[They're generally a 'shoes off' household now that their shoes don't deign to clean themselves upon coming inside, but not so much that he's going to make someone else take their shoes off.

Especially not when it encourages people to linger.]

Oh, you've really got to train them better than that.

['Them' being husbands, naturally.

He checks the kettle, deciding there's a suitable amount of water still in it, and sets it on the burner to heat.]

Coffee isn't hard, anyway. How does someone even cock it up that badly?