Now before you start thinking that I'm just a typical woman complaining about life, please make note: I'm not that kind of woman. I don't normally complain about bad days. I try to make the best of each day. I don't take sick days. I never milk a cold, a headache, my period, etc. I am a woman, I have all the issues that come with being a woman, but I do my best to not allow that to have an impact on my day.
This week I've learned that without my Hubby, I am nothing.
Many women hate such a statement. I suppose it does have a way of making one seem less empowered and more dependent.
If needing my husband in my life makes me that, then so be it.
On Monday, Hubby left me for a week and a half long business trip. I expected to begin missing him somewhere along the third or fourth day, yet by the end of day one I was already feeling as if my reason for waking up each morning was completely gone.
I wasn't even excited about food.
That is a serious problem.
I quickly (quickly as in within minutes) had a new found perspective for the military wives out there. My husband was barely gone a day, and I was feeling completely helpless without him. I can't imagine how they do it for months on end.
The first day, my brother, Jonathan, came over and hung out with me to keep me from missing Hubby too much.
The second night, I planned to get a few things done around the house, then batten down the hatches for my first night alone. I cooked myself a miserably lonely, pathetically lacking gourmet quality, dinner of frozen meatballs and macaroni. Somewhere around 8:15 pm my carbon monoxide alarm began going off.
I was instantly annoyed and found it rather odd because only a week ago I had changed the batteries because it had started to go off.*
*Note: I had also turned the heat off because something instinctual inside of me said that it going off wasn't the batteries but was connected to the heat being on.
Since Hubby was away, that left me completely alone to make the decision of what to do about the screaming piece of plastic on my wall. I did what any sensible grown woman would do.
I called my daddy.
After explaining about the batteries already being changed, he instantly hypothesized that my chimney was backed up.
Great. Just great.
He asked if my heat was on, and when I said yes, he told me to turn it off.
I happen to have a serious paranoia problem. Even though my father said I would "more than likely" be fine now that the heat wasn't pumping dangerous gas into my home, I packed up my laptop and headed to Starbucks. As I sipped on my Caramel Macchiato and graded some school work, I pondered the thought of sleeping at my parents' house if only for my piece of mind. Then I considered the fact that I left the batteries in the alarm and it was probably still going off. I secretly hoped that my neighbors didn't care enough about Hubby and me to knock down my front door to try and save us.
My suspicions were confirmed when I returned an hour later and my door was still in tact. I wasn't sure if I should be offended or grateful that I didn't have to deal with a broken door and an awkward situation.
After an unsettling hour pretending to myself that I would be fine staying in my now heat-less home, I decided at 10:20 pm to go sleep at my parents' house.
Thus started my horrible week.
The fourth night Hubby was gone, I finally came back to my house to venture sleeping in my own bed. But first, I went to dinner with my dear friend, Amy, at Longhorne Steakhouse. Either it had been a long while since either of us had been there or we were both extremely famished, because everything we put in our mouths we instantly wrote love sonnets to.
But our dessert, oh our dessert....
This was worthy of not a sonnet, but an epic poem.
Pumpkin Spice Lava Cake. I don't know what more to say than: warm icing, cream cheese goodness, happy tummy.
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| At this point we were ready to pass out. |
The fifth day I finally had more than one hour in my home in which I could be a little productive. I did something that I never, ever do.
I dusted.
I would be ashamed admitting that I never, ever dust my home, but I just can't be. There are too many other important things in life for me to be doing than to spend any large amount of time dusting my home.
But with Hubby gone, it seemed like the right thing to do.
Amid dusting, I decided to give our bedroom a deep clean.
I think Hubby has an Under Armor addiction.
Thankfully, my sister-in-law, Kristina, invited me to dinner that night. Being around other people made the time move a little faster, but still not fast enough.
During our time apart, Hubby and I did something that we hadn't done since high school....
...we talked on the phone for more than five minutes.
In fact, we stayed on the phone for a little over two hours most nights. It reminded me of how thankful I am that I don't ordinarily have to talk on the phone for so long to Hubby anymore.
It was about this time that I started complaining that he wasn't sending me any pictures of the places he had been going. After all, I take pictures just about every where we go together, and here he was alone and not sharing his journey with me.*
The first picture I received was of this crazy building:
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*Note: Hubby made me clarify this business with the pictures he sent me. He wants the world to know that he didn't just start sending me random pictures on his own. Apparently, that's a strange thing for a person to do.
Oh boy, am I in trouble.
He didn't get too much free time to himself because it was really a work, work, and more work trip. Saturday and Sunday, after he spent a little bit of time at the office, he was able to take a few hours outside of the work zone.
I know he truly loves me, because he took pictures of his food for me. This sign alone makes me know I would love this restaurant.
Oh my stars. Does life get any better than this? Kale and butternut squash salad with grilled ham and cheese. Hubby was on the phone with me as he was eating this meal. Afterwards he kept telling me how full he was and I just couldn't believe it. That must have been one crazy sandwich!
Saturday morning there was a film crew outside of Hubby's office building. He said they offered him the leading role for the scene they were shooting, but he turned them down.
Such a modest man I married.
Pink's is a top ranked, high rated, widely reviewed hot dog joint in Hollywood. With specialty hot dogs like the "Martha Stewart", the "Lord of the Rings" and the "Three Dog Night" I can only imagine how wonderful his was.
Hubby shopped in Hollywood a little and then sent me this picture. It reminded me a lot of our trip to Vegas, only minus the casinos.
Tonight Hubby will be home. I'm just a tad beside myself with excitement to have him back. While I never ever want him to go away for this long again, I have to appreciate this week spent without him. The old saying ,"You don't know what you have until it's gone" certainly applies. Here I started the week thinking I was this tough chickie who could certainly handle nine days without her man. Now I am awakened to realize how essential he is to every single moment that takes place in my life and how much he truly completes me.
Sappy? Yes.
Should it be any other way? No.
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