We’re officially in the middle of our roadtrip.
Being forgetful/scatter-brained means that it is guaranteed that I will forget something. The only question is what it will be, and how important it will be.
Leaving the house for a vacation is one of the many times when I am extremely grateful for my hubby.
He . . . completes . . . me.
My thing: running around like a maniac, brainstorming every teeny tiny possibility of what we might need, making multiple lists, carrying the lists with me everywhere I go so I can write something down the moment I think of it, throwing things in at the last minute.
Not my thing: walking around the house turning off lights, flushing toilets, checking the air conditioner, the iron, the stove, the oven, the coffee-maker, etc. etc etc.
Thankfully, those are his thing. I was especially mindful of what a relief it is to have him do those things after I left the coffee-pot on earlier in the week when he wasn’t there while we were leaving.
I told him how much I appreciated him, and I shared a story which he hadn’t heard before.
When I was about 15, my parents went out of town, and I stayed with a friend because I was going to leave for church camp while they were gone. The day before I left, I went home to pack, bringing several friends with me. I distinctly remember lots of laughing (as those are the kinds of things I do remember.)
My parents returned home at least a full day-and-a-half after I had left for camp. They found . . . the iron left on . . . and (are you ready for this?) . . . the front door standing wide open.
Evidently, our neighborhood was safe enough that no one walked away with all of our stuff . . . but not quite cozy enough that anyone came over and closed the door.
As my husband listened to my story, his eyes were as wide as I’ve ever seen them. But it was his response that cracked me up.
“If you had told me this story when were dating, I would have been shocked and bewildered. But now, although it’s a shocking story . . . I can totally believe it.”
I love that man.
I have the same feeling every time we leave to go somewhere. I always thought "One of these days I'm gonna have a master list and be able to check everything off every time we go somewhere, and add to it when I forget things" It hasn't happened yet, but I'm still thinking about it as we pack for our weekend out.
I have often thought when reading your blog how understanding your husband is. In my home you can cut the tension with a knife when things spin out of control housekeeping-wise. My hubs is generally a laid back, quiet guy, but a messy house drives him up the wall. Thus, one of the main reasons for my project this spring. Hold onto that hubby of yours, he sure is a keeper!!
Oh, Nony, that is So funny I actually did LOL!
LOL! Too funny!!! (My parents would have killed me!)
Ha HA! How dull our lives would be without these stories! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
i've done similar…though it was my side door (that we never use and is FULLY visible from the street) and it was only for the majority of one day.
but at that time we DID have some petty crime in the neighborhood so it's a great wonder that nothing had happened.
Hey Nony, Just wanted to say HI and tell you that I just discovered your blog thanks to Frugal Homemaker Plus.
I am also a slob (not quite recovering) so a lot of what you write about speaks right to my heart.
LOL! My dad did that once…just forgot to close the front door. When I found it, I walked around the house with a baseball bat in case a bad guy had opened it! Although I have no idea why I expected that I could beat up a burglar at the age of 15.
I used to worry about forgetting things for a trip, but finally I made a travel list notebook, complete with what to pack for each family member (including what the dog needs for the kennel) and last minute tasks before we walk out the door. Since we’ve used this multiple times, all forgotten items have been filled in and as long as I follow the list, nothing is forgotten. It has been a huge time saver for me. 🙂
When I was pregnant with our second (our first was less than a year old at the time), my husband went on a work trip for a few days. I dropped him off at the airport, came back home with my baby, and didn’t leave the house for at least 48 hours. Then, I decided to get out for a walk with the baby. I looked everywhere for my keys and couldn’t find them until I suddenly realized they were in the deadbolt. I had unlocked the door, let it swing open while I brought everything inside, and promptly closed and locked it, forgetting that I hadn’t yet brought in my keys…
One time we left our home all day with the overhead garage door open. When we got home late that night and saw that the door was open, I waited in the vehicle while my husband went into the house to make sure all was okay. As soon as he entered the service door, he quickly turned and ran out like someone was after him. It scared me to death, but he was just messing with me. I think that took a few years off my life!
I remember the first 24 hours I spent as a ‘grown up’ at college. I left my phone and wallet in my mom’s car and realized it as she was driving away – fortunately slowly enough for me to flag her down. I then left my dorm key in the lock of my new room. Twice. It helped me to meet my dorm mates though when they knocked to let me know.