a newborn. So cooked a roast, put it on plates, wrapped them in foil and popped them in the boot. Any normal boot would mean roast meat and gravy splatter as they slid around, right? I moved a few dividers, popped them in. They didn’t move a bit.
Grocery shopping: And no squished bread… because that happened to me EVERY time. Darn soda water would roll on my bread and ain’t nobody got time for mis-shaped bread. Also, I forget the green bags AGAIN.
And Dubai bound.
And if you’re not ready to break-up with your boot yet, then let me brag a little more. It’s also got sensor-activated tail-gate {yep, you can freak out people in the car park as they walk by, by opening it from afar}. If you’re holding a baby, a cake, or a small animal and can’t open the boot with your hands… you can wave your foot/arm/appendage under a sensor and it will open automatically for you.
Tell me about your deal-breakers: What won’t you accept in a man/woman/restaurant/car/friend?
This just reminded me that its toilet cleaning day lol. I wouldn’t have gone back the the restaurant either, yuk!
Have fun with that! 😛
Ewwww Not to even mention that they had diners traipsing thru the kitchen where your food was prepared – yuk!
Worst toilet I’ve ever seen = at a Bali restaurant … HOLE.IN.THE.GROUND … that you had to squat over … and I had to – I was busting and we had driven way up into the hills to a lonely sole restaurant :-/
I don’t know what I’d do in that situation. I don’t know if I could. I mean, I probably would but I wouldn’t enjoy it!
It wasn’t fun thats for sure! o.O
But there was no way on earth I could have held it so I had no choice haha
Having recently been to China and experienced some of the toilets there I totally empathise with you (& still throw up in my mouth a little when I think of them). My sedan actually has a surprisingly massive boot (Mazda 6) but I love the dividers & the idea of being able to organise everything perfectly!
Beautiful baby too 🙂
Was China good, despite the toilets?
That’s so gross. But I know what you mean about car boot sizes, my Micra has a heap of boot space and I love it!
It’s all about the boot! It’s funny because you’d think a Micro boot would be micro. 😉
I am with you on the toilet!!!! Eek! Yes, I love my wagon and it has been essential since having a kid!! I don’t think I could go back to a sedan – at least not until I’ve had all my children (I only plan on one more) and they’re old enough to never need changing in it! Even then? I love the space for my dogs. I love all of it. I have been converted. I think I’d need an X-trail next. I keep hinting to the hubby that we need to win the lotto just so I can have one haha.
I want one for good too {not just for loan}. I went in and asked the salesman how much it would set me back, and now I’m on a mission to make it happen. One day. x
One more. Hehe…here come twins in the next pregnancy.
(Happened to me)
Oh geez haha.
I HATE feet on the table. My husband does this outside of the outdoor setting and I really dislike it.
Time for a divorce? Kidding. 😛
Who needs fancy boots my aunts been using washing baskets in her boot for decades & men well I’ve learnt there’s not much you won’t turn an eye too for the love of your life (hubby picks his nose ewwww) negativity is a friends breaker for me if you can’t see a positive in all 80% of the time I just can’t waste my time hearing you whinge & if treat your friends better than your kids or partner then I just don’t think your my type of person sorry 🙂
MY Aunt did that washing basket thing for years. Are you my cousin? 😛
You know your US readers will likely be confused on the whole boot thing! I recall being pulled over by immigration while driving along the USA/Mexican border. When they asked for my passport, I told my husband it was in the boot. The immigration guy looked so puzzled and asked why I would keep it in my shoe. Ummmm…..
Ooh, thank you Michelle. I was sitting going “What?””” I had to mentally picture everything to figure it out.
We don’t have X-trail’s over here or Micra. I drive a Chevrolet Equinox. We call it an SUV. It is bigger than a sedan but not as big as a Suburban or Range Rover.
My deal breakers are people that dont have close or long term friendships – it seems to scream a warning to me. Guys – I wouldn’t date someone shorter than me, overly soft hands, with the same name as my brother or dad, or spent too much time in front of the mirror. I’m a snob sometimes, I know it.
ha! I have 3 brothers, Patrick, Peter and David.
My partner’s name is Peter David. My brother David’s girlfriend’s name is Peta!
My husband has told me about a Chinese restaurant he used to frequent at Kingsford, in the early 70’s when he was single. He went to the toilet & saw to his disgust that all the boiled rice was stored in an old concrete tub just outside the toilet door. Needless to say he never ate there again!
I can not handle this information. Can not handle.
I did a defensive driving course some years back. A tissue box is the weight of a brick once it fles through the car in an accident. I can imagine the bread would be the same. The joy of those roll out covers is that they keep a lot of gear contained in an accident. I’m not saying this to be a bitch, but more for the safety of your family. I don’t care if you don’t post it, but please keep it in mind. That bread on the top there, it will kill someone – and at the very least completely shatter your windscreen.
My husband does defensive driving all the time. I’ll have to chat to him about it. Thanks for the hot tip. 🙂
Men with long hair.
People who enjoy waving around sparklers
The strong smell of cologne or perfume
Don’t have time for those people
I regard my kitchen bench as prime real estate, a sacred place. I detest it when I get female visitors and they come in and immediately plonk their handbags on the end. When you think about it handbags are disgustingly dirty, often put on the floor in cafes and dare I say public lavatories if there is no hook available. Totally grosses me out!
Can’t believe I found someone that has the same deal breaker as me – I don’t do small hands a man must have bigger hands than me!!
Weak handshake from a man. I lose all respect.
I’m with you on the boot deal-breaker thing. It’s the reason we have our current car and it’s the reason we’re looking at the Nissan X-Trail as our next car!
Guess who is getting herself a red Xtrail on Friday! Your post inspired me to check one out – the boot part especially! Red one too. ( oh I already said that!) Not the electronic boot opener model but just about everything else I need!
Oh I am so happy for you, and jealous at the same time! It’s the most beautiful car, and I so want to buy one. Enjoy it.
Now, what to call it?