The Week of Annoyance - That Wasn't
It is yet another dreary day - but not as much as yesterday. The slate skies are no longer weeping rain; and the sun is fighting to shine its glorious rays down. Ben's week of vacation is coming to an end. Since I was prepared to be constantly irritated by his presence, that I've enjoyed spending the extra time with him has been a pleasant surprise.
As many of you can attest to, maintaining a marriage can be hard work. Each day you slog through the muck of boredom, poo-filled diapers, sibling arguments, tantrums, dirty dishes, laundry, fatigue, work, and not enough time to yourself. It astounds each of us that our relationship has flourished, given that everything in our individual genetic makeup reacts to as two like charges would. But part of being human is the capacity for sentiency, and with that comes the ability to work around basic instincts.
In his stand-up routine Lock'N'Load, Denis Leary mentions one reason for his marriage's success is that he and his wife stay the <expletive deleted> away from each other. And this is what works for us. We get along great as long as we don't see or talk to each other too much. I don't even call Ben at work unless I REALLY have to. This wasn't always the case, but he finally got me to realize that the majority of what I have to say can wait until he gets home. But on the rare occasion he comes home early, stays home sick - or whatever - my whole day is tossed asunder. My groove is thrown off when my schedule is messed with, and that includes having him around when he's not supposed to be. I have issues. Don't know how he puts up with me sometimes, but he says he likes the food. He gave me fair warning about this vacation though, which is a testament to knowing someone well enough to circumvent their obnoxious quirks.
Because Ben has such a hectic and stressful job, when he gets home his switch immediately flicks to off. He makes noises about the things he'll accomplish on the weekends, but that rarely pans out. I didn't want to get my hopes up that on his vacation any of the myriad tasks he needs to accomplish around here would actually get done.
Our mud room is a complete disaster:
There are a couple boxes of books in our den that need emptying. Our lawn is infested with grubs and needed a mow. One thing that comes with owning an old, character-oozing home are the parts that are just plain old. With the cracked floor, mildew stained wall and ceiling above the tub, and antiquated sink, our upstairs bathroom is in desperate need of an upgrade. We have grand plans for both bathrooms that will occur in within the next fiveish years. But I was ecstatic when Ben said he wanted to make some cosmetic changes to the upstairs bathroom.
Ben put together a bookcase and those books in the den closet can now be unloaded. The painting of the bathroom has commenced and should be complete by the day's end. And he promised that the mud room is going to be taken care of before he goes back to work (can't wait to post the after pics of that!). The best parts are he's actually enjoying all the work he's doing and I don't mind having him around. Shiloh seems to get a kick out of having him around as well.
Now that this rainy week is coming to an end, our lawn will needs another mow. But this is my weekend so I won't be available. I have plans on Friday night and it's time to get this mop 'o mine tamed. So Saturday I'm off to the North Shore for a hair cut and to visit my old stomping grounds. Besides, as long as Ben gets that mud room cleaned out - I don't care about the lawn! I'm happy to do it next week. A great way to shake up the workout schedule. Thanks to My Fitness Pal I've learned that mowing the lawn for an hour burns 344 calories. And the lawn can take almost two hours to complete. Woo hoo!
As many of you can attest to, maintaining a marriage can be hard work. Each day you slog through the muck of boredom, poo-filled diapers, sibling arguments, tantrums, dirty dishes, laundry, fatigue, work, and not enough time to yourself. It astounds each of us that our relationship has flourished, given that everything in our individual genetic makeup reacts to as two like charges would. But part of being human is the capacity for sentiency, and with that comes the ability to work around basic instincts.
In his stand-up routine Lock'N'Load, Denis Leary mentions one reason for his marriage's success is that he and his wife stay the <expletive deleted> away from each other. And this is what works for us. We get along great as long as we don't see or talk to each other too much. I don't even call Ben at work unless I REALLY have to. This wasn't always the case, but he finally got me to realize that the majority of what I have to say can wait until he gets home. But on the rare occasion he comes home early, stays home sick - or whatever - my whole day is tossed asunder. My groove is thrown off when my schedule is messed with, and that includes having him around when he's not supposed to be. I have issues. Don't know how he puts up with me sometimes, but he says he likes the food. He gave me fair warning about this vacation though, which is a testament to knowing someone well enough to circumvent their obnoxious quirks.
Because Ben has such a hectic and stressful job, when he gets home his switch immediately flicks to off. He makes noises about the things he'll accomplish on the weekends, but that rarely pans out. I didn't want to get my hopes up that on his vacation any of the myriad tasks he needs to accomplish around here would actually get done.
Our mud room is a complete disaster:
There are a couple boxes of books in our den that need emptying. Our lawn is infested with grubs and needed a mow. One thing that comes with owning an old, character-oozing home are the parts that are just plain old. With the cracked floor, mildew stained wall and ceiling above the tub, and antiquated sink, our upstairs bathroom is in desperate need of an upgrade. We have grand plans for both bathrooms that will occur in within the next fiveish years. But I was ecstatic when Ben said he wanted to make some cosmetic changes to the upstairs bathroom.
Since Saturday, the lawn has been mowed and grub killer put down, the pile of scrub sticks I collected weeks ago are gone, light bulbs have been replaced in the upstairs bathroom and paint purchased. We moved our secretary from the den to the upstairs hall and transferred the computer station to the den, something I've wanted to do for two months now. I didn't realize how annoyed by the computer desk and the corresponding "desk mess" I was until I glanced in that direction while relaxing on the couch last night and it wasn't there. Just a nice neat corner with Shiloh's toys, toy chest and kitchen. (It was only neat, of course, because she was in bed)
Ben put together a bookcase and those books in the den closet can now be unloaded. The painting of the bathroom has commenced and should be complete by the day's end. And he promised that the mud room is going to be taken care of before he goes back to work (can't wait to post the after pics of that!). The best parts are he's actually enjoying all the work he's doing and I don't mind having him around. Shiloh seems to get a kick out of having him around as well.
Now that this rainy week is coming to an end, our lawn will needs another mow. But this is my weekend so I won't be available. I have plans on Friday night and it's time to get this mop 'o mine tamed. So Saturday I'm off to the North Shore for a hair cut and to visit my old stomping grounds. Besides, as long as Ben gets that mud room cleaned out - I don't care about the lawn! I'm happy to do it next week. A great way to shake up the workout schedule. Thanks to My Fitness Pal I've learned that mowing the lawn for an hour burns 344 calories. And the lawn can take almost two hours to complete. Woo hoo!
WHAT'S FOR DINNER?
One of my favorite combination of savory flavors are chicken and goat cheese. Mmmmmmm. Goat cheese is my favorite cheese. So creamy and tangy, and since it rings in at 70 calories an ounce, not bad for the waistline. These goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts are absolutely divine! I have substituted a few shakes of Herbs de Provence for the basil with no ill affects. Rice pilaf, baked potato, or even a basic risotto (which is what I made the last time) make excellent sides. In less than an hour you can have a meal for your family you'd order at a restaurant. Yum!
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