Posted Thursday, December 03, 2009 11:06 AM
Have I mentioned I'm a fourth year nursing student? Well, if I haven't I am not sure why since it is currently all that seems to occupy my time. My final exams roll around in two weeks. Eeek! I've also got a couple papers to do, a self-evaluation to complete and a clinical log to do. I also work part-time on the weekends. I also try to fit a life in there. It gets busy, but I have to admit that I absolutely love it!
It helps that my DH is the same way. He likes keeping himself busy as well and at this stage we're both highly career oriented. We've discussed this before and were agreed that the first few years of marriage were going to be pretty hectic. We got married the September when I first started school. It was a tough decision to make financially. I mean, we were both just getting comfortable with our dual income, I picked a great full-time line and my shifts matched with DH perfectly (we both do shift work), and there were things (i.e. trips, house, car) that we wanted to save towards. However, there was a part of me that wanted to go to school and DH was behind me 100%. So here we are, no house, no car (well no "new" car), no baby! But we're still certain we've made the right decision.
Posted Friday, November 20, 2009 7:57 PM
As I’ve mentioned before, my husband and I have our own hobbies and James has got hockey. However, today I decided that I’d come watch one of his games for fun. Oh, and he was completely okay with me coming to watch. No seriously, cross my heart. I have to admit that sometimes I like to test him out a bit and bug him about not being invited to certain things like bachelor parties in Vegas or his co-worker’s “Man Nights”, but to be honest, I trust him completely. Not only that, but I also think it’s important for him to have experiences and friendships that are his alone. He’s a great story-teller so I get the benefit of listening to his comedic stories and thinking to myself that I’ve married such a sweet and funny guy. He plays up the stories a bit, I laugh my head off as a good audience member should always do and he thinks I’m the best wife ever for finding him so hilarious. It’s a win-win situation.
So the hockey bit. He just started a few weeks ago. He used to skate when he was younger, but he didn’t play hockey. Mind you he was involved in a lot of other less costly sports so working within a team isn’t something new to him. He knows where he has to be and what he should be doing, but his feet just won’t take him there fast enough and his body doesn’t quite respond the way he needs it to. It was amusing to watch him play and as I sat there drinking my TH double double, I wondered if this is what would be in store for me as a parent. Early morning hockey practices in a cold arena, TH coffee and mittens just like in the commercials. I’m just going to knock on wood and hope my kids aren’t into hockey.
Come to think of it, I should probably add some kind of competitive team sport to my list of winter activities. I like the idea of working in a team and I’m not talking about an office version of “team” where everyone’s special and has something equally as important and valuable to contribute (insert sarcasm here). I’m talking about a team in which everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are evaluated and used to create the best dynamic possible in order to win. Call me competitive, I guess.
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Posted Tuesday, November 17, 2009 9:28 PM
My husband and I thought we needed to spice things up a little so we did some research and joined a local indoor climbing gym. I know what you were thinking, but we don't require spice in "that" department yet, so perhaps one day we'll introduce ropes and harnesses behind the bedroom doors, but that would be a whoooole other post.
As with all new athletic endeavors, we decided to try it out first before committing to buying any of the equipment. Lucky us, there's a climbing gym just 5 minutes away from our apartment. With a two for one coupon in hand we signed up for a three hour climbing lesson which included one week of unlimited climbing and a free equipment rental for one day. Our lesson included how to top rope climb which involves: how to properly tie in, set up the belay device and how to properly belay.
Well, we absolutely loved it! We went out that afternoon and bought our own equipment: the shoes ($59 for mine), the harnesses ($89 each), a belay device ($30), a chalk bag ($7) and some chalk ($5 for a big bag). It's really an amazing workout. Let's just say that before I started climbing I could not do a single chin up, but now I'm up to 5 and am hoping to be strong enough to do more very soon. In addition, it's a fun indoor sport for couples . Trust and communication are important when climbing because you have the person on the floor belaying and in control of the "lifeline" and you have the climber who must trust in and be comfortable in communicating their needs to the belayer. It's also great fun to work as a team to solve climbing problems or discuss different ways of finishing the same climb.
Although having separate activities and interests helps to define you as an individual, it's also important to share new experiences and discover new things you love together as a couple. I take painting and belly dancing classes, he plays hockey and basketball. Together we love to climb.
Posted Friday, November 13, 2009 4:41 PM
Now if my schedule is busy, my husband's is just as busy. In fact, I am sitting here right now in an empty and very cluttered apartment wondering if I should break the silence by loading and turning on the dishwasher or doing a load of laundry. I only had morning classes today so sitting, alone, in quiet, is kind of a nice break; however, when my husband's and my schedule never seem to match and the only purpose we serve each other are as bed warmers then it can get a little tiresome. He does shift work so the times when we actually have days off that match in our schedules are like the waxing and waning of the moon. When I finish school I'll be on shift work as well and, oh joy, I am sure we'll have even less time to spend together. Perhaps that will be the secret to the longevity of our marriage? That and our mutual love for all things sugary and sweet.
There are, no there were, a dozen doughnuts sitting in their lovely box atop our fridge just a few days ago. Last I looked there were four left. After I looked there were just three. I think I am going to go look again. Like right now. And then there was one. That's how much James and I haven't been seeing each other. The only way I know he even exists is that there is one doughnut less every day. Or I might be eating all the doughnuts myself and have just created this grand delusion to protect myself from the guilt of ingesting my full daily recommended amount of fat in three delicious mouthfuls. Okay, well I actually do have a husband. Who eats doughnuts. So it's hard to say.
Posted Friday, November 13, 2009 3:49 AM
Ah, perhaps I was a little too harsh on myself that last post. But just a little. Now for my excuses. First off, I am a student. I'm in the fourth year of a very harrowing and completely mind-numbing nursing program in the Fraser Valley. Let me remind you that being in school is much more than a full-time job, it is something you take home with you everyday. The program director did give me fair warning during my interview and told me that for every hour of class, I should expect to do two hours of out-of-class work. I take all the blame for not believing her on that fateful day two years ago. Second, I work part-time. For a little while I worked Saturdays and Sundays, but have more sanely cut that down to working only on Saturdays. Third, I am a creature of slumber and I need 7 hours as an absolute minimum.
So, that's 6 hours a day in class, plus the 60 hours a week I need to spend studying writing papers and so forth, plus the 8 hours a week I spend at work, plus the 7 hours blissful slumber every night. That gives me 35 hours a week to myself. Hmm, I forgot to subtract travel time to and from school which I'll be generous and say the round trip to school and to work is only 2 hours a day. Okay, so now that leaves me with 23 hours a week. I happen to like to fill these hours with internet surfing, indoor climbing, going to the gym, bellydancing (a fairly new hobby I've just picked up) preparing meals and general lazing about aka "me time".
Still not enough to garner a little sympathy? You know, I suppose you're right. Time to start getting it together, but where in the world do I start?
Posted Wednesday, November 11, 2009 5:52 PM
Forget about changing him. When we got married, I thought I could change me. I mean the flaws are endless. I procrastinate like it's nobody's business, I am an object that stays at rest, my home organizational skills are atrocious, chores are such chores (I've even let that nasty guck ring form along my toilet bowls and bathtub... several times... horrible, I know), I sometimes neglect to return phone calls, I love to dine out, I love to shop, I'd spend money and live off credit if I could, I can surf the internet for hours and munch on snacks the whole time, I leave wet towels lying on the couch and bed, our dresser has become my makeup counter, my clothes have a strange habit of multiplying and crossing over onto my husband's territory, I rarely prepare meals (even on my days off), I stay up late and get to enjoy sleeping in (this isn't so bad, but my husband has to wake at an ungodly hour), and the list goes on. Some things are of couse worse than others and some things might not even be an issue except for the fact that my husband is, quite honestly (and utterly annoying in an endearing way), the Webster's definition of "perfect". Everything I lack in responsibility he more then capably makes up for. When I procrastinate, he get's it done. He is organized and prompt, he takes his social responsibilities seriously and he can be depended upon.
There are so many ways in which we are different and so many ways we are so ultimately the same. Here's hoping we can make it work because I'm truly in love with the guy.