Diary of a SubUrban Housewife

What It's Really Like

The old man is in Fucking Fairbanks right now. Clearly he's not having the time of his life.

So, Beth, big deal. At least he's 3000 miles away and miserable, and not right in your face. You'd think that wouldn't you? But no, it doesn't exactly work that way.

It's hard enough keeping a marriage/relationship/family together when one of you is gone approximately half the time. Resentments abound, on both sides of the equation.

One of us hates being alone in a hotel room all by themsleves, disconnected from the family. One of us feels like they're the only one around to take care of things. There's a lot of missing by all of us, in various degrees, at different times, and they don't always mesh. Someone wanting some alone time. Another of us having too much alone time and wanting more family time. Resentments about not getting to do school things. Resentments about the other one not being able to do school things.

And it's the other things.

It's hearing (or thinking you hear) a tone of voice that is completely misconstrued but leads to a day of bad feelings on one or both sides. It's the one being pissed off at something that has nothing to do with the other one, but the other one thinking it does, because maybe that other one takes everything a bit too personally. It's one being too busy to talk because they're at work, when the other one wants to/needs to talk. It's about being lonely and wanting to tell the other one but not wanting to make them feel bad.

It's about loving someone so much that it sometimes just hurts when they're not there with you. When all you need is a hug or a smile or a friendly face and you can't have that because they're 3000 fucking miles away. Or 1500 miles away, or 1000 miles away, but it doesn't matter how far away they are, because they're just not there, and not going to be there with you for 10 days, seven days, five days, three days, even one day, but you want them to be there NOW.

So, I know my husband is having a bad time of it. And there's nothing I want more than to be there, right by his side.

Point to Ponder

What do bald people put in the "haircolor" box for their drivers licenses?

Scary Marriage Moment

Tonight the hub and I were watching Last Comic Standing.

We were watching the first comic. He did a funny bit about men going into Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It was a funny bit, but it would have been a very funny bit, had he made a very minor change.

After the comic finished his set, I paused the TV and as I was about to tell Chuck my suggestion, when he said the exact same thing as me. At the exact same time.

How freaky sick is that?

Feeling the Love

So, David sends Chuck a g-mail account invite. Beth asks Chuck to send her an invite to open an account. Chuck doesn't get any invites (hmmmmm....what did he do wrong in a past life?). Chuck tell Dave Beth wants g-mail. Dave comes through, big time.

A big shout out now to Dave.

So, you can now start sending me the love in a new place. Keep those cards and letters coming.

Dead Duck

Chuck has gone on and on about the ducks lately. They've been a source alternating amusement and frustration around here for a while.

A classic duck moment: Chuck called me at the office one day and asked me if I heard ducks quacking. Well...I work in downtown LA in a 58 story highrise. And while I have a window office, I don't hear much of anything from the outside in my office. So I said ummm...no, I didn't. He clarified and asked if I'd heard ducks quacking while I was home. I said I thought I had, because while I thought I had, it seemed so unlikely that I had that I kinda put it out of my mind. He then announced that the neighbors had ducks. So yeah, that weird noise that sounded like ducks quacking, was ducks quacking.

So yeah, the neighbors had ducks. Or more accurately right this minute, duck.

It seems Zoe looked out her window and saw something in the street. She and Katie called me. We went outside and investigated.

Sure enough, squished duck.

So I went to the neighbors to tell them their duck had been run over. The son came, with a towel (at my suggestion, because, I mean really, who wants to carry a squished dead duck in their bare hands). He collected his duck.

I'm guessing they didn't run off to the vet, but rather, hit the dead duck jackpot because tomorrow is trash collection day. And I bet he puts it in my garbage bin.

So, the duck bought the farm.

On a Personal Note

Happy Anniversary my love.

xxb

Clearly a Power User

Because clearly I'm a power user, g-mail has given me exactly one....count em one.... invitation to pass on.

So, if you'd like a g-mail account please write a 500 word essay on why I'm fabulous.

Or just leave a comment saying why you deserve it.

Or just ask me nicely.

Who Knew They Knew Me So Well?

You are a goddess!


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Bottled at the Source

I called the vet's office to make an appointment for Mamma Sparkle to get spayed. While one batch of kittens has been educational and amusing to say the least, I'm not (and probably more importantly, the old man isn't) in the market for another batch.

When I called our regular vet's office, I was told that it would be in the neighborhood of $300. Ouch.

I figured there had to be a low-cost program through the City.

My ever-resourceful husband found a list of low-cost spay and newter clinics and g-mailed them to me.

I called a place on the list that I actually know. They had an appointment available for the exact day I wanted. At the exact time I wanted. This is all going a bit too smoothly.

Then they drop the bomb: Apparently you cannot spay a cat if they still have milk. It takes a couple of weeks for the milk to dry up after the kittens stop nursing. And if these kittens had their way they'd be nursing for the rest of their lives.

Well, I asked, how would I know if her milk had dried up? She doesn't want to nurse anymore. Any time the babies try she gets up and walks away. And they try at least three times a day (that I see).

The nurse at the vet's office suggested I go home and "milk" the cat.

Lovely.

I guess I'll be rescheduling that appointment now.