My prince charming is back!!

Yes!! He's back and I couldn't be happier!! Currently, he's sound asleep after being on the road for 36+ hours. He asked me to wake him up after 30 minutes of sleep, but now, it has been 1.5 hours... I tried waking him up but he fell right back asleep. I think after two hours of sleep, he probably will be more refreshed than a short cat nap.... My first reaction (after the initial sheer happiness) in seeing him? "He lost weight!" He was already pretty lean, but he is leaner... Because I had been hearing about all the different experimentation with cooking he was engaged in while he was alone in India, I just assumed that he would have maintained his old weight.... well, this goes to show you that husbands, no matter how competent they are, don't fare as well without their wives!! ;) (There are various reasons for this phenomena in my opinion, which I won't go into detail here...) I guess I'll just have to work my magic to fatten him up a bit before we return to India! ;)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! I know I have much to be thankful for this year!!

A new insight into our marriage

P and I have been married now almost 9 years and we are still discovering new insights about each other. A few years ago, P and I learned that we had different interpretation or understanding of what a "complaint" is. I am an external processor and often I would voice my discontentment (which P calls a "complaint" and now, I'm starting to agree a little with his interpretation..) out loud. For example, if it is hot, I'll whine a little and say, "It's so HOT!" or if something smells, I'll say, "It stinks!" We would sometimes get into an argument about it because we had very different interpretation of what was going on. I would argue that I'm just voicing the fact that it is HOT. He would argue that I'm complaining.... we haven't quite reached an agreement about whose interpretation is correct, but I have gotten better at not "complaining" (as P would say) and he has gotten better at being "sympathetic," as I would say. ;)

A few days ago, something happened that helped me to understand P better. P had developed a rash which was really itchy. He had it for a day or two before he mentioned anything. I only learned of it because he couldn't stand it any longer and had gotten himself a cream for the itch. I would have never known about it until he asked, "Hey honey, do I have a rash here?" (a spot where he couldn't see himself) Then, I found out that he had been feeling itchy for a couple of days and that it was pretty severe.

Now, if it had been me, he probably would have heard about it the moment I had the itch! I can totally see myself saying, "Oh, it itches so much...." maybe a few minutes later, "Honey, does it look worse?" maybe a few minutes later, "Ah... it itches!!" I am sad to admit that I can be a whiner. (I better kick the habit soon so that I don't pass it on to our kid! ;)

But, P, he is quiet. He doesn't say a word about how itchy it is until I ask, "Is it really itchy?" to which he answers, "Yeah. It's pretty itchy." Well, if anything, this little experience helped me to understand why my husband would view my, "It's HOT," as an unnecessary "complaint." Instead of "complaining" about how itchy his rash was, he got himself a cream and applied it. It didn't help much, but he figured "complaining" about it isn't going to make it less itchy. But, then, here's our difference. I agree that "complaining" about the itch doesn't make it less itchy, but for me, it sure helps to have someone sympathize with you! ;)

Nevertheless, I felt like I got a small insight into my husband's world and I can now "sympathize" and understand why he might feel like I am complaining, when I feel like I am not! ;)