When people find out my husband makes his living professionally in hockey...I get many questions. Some questions I hear all of the time. For example, "Does your husband have all of his teeth?" (The answer is no. He has a permanent bridge in the front, I think five teeth total were knocked out). My favorite question I was ever asked was "does your husband still get that 'wobbly' feeling after he takes off his skates?" Hmmm, I had to think about that and of course I promptly ask him about it at dinner that night. His answer was more of a strange look than a solid reply...so I took that as a "no"!
On Mondays, I will start a regular segment about the questions I am often asked when people realize my husband gets paid to play coach a game...Some questions will have more complex answers, while other answers will be shorter.
Tonight's question is..."What is the hardest part about having a husband that travels all the time?"
I really am asked this a lot, so I will try to give my best answer.
The hardest part about having a husband that travels a lot is the day-to-day things. First off, I loathe 'garbage day'. I may complain about all the work I do around the house, but taking the garbage, recycle and compost to the curb is a job my husband dutifully performs each week he is home! When he is gone, I really do dread garbage day. Do I take it out the night before and risk the raccoons dumping it over? Do I get up early and take it out, and why don't they ever seem to come at the same time each week? If I take it out early, they come in the afternoon...if I take it out late, they have already come by sunrise. So, would it surprise you to know I missed it this week? Thankfully my husband will be home on Thursday, the day before garbage day! Welcome home honey!!
I also dread having to find a babysitter, just to have time to myself. I teach group fitness classes, and I have to get a sitter while he is away...so I make $30.00 per hour while teaching...deduct $20.00 for the sitter...that means I am rushing like a mad-woman to get to the gym for $10.00!! You do the math....last time I checked, I would not swap a headache for $10.00!!! If I want to go to the grocery store without kids...it will cost me a babysitter. If I am out of tampons at 10:30 at night and need an emergency run to the drug store, I have to bundle up my kids and take them with me....or improvise, but that is a whole other post!!
I am used to my husband being gone. That is part of his job, but sometimes it can be draining when I am the one who has to step into both roles while he is away.
But wait, put the kleenex down...don't cry for me just yet (save it for the real sob stories I will tell on this blog)!! Did I mention my husband only works eight (without play-offs) months of the year? Yes, you read that correctly. My husband has four solid months of taking out the garbage and messing cleaning up the house! Every time I start getting frustrated with his absence...or my kids complain about moving so much...I remind everyone that we have a husband and father that is there on a Tuesday afternoon in the summer to take them out tubing on the lake. I gave birth to both of my children in April...my husband was home with me watching TV helping out with them for their first four months of life! That is quite the trade off for a few garbage cans being dragged to the curb in the winter!
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(Isn't the new mom supposed to sleep in the hospital bed?) |
So now it is your turn. Do you have any questions for me? If so, please feel free to add them to the comments below. I in return will ask you a question. What is the one chore you despise most that you have to do when your spouse is away!!
9 comments:
Buying gasoline...I hate going to the gas station...I haven't pumped gas in years! He fills the car up before he leaves on a road trip so I don't have to :)
YES!!!! I hate pumping gasoline. I currently just had the empty gas light go on, and I found myself wondering if I could make it two more days until he came home!! It is not just in winter, I hate doing it in the summer also. I am right there with you!!
You are too funny! I love (read: hate) when people ask if the hubs has all his real teeth, and their hilarious (read: barf worthy) reaction when I say no. They think it is hilarious!
And for the people who ask if you husband gets the wobbles after coming off his skates - one I haven't heard - polite tell them that in fact he is a hockey player not a sailor returning from 9 months with a bad case of sea-legs. That should do it!
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I just spent all morning at the orthodontist having phase 1 of braces placed on my son's teeth. He plays hockey and I wonder if I am wasting my money...did your husband ever have braces? If so, were his teeth knocked out before or after.
Well, seeing my husband was removing his skates and had a strange "wobbly" sensation...he fell and knocked five teeth out on the locker room bench. He now has a permanent bridge.
I would suggest you save the money for the braces, pay some kid $45.00 (much less of an investment than braces) to shoot a puck at his teeth....and then tell him he is cool like his favorite uncle!!
Then take the money you would have used for the braces and come see your beautiful sister at the lake this summer!!
As someone whose husband travels a lot for work (he spent 1/3 of the nights in 2010 in hotels), I really do understand!
My least favorite chore when he is gone is the dinner dishes. I do breakfast and lunch dishes all the time, but when he is home my job is to corral, I mean entertain, the kids while he does the dishes. He even has his own very efficient system of loading the dishwasher.
However, when he is gone, I either have to try to throw things in the dishwasher with one hand while keeping my 18 month old from climbing in the dishwasher, or just wait until the kids go to bed. Which is no good, because that is my blogging time!
How nice that your husband has so much time off, though! When my husband is in town he still has to work. Although we did take a fun trip to NYC just the two of us with all of the frequent flier miles!
I am staring at a pile of dirty dishes as I type this. I just didn't have the energy to unload the dishwasher for the 2nd time today!!
Many nights I will cook and my husband will do the dishes...don't pat him on the back just yet. While he does the dishes, I am doing laundry, picking up toys, and everything else aside from the dishes.
However, my husband really does not get the idea that with dishes comes wiping down counters...so I have to go in after him and do the details!
I always appreciate our summers off!! Makes the travel easier....I bet you have many airline/hotel points!! I hope you use them!!
As someone whose husband travels a lot for work (he spent 1/3 of the nights in 2010 in hotels), I really do understand!
My least favorite chore when he is gone is the dinner dishes. I do breakfast and lunch dishes all the time, but when he is home my job is to corral, I mean entertain, the kids while he does the dishes. He even has his own very efficient system of loading the dishwasher.
However, when he is gone, I either have to try to throw things in the dishwasher with one hand while keeping my 18 month old from climbing in the dishwasher, or just wait until the kids go to bed. Which is no good, because that is my blogging time!
How nice that your husband has so much time off, though! When my husband is in town he still has to work. Although we did take a fun trip to NYC just the two of us with all of the frequent flier miles!
YES!!!! I hate pumping gasoline. I currently just had the empty gas light go on, and I found myself wondering if I could make it two more days until he came home!! It is not just in winter, I hate doing it in the summer also. I am right there with you!!
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