Thursday, March 29, 2012

Treats and Trash

Last night Paul and I had a date. It was lovely.

I came home from work, had a shower and then went to the bedroom to lie down. My hip was aching! This is where I was when paul came home so he came to cuddle with me for a bit, lovely. Then we got ready and headed to our favorite pub, the E Walk for cheap wings and beer. We each had a beer and in total three plates of wings between the two of us and only spend $24 after tip. Awesome.

Then we headed to the mall for Timmies and Purdy’s. Steeped Tea for me, coffee for Paul. Then off to Purdy’s for an ice cream bar. This is basically what I always look like when I get an ice cream from Purdy’s…excited, happy and clutching that ice cream so no one can steal it. They are that good.

It helps to understand that when I was young my mom would always let us get a Purdy’s bar when we went to the mall with a Purdy’s. Since the mall was in a different town this happened only a few times a year. AND OH was it exciting when it did. And when I look back I’m surprised she did, she was usually pretty cheap, but I think her mom used to buy them Purdy’s Ice Cream bars and my mom is definitely one for tradition, even at the cost of finances.

I always get my bar dipped in White Chocolate and covered in Sprinkles. It’s still one of my favorite treats. As an adult I get it about once a year…still feels like a treat.

Treats have always been a big deal in my head. The word treat doesn’t simply mean it’s something good, but something good mixed with anticipation and excitement. Something that is as good as I expect. And something that I am so glad happened afterwards, and when I think about it has a rosy tint glow to it. It’s the whole package: before, during/actuality, and after.

I have a few of these “treats” leftover from childhood. Most have fled with adulthood – pop no longer seems so treat, it’s more bad for me and too intense for my taste buds, shockingly, to my 10 year old self, I now prefer water. Jumping on things – my back hurts, it’s not so exciting anymore to flail about on a trampoline and I get really tired quickly. Pools? Sure I still love them, but not in the all day all the time, every trip sort of way. Paper cut out dolls? They’ve sadly lost my interest, right along with Barbies (sorry 10 year old self, but it did have to happen eventually). Also staying up late is now something I try to fight against, I want sleep!!! And cookies? I can take ‘em or leave ‘em – and that has not always been the case.

But treats that remain from childhood? Purdy’s Ice Cream bars, Blizzards, Salt & Vinegar Chips, DQ Ice Cream Cakes, Candy (though now in smaller quantities), dates with my Dad, reading a good book while eating, baths with books (though now add Sangria), floating down a river or lake in a tube or canoe, getting popcorn at the movies and a swim on a hot day in a cool lake.

There are also some treats that have emerged as I get older; cuddling next to my husband each night and morning (seems far more decadent than anyone deserves, but we are happy to take it), a glass of wine/sangria/beer at the end of a long day (or a hot day, or a cold day, or a good day….really any day), going to bed early, having an evening with no responsibilities or plans, and holding my nephews.

Our date last night felt like a treat. From start to finish. I love eating out, that’s always been a treat as well. I love beer, that’s a treat. I love pub food, wings fits the bill perfectly. Then we got Timmies Steeped Tea, which is a favorite, Purdy’s (treat for sure) and ended up at the movies, ready to watch a movie I really really wanted to see, with a great story line…and books behind it. Oh, it was a treat for sure!

Oh and when we got home Karen had done all the dishes.
Happy Happy Happy Happy.
Paul and I went straight to bed, and I was very happy with life.

It looks like Paul will probably be leaving in a week and a half, on Easter Monday. That leaves 7 more nights to sleep together. I will cherish them each. It’s only 7 because we’re away at the youth retreat this weekend.

The next 7 ½ weeks will be interesting. I will see Paul at the end of week 3, he will fly home. Then I will be an hour away from him (so he will visit me there) for a wedding, so I’ll see him at the end of week 5 and then he will be home at 7 ½ weeks. So it’s 3 weeks apart, 2 days together, 2 weeks apart, 1 day together, 2 and a half weeks apart, 3 months together. Doable. Hard but doable.

Other than the obvious hard things (missing Paul, not having someone around in the evenings and being very unused to being apart) there are a few things that Paul does around our house that will now fall to me and I am not looking forward to them. These are his jobs because either I don’t like them and he does, I find them gross and he doesn’t mind, with my bum hip lifting is hard or even just that he does a better job than me. Without further discourse here are the jobs!

1. Laundry. While we both sort and fold our own laundry, Paul carriers mine up and down the stairs and switches it over for me. My hip and I will miss this.

2. Garbage and Recycling. This is a two part problem. Not only do I dislike taking the garbage out but it is heavy and I am weak. On top of that I don’t know how to sort the recycling. Our system is that I put all the recyclables in one big bin and Paul sorts them. Now that will be my job also, yikes.

3. Carrying in the groceries (or cart mule). I do all the meal planning, food budgeting, grocery shopping and organizing of food. Paul carries in the groceries while I put them away. I will miss his help.

4. Dishes. Paul and Karen do the dishes together, but he is a very important cog in the wheel. And on Tuesdays when our LG is over he is charge of making sure I don’t get stuck cooking for 12 and cleaning up after 12 – so I’m not sure what that will look like. Girls from LG reading this (Stef and Jodes) any thoughts?

5. Cleaning the bathrooms and Vacuuming. While I help tidy the house, and the kitchen is MY domain, Paul takes care of the rest of it. He vaccums the rooms and tidies them. And he alone cleans the bathroom. Not only am I not awesome at cleaning bathrooms (I’m far too ADD) I also find it super gross. Cleaning toilets involves a lot of me trying not to gag and not enough productivity.

So this will be interesting – and if you come over and find me sitting in a pile of dirty laundry, with garbage and recycling in a growing pile by the door, and dishes strewn throughout the house, I suggest you a) avoid the bathroom and b) quietly slip away to call Paul to come back to his wife, she clearly needs him

7 ½ weeks. I can do it.

I think I can I think I can I think I can….



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