The "I don't give a shit box".

I don't know about yours, but, my Hubster comes fully equipped with an "I don't give a shit box". 

Do any of you ladies know what I'm talking about?? 

It's where you give him detailed information that he doesn't "remember" when quizzed on later i.e. Driving directions, cooking times/degrees for pre baked frozen meals, kids doctor appointments, extended family get togethers, or (gasp) fill him in on family/friend gossip etc... 

The signs that any of this information is being "filed" away is strangely conflicting, because he looks at you as if it's registering, even nods his head in agreement or makes the appropriate facial expressions indicating he's paying attention. Yet, if asked to repeat said info at a later date, he's at a loss. Even more aggravating is when confronted or reminded of said plans/info, he *feigns*(cough) ignorance and says "Why didn't you tell me this beforehand?!" or (better yet!), mine will sputter, "What are you talking about?!", looking at me as if I'm the crazy one. Hmpf.... As if! 

This is the male defensive strategy, that quite frankly, is equivalent to nails on a chalk board. 

I can't tell you how many times throughout the years this has happened. One of my very close BFF's and I had an in depth conversation one day, with regards to the Hubbies and the fact that they don't pay attention to a word we say. It's also not just us, it goes along with their mothers, fathers, friends... The list goes on. She said that if the info doesn't interest her Hubs in the least, he won't retain said info, At. All. Like when a mutual friend of theirs told her Hubs that his sister was seriously ill, my BFF found out weeks later. When confronted, her Hubs said, "Oh yeah, guess I forgot to tell ya", ummm, ya think??!?! Let's clarify, it's not that he didn't care, it's just that it didn't effect him *directly*, so thereby, it got "filed". 

To be fair, let's put ourselves in their shoes, shall we? You have a wife, kids, boss, parents etc... All of which are sending useless information your way. Be it, (again) family gossip, dinner instructions, Hunny do recommendations, ridiculous jokes that don't make sense or get butchered badly (by the kids of course!) or worse yet, a funny episode on Phinious and Ferb thats repeated over, and over and over again. All of this info is thrown at them, literally bouncing off their ears. They require, scratch that, they NEED a defense mechanism to survive the daily "noise" thrown at them. This is their way of coping, unfortunately, in most cases, its morphed into tuning out the old ball and chain, completely. That's why they can't remember that their supposed to take Freddy to the doctor and are outraged that we *sprung* it on them the night before! 

I even threw my theory at the Hubster one day, when he was being particularly annoying, asking if whatever it was we were discussing was going to be be filed in his "I don't give a shit box". He looked at me kinda funny, to which I explained my theory. He laughed. Laughed!

Now, whenever I tell him something or mention something that doesn't interest him in the least, he walks away tossing over his shoulder, "you know what box that's going into.". Arrrgghhhhhhh!! Men are SO aggravating!

Now, all this means is that I'm missing my manual on how to reprogram the Hubster, and was hoping that one of you still had yours???