Wherever I lay my hat

(That's my hat-stand)

"Everything has its place - and everything in its place" is a commonly heard battle cry of the Irish Mammy.

Take Mammy Ambassador for example: When I was still a university student living in Ambassador Towers, every morning without fail she would sweep through the kitchen where I sat eating a bowl of cereal, scoop up the carton of milk and put it in the fridge. Despite my daily protestations that I wasn't quite finished with it as I planned to pour a cup of tea 2 minutes later (and that it would hardly turn that quickly), nothing ever changed.

Evidently the CPF's mother is also a keen proponent of this belief for she appears to have learned from the best.

The only problem is, from time to time objects find their way into the house on a short term basis. The drill you borrowed for example, or the Christmas present you agreed to hold on to because the intended recipient would find it were it stored in their house.

By their very nature these things don't warrant an agreed, definable long-term space. Instead, all you can do is try to find an unobtrusive spot^* to store them. Somewhere they will be fit neatly and tidily without inconveniencing anybody.

So, how come when I find a suitable spot for such guest items the CPF always seems to declare it the most unsuitable, inconvenient, ill thought out location possible and requests that I move it "out of the way" as soon as I can.

Yet, when the CPF places a something in the same spot on a short term basis it is perfectly acceptable?

^*It's always under the stairs isn't it?