routine? really?

The in-laws fly back to the UK tomorrow. It’s kind of a strange feeling. I mean, on the one hand, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Steve over the last 3 months, and I think it was really healthy for Dave and Steve, because they didn’t really know each other as adults. So this time has been really good for them because it seems like they’re genuinely friends now, not just brothers. And it was fun to visit with Mags and meet her new boyfriend, Roger. She seems very happy and he seems to be good for her, so that’s wonderful. But at the same time, Dave and I haven’t had more than a day or two on our own for three whole months. So, as good as this visit has been, I’m also really excited to have it back to being just the two of us.

It’s very odd to think of how much my life has changed since the beginning of this year. As of January, I went from living alone for the past 6 years in a series of small, one-bedroom apartments, to living with someone in a large 4-bedroom house, in a town that’s smaller than anywhere I’ve ever lived. And can I just say how much easier it is to keep a one-bedroom apartment clean, as opposed to an entire huge house? The dusting alone is enough to wear me out. So that was already a shock to my system, but then almost as soon as I was getting used to the idea of living with a guy, along comes Steve and I’m suddenly living with two guys. Who tend to be kind of messy. And it isn’t just my space anymore, I have to compromise and share and be reasonable. Which are not things that I’m used to. At all. So it’s been sort of hard for me.

Also, back in February, Dave and I were just starting to get settled into a daily life routine – we’d get home from work in the evenings, go to the gym, come home, cook dinner, watch a little TV and go to bed. After Steve got here, everything shifted. Sometimes we’d cook dinner, most of the time not. The gym suddenly vanished from our to-do list. Plus we’ve had a million other things going on with the home improvement projects, the wedding, the house refinancing to pay for the home improvements and wedding, etc. But now that’s all done. I’m hoping that once we get used to Life as a Couple again, we’ll re-establish that healthy pattern that we were starting to settle into before Steve arrived. Especially with working out, because I sit in an office all day and don’t really get any exercise at work, and I know that when I’m exercising regularly, I’m generally an all-around happier person. So, here’s hoping.

5 thoughts on “routine? really?

  1. I hear that. When your routine gets disrupted, even if it’s a nice disruption, it can be hard to put it all back in order. You can do it!

    And, um, why are you dusting? Don’t you and Dave have jobs? That entitles you to at least a once-monthly maid service, my dear. It’s not as big an expense as you might think…

    😉

  2. Yeah, why dust? I know from a synopsis of John Grey's Men Are From Mars, Etc. that we men aren't supposed to offer solutions to the problems women face and, instead, we're supposed to offer sympathizing statements such as: "Gee, I bet it's very frustrating that dust accumulates on your mantle." However, dusting seems like one of the most futile cleaning tasks there is. It'll just come back in a week so why not leave it as it is? Or maybe a leaf blower would help the chore go quickly enough that it's no longer an issue.

  3. Well, to be honest, I tried to stay on top of the house-cleaning for the first few months. I caved in & hired a cleaning lady to help out right before the wedding (she was recommended by Reverend Mary). And she is so awesome, she now comes every 2 weeks to help out. So, no more dusting for me. Or mopping. Thank god. It feels lazy, because my mom never had a cleaning lady when we were growing up (granted, she ran her business out of our house). But you're exactly right, with both Dave and I working full-time, it felt like my weekends were devoted to cleaning. So now we can do fun stuff on weekends! Like ride our bikes! And go to outdoor concerts! And other healthy activities! Whee!

  4. "Anonymous" was wise to remain… anonymous. Elsewise he'd have to hide behind the couch! And sneeze on dust-bunnies!:-PAnd kudos on the cleaning service! It isn't lazy or caving– it's giving somebody a job.

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