[ back ]
Hubby's business trip is vacation for family
(by Christine Thome - January 15, 2009)
BEYOND MY CONTROL, BY CHRISTINE THOME
Hubby's business trip is vacation for family
It's 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and I'm still dressed in my pajamas, have yet to take a shower, and I've gone through a box of Kleenex watching stupid, sappy movies on Lifetime.
Am I sick? No, I'm single. Well, not really single, but I am without a husband for the next two days due to his business travel.
Our family is fortunate that John has to travel very little for his company, but I have to admit, on the rare occasion that he is gone for a day or two, the atmosphere in our home changes drastically. It's almost like the rest of us are on a mini-vacation.
"What's for dinner tonight?" my children ask when they get home from school. Of course, no one recognizes that I am still dressed in the same pajamas I was wearing this morning when they left. Thankfully, they don't smell the lack of a shower or deodorant either.
"I don't know," I answer. "I haven't thought about it. What do you want?"
"Is Dad home tonight?"
"No, he's still in New York," I answer.
"Oh! Can you make chocolate-chip pancakes and bacon?" they all yell.
John hates eating breakfast for dinner. To him, breakfast foods are something you eat before 11 a.m. After 11 a.m., he will only consume foods that can be accompanied by french fries or other starch and a beer. The last time he ate eggs in the afternoon was at a college fraternity kegs-and-eggs party.
John also dislikes takeout Chinese food. So when he is out of town, our dinners consist of pancakes, egg rolls, omelets and Kung Pao chicken. Not necessarily all together. Although, if my kids requested it, I'd probably let them try it.
To be fair to John, he has never expected the house to be immaculate or for me to greet him at the door dressed in a skirt and stiletto heels, holding his newspaper and slippers in one hand and martini in the other. If I started doing that now, his first reaction would not be to drop everything and take me in his arms. No, his first reaction would be to squint his eyes in skepticism and ask me, "What did you do to the car?"
Besides being able to wear pajamas all day and eat breakfast for dinner, the other guilty pleasure I enjoy when John is away is being able to do whatever I want after I put the kids to bed.
Sometimes, I will pour a glass of wine and stay up late to watch a chick flick. Other times, I will go to bed early and read a book. No one is around to dominate the remote control, and no one is upstairs calling "honnneeyyy," hoping that tonight is the night. I have absolutely no obligations to anyone but myself, and that can be a wonderful thing for a night or two.
Tonight, I decide to turn in early and try to finish a book I started last week. As I walk into the bedroom, I notice that I am not the only one who enjoys a little freedom from the regular routine when John is out of town.
There lies Louie, my little dog that constantly competes against John for alpha male, all curled up on John's pillow. Now, Louie would never dream of entering our room at night to sleep, but even he knows that, when the cat is away, mice will play.
"Louie, what are you doing?" I ask him.
Although he never raises his head from the pillow, his tail begins to wag, and I swear he is smiling.
"All right," I answer. "You can stay there tonight. But there are three rules. No hogging the bed and no unnecessary movement to wake me up."
His tail continues to wag, and he seems fine with these two bedtime rules.
"And most importantly, since Daddy is gone, I am looking forward to a night of absolutely no bodily night noises!"
Suddenly, the tail stops, and he gives me a slight growl, warning me that only two out of the three rules will be followed.
Seems guys will be guys, no matter where they are.
[ back ]
