Don’t Touch My Stuff!

Let’s take a minute or two to talk about something that we all [kind of/sort of] dread but don’t talk about: The Transition Home.

I know. I know. We never ever think about our oilfield men coming home in a negative way. After all, we wait (and wait, and wait, and wait) for the time to come for them to walk through the door (listen to the hallelujah chorus sing!). I love it just as much as the next girl! However, there are some ground rules when it comes to coming home, my love.

Don’t get me wrong! I adore having you here at home! Just please don’t forget that for the past 15 days I’ve done things around these parts MY way, and it’s very difficult to have you come back and disrupt my routine. And move my things. And make a big, sloppy man mess. “Hi, Honey! I’m so happy you’re here! ….Clean that up!”  Keep in mind, I’m not allowed to step on the rig floor and touch all of your things! And it certainly would not go over well if I spilled rig mud all over the newly cleaned rig floor.

I think we can say with great marital confidence that we’ve got the transition OUT of the house down pretty good! I’m like the kid at daycare that only cries for two seconds once you’ve left the driveway. Also, I think I deserve major kudos for the very minimal drama and tears upon departure these days (thankyouverymuch). Go me! Now, allow me to enlighten you about the things that would take my anxiety down a couple hundred notches when you walk back through the door (note: I’m a bit of a control freak. I like things done a certain way, especially when I do them all the time. Just keeping it honest):

1. Don’t touch my things! It took me a long time to put it in that exact spot! (not really, but that’s what it feels like to me)

2. Your long legs are disrupting my sweet slumber. I will donkey kick you if you come on my side of the bed with your cold feet again (only to snuggle up to you .4 seconds later).

3. Woke up this morning to icicles on the oven. Was it really that warm in here last night?! I prefer a comfortable 72 in here, gracias.

4. Mmmm, ice cream. You know I can’t control myself! Why must you torture me?

5. Well, that’s a new kind of dirt on your laundry items. Wonder if Dawn will get that out? I’m becoming a mad-laundry-scientist, and I like it!

6. We’re watching a chick flick whether you like it or not!

7. Bah! Stop wanting to take a shower the exact same time I do! We’re officially pulling straws for the hottest shower. Unless….*wink wink*

8. Your toothpaste ways annoy me.

9. I love you, but that’s my spot on the couch.

10. No, no, no. The diaper bag goes on the other side of the backseat!

11. We’re quickly running out of milk. Again.

12. Boots and sneakers hold a mad amount of dirt. Flip flops; they’re nice (and cleaner).

13. No leftovers? Oh yeah, hungry husband is in the hooouusseee.

14. Hey! I was watching that!

15. Shhhhh, it is nap time. Silence is a necessity to enjoy this sweet time. Alone. Together. *Wink…shhhhh*

Oh, geez. It goes without saying that having your significant other home again with you, after what seems like an eternity, things are bound to get a tad rocky sometimes. It really, truly does take a strong couple with great communication to bounce back and forth between completely connected and then detached again. Granted, we’re never fully detached from them, but you know what I mean.

The points listed above are the funny parts. It would take a day and a half to dive into the emotional side of the disconnect/reconnect part of this life. One thing is for sure, I’m super happy I’m not alone in feeling these things!  Everyone does have a favorite spot on the couch, right?

What’s the hardest thing for you (funny or serious) when it comes to the transition home?

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