Friday, April 06, 2012

Husband MIA

All it takes to realize how much someone does for you, is to have them leave for awhile. Lucky for me, it was only a temporary absence as my husband and oldest son gallivant around the state of Florida, leaving me and the 16-year-old home alone. I can tell you that the 16-year-old has not picked up the slack. Even now, I'm waiting to hear the dryer start because I asked him to put the sheets in the dryer and turn it on. The dryer is empty; the sheets are washed. It's a fairly simple act if he can hoist his teenage body off the futon and away from the video games.
My husband mowed the lawn before he left last week, so I haven't had to tackle that. I have had to take out the trash and scoop the kitty pan everyday -- something he usually takes care. I needed to remember to set the trash cans and the recycling bins out by the curb the night before our trash pick up.
I've had to do the laundry, which he usually handles. My husband works evenings, so when I'm gone to work during the day, he takes care of the yard and household things. Then I get home and collapse. I'm so wimpy.
I have had to wash by hand all the dishes that Tucker and I have used. Our dishwasher has been broken since September, and it was never a good dishwasher any way, so instead of getting it fixed, we plan to buy a new one. But it's stainless steel so we need to replace it with a stainless steel one and those are more expensive, plus college payments keep getting in the way. So the dishwasher stands empty while I keep filling the sink with sudsy water, washing the dishes and setting them out to dry on the countertop. Lots of times when I'm at work, Earl takes care of that too.
Some simple things that he takes care of have gone undone. One day, we didn't bring the newspaper in at all. It just laid there on the front porch. Earl's also the one who gets the mail, usually the next day since it comes after he leaves for work and I never think of getting it, so I've had to remember that.
Luckily, nothing has broken while he has been gone, because Earl fixes everything in the house.
I can do without him for a week or so, but the whole place would probably fall apart if he left for much longer.

4 comments:

aguja said...

Great post!It is always surprising how absence illuminates the absentee! I smile, as this would be the case in my own home.

Linda said...

I always enjoy being alone the first couple of days and then I don't know what to do with myself. I do all of the housework so I think my husband misses me the most when I'm gone-I like to think so anyway. Your husband sounds like a great guy.

Vicki said...

Earl sounds like my SIL. He does the cooking and laundry as well as works full time. But my daughter takes care of the 2 kids and is going to college full time, and he wants her to concentrate on those things, not the house. Besides, he's one of those people who can't sit still. He maybe sits for an hour or so to watch tv in the evening, but other than that he's up doing something.

BFF said...

I love earl and would clone him in a minute. Hope the trip was productive and good

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