Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Why I'm not a bachelor anymore (as if you needed me to explain)

Heather and the kids have been gone to Utah since Friday and aren't returning until this upcoming Sunday night.  This is the longest I've been home alone in years.  Here are some advantages to being home alone, and some disadvantages


Advantages

  • The ability to come and go when I please.  I forgot how much I loved this kind of flexibility!
  • The ability to watch whatever show or movie whenever I want on TV
  • I don't have to be the least bit quiet late at night
  • I have completed many fix it projects around the house that have sat untouched for months and years, and I did it all in a matter of a couple of days.
  • The kitchen is really easy to clean when all you have to load is a bowl and spoon once a day.
  • I have the entire bed to myself, although this isn't always an advantage (see disadvantages below).
  •  No children's bed-time routine (That gives me at least 30-45 more minutes every night)
Disadvantages
  • No one to talk to outside of work.  
  • Driving to my parents' house can get expensive when driving 30 miles one way on a nightly basis.  Sorry family in Arvada.  It's nothing personal!
  • Cold cereal, scrambled eggs and turkey Sandwiches 3 meals a day can get a little boring.  I may switch to Mac and Cheese in the coming days.  I don't know how I lived off cases of Ramen for weeks at a time when I was 20.
  • Sleeping alone.  I have grown accustomed to falling asleep with someone next to me.  This is probably the toughest part.  I don't sleep as well because I get cold and admittedly I really like my wife.
  • The days draaaaaaaaaaaaaag on!  I was hoping today was Thursday and not Wednesday.
  • I hear weird noises in the house at night that I don't hear when my family is there.  Overly paranoid?  I hope not.
  • I find myself watching A LOT more TV than I used to.  ESPN's Sportcenter or 'Man vs. Food' have been watched a lot more than usual, especially at weird hours of the night.
  • No one is there to wake me up when I fall asleep in front of the TV.  Fortunately, this has only happened a couple of times and for not very long.
Well, there you have it.  The thing I miss most is being close to my wife and children.  Even though there are days when my kids drive me crazy, being away from them reminds me how much I love them and really do care about them.  The same goes for my wife.  Heather is so fun to talk to, she understands me, supports me and treats me like I'm a special guy.  You can't get that in any other relationship.  It's easy to be in love with such a beautiful woman who takes such good care of you.

I have considered going to a movie or eating dinner somewhere by myself, I've never done it before.  What do you all recommend?

4 comments:

Jami said...

Movie - don't do it. I've done one by myself once and weird just doesn't describe the way it feels. Dinner - I've done lunch by myself and brought a book and it was actually quite enjoyable. But, then again, I do the alone thing better than I do the people thing sometimes. ;)

Danielle Smith said...

I say just do drive thru and rent a movie. Then you are dealing with the awkward silence alone in your own home instead of in front of a bunch of people and a restaurant or movie theater.

Carrrie said...

Randy says..restaurant alone would be acceptable. he does it on Business trips. you could pretend like you are on a business trip. :)

James and Tricia Thomas said...

That is such a sweet post!!! Sometimes I think life would be so much easier without my kids... and I think it would be easy for a day or two but it would soon get old! And I would miss them like crazy!