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I was trying to be clear in how I would ask him to do something, obviously it was misconstrued. I'll give you a hypothetical example of what I would go through:
Me (Monday): Honey, the battery in the upstairs smoke detector is beeping. Could you get it, it's driving me batshit (note, I would need a ladder -- at the top of a stairwell mind you -- to get to this, he did not).
Him (playing video game): Uh huh.
Me: Thanks!
WEDNESDAY the fucking thing is STILL beeping.
So, I would try this approach:
Me (Monday): Honey, the battery in the blah-blah-blah.
Him (playing video game): Uh huh.
Me: I'm sorry, J., I didn't hear you. What did you say?
Him: I said sure.
Me: Sure what?
Him: Uhh (blank stare).
Me: I asked you about the smoke detector (he nods). Can't you fix it, please?!
Him: Oh, sure! Just let me finish this level (or show, or book, etc.)
WEDNESDAY the fucking thing is STILL beeping, but at least I've had confirmation that he actually heard me, registered what I said and ignored/forgot me.
Does that clarify matters?
Forget trying to actually get him to put down the video game (or t.v. remote or whatever the fuck he was doing at the time) and focus his attention on me, that really didn't work, then he'd get just get bent out of shape.
Current husband is easily distracted and has a poor memory, too. However, unlike #1, he knows and admits to it, will put down whatever he's futzing with (if I ask him to), when I'm speaking to him and either takes care of the job immediately, asks me to remind him later (and isn't nasty when I do) or adds it to his smart phone calendar, but eventually he takes care of shit.
