Too short...

Hello again, friends!  I just got back from taking Charlie to the airport. So sad today. These last few months have been really difficult for both of us, but I think for me especially. He has always travelled, and I am always fielding questions from people who don't know us well about his travelling. I think a fair number of people think that maybe we don't like each other that much and that is why it works. The truth is, for the most part he is only gone for 3 nights a week. And with me being on call and being so busy with work, often by the time I miss him he is coming home again. Now obviously I would rather have him home with me, but the alternative is him either not having a job at all, or being miserable in a job that allows him to be closer to home. And him being miserable does not make either of us happy.

But recently work has really picked up for him. He has been gone at least 4 sometimes 5 night per week. It has not been unusual for him to get home late on Friday night and have to leave again Sunday evening, which, quite honestly, is not enough time for us to really reconnect on the weekend. So it has sort of built up and now everytime I take him to the airport I just want to cry. Sometimes I do cry. I am getting really sick of it. And it looks like he will be on a more regular schedule pretty soon, but there is never any guarantee that it will really happen or that it will stay that way for long. I miss him. I want him home more than 2 nights per week. I know that it could be worse. Heck, one of my best friends is in the Navy and he would be gone from his wife for 6 months at a time. And they couldn't even talk every night because Lord knew where he'd be or what he'd be doing. But still. I like spending time with my husband and it would be really nice if his company would let him spend some more time with me.

Despite all that, however, we did have a fairly productive weekend. On Saturday we went to see The King's Speech. We never go to the movie theater. Ever. We don't even really watch movies at home. But there was a Groupon for half price admission to a movie theater near us and it needed to be used by the end of the month. So we went. It's not that we don't like movies. It's more that I have other things I could do with $20 than go see a movie. And when Charlie is home we'd rather be hanging out with each other - watching TV, talking, walking, running, doing projects on our house - than watching a movie. So we don't really. But, this was a good movie and I'm glad we watched it.

Today we continued work on our windows. This has been such a long, arduous process. When we originally bought our house and were renovating it, we got a quote on repairing these huge windows we have in the front of our house. It was an astronomical price because we live in an historic neighborhood so it all has to be wood and the old stile and rail style, plus, they are literally 8 feet tall. We found another guy in Clintonville who works out of his basement. He is doing our windows for a fraction of the price. And he is doing an awesome job. He is, however, taking his time doing it. So far the four windows in the front are mostly done, and we have the windows for our back bedroom in the basement. However, he just had surgery so Lord knows when the others will go in. Before the full heat of summer I hope.

Anyways, after he got the four in the front put in, we set to putting up the trim. We bought a miter saw (which Charlie was really stoked about) and a bunch of trim and went to it. As per the usual I had lofty dreams for the trim. Charlie doubted me. I talked him into it. It has been a long process. Probably at least two months. However the trim is now up and primed and the downstairs windows have one coat of paint on them. And I think they look pretty darn good. The crown at the top was not easy. Even with a miter saw. It needs to be cut at like three different angles at the same time. And each angle has to be correct or the damn thing won't go together. Needless to say there was some exasperated words exchanged. They went something like, "Kristen, I told you this was going to be too difficult. We are wasting all this crown! It is not cheap!" I just smiled. What can I do? He is right. These are pictures of the downstairs windows which now have one coat of paint. Since I'm on call next weekend and we are going to New Orleans the weekend after, the painting will probably not be done until mid-April. Right about the time that our work on the landscaping will start. Always need to stay busy, right?

I also started some herbs in pots inside. It's still too cold out here to plant outside. It snowed this morning. I decided less would be more this year. I planted basil (in the big pot), cilantro (in the medium pot) and Italian parsley (in the square pot). Putting them in pots is better for our house, then I can put them in the sun and take them in if need be. Anyways, here's to hoping they do well. Pesto is my favorite in the summer and I sure do LOVE cilantro:)

See. There you go. I feel better already. Now it's off to do my research paper. I've got some parts of it that are due tomorrow and I still haven't started. But perhaps I'll make dinner first... oh procrastination:)

But, before I go, here is another quote that I like. It reminds me that despite how crazy everything around me sometimes feels, things are exactly as they should be.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace within your soul.

 -from "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann