My Husband- Temporarily Unavailable

 Dale and I were married on December 20, 2008. Since then, we have both graduated, and moved to Kansas City to start our big kid jobs. Currently, we live in Prairie Village in the cutest little cottage you've ever seen.  Dale and I started dating when I was a sophomore in High School. Yes- we were 16 years old. Dale knows me better than anyone, and can actually tell me what I'm thinking before I have to say anything. He makes me laugh, he makes me happy, and he challenges me in many ways. Dale is extremely smart, and excels in literally everything he does. I am still a better singer- and he knows it- he just won't admit it. I love Dale for everything that he is, and for always making me a better person. Dale has been there every step of the way, and has been supportive of everything I have done (even if he didn't always agree). Even though we are married, we're still growing up, we're just doing it together.

Before we were married, I had this image of marriage as a blissful and always happy time. Although this is true in many ways, it may have been a slight misconception. Don't get me wrong, I married the man of my dreams and I will love him till we're old and gray, but man, sometimes grown-up jobs make it hard...

To explain my temporarily unavailable husband, I must explain my point of view first. There are about 3 months a year that I am "on my own". Cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, etc. etc. etc... yes, I do it all, all on my own. It's kind of like I live alone, but with a stranger coming in and out at odd hours of the night. Every afternoon as I get home from work, I discover what the stranger has left for me in the wee night hours that he is roaming around the house. Most days I find dirty socks on the floor, cereal bowls in the sink, and toothpaste goo on the bathroom counter. On lucky days, I even find a set of clothes hanging on the designated "dry-clean me please" door handle. On bad mornings, the stranger leaves the kitty unfed. On really good mornings, I come home to find her bowl so over-filled that I am afraid she may just explode if she tried to eat it all. Each afternoon, I get to clean up after the stranger that comes into the house at night, sleeps, eats, and is gone by the time I get home.

This stranger is my husband- the accountant. More specifically, a tax accountant. He received his CPA in May of 2010 after graduating from KU with his Masters in Accounting.  Soon after graduating, he started working at Deloitte in Kansas City, and has been working his hiney off ever since. Luckily, this allowed me/us/him to skip right over busy season for 2010. Although last September did bring a "busy" season, it was nothing in comparison to the busy season that is happening now.  Now that I think about it- I think it should be re-named "say goodbye to your family and friends, and possibly consider just moving into your office" season. This name would be more fitting, and it would also give wives like me different expectations. I wouldn't call in the middle of the day leisurely asking how his day was going and what time he will be home for dinner. I would know better than to think an actual conversation is possible! As Dale once described to me, "Getting my work done is like being chased by a cheetah. I'm always on the clock, and always trying to beat the cheetah. When you call, he catches me. If we talk too long, I get eaten by the cheetah".  Now I stick to the 3 sentence rule. Hi! How are you? Home tonight?

This was a very hard concept for me to learn. When I say hard, I mean- I tried to cheat the system many times. Things like whining, pouting, pathetic voicemails and emails...and even shopping. None of these things worked. Not even a little. As it turns out, no one at the office really cares if I am waiting at home for Dale to get there. Taxes and deadlines will always be more important.

This brings me to the very important, highlighted, circled, starred, and very much anticipated day of the year...April 15. Taxes are done, mailed in, turned in...whatever. It all comes down to this day. I think I may look forward to it just as much, if not more, than the accountants actually doing the tax returns. As April 15th approaches, I know that the end is near, and that this means I get my husband back.

This being said, I love my husband very much. He works extremely hard at his job, and I admire him so much for that. (I could never pull off an 80 hour week!) Much more on Dale to come. Most likely, after April 15th when he is...Available.


xoxo