Every once in a while Karen disappears off onto a course or family visit (or both) and takes the kids with her for a week or so. These have become my hell weeks...
Many married men might instantly assume that such a week alone at home could let them delve back into their days of single youthdom, where kids do not shriek, wives do not nag and toilet seats remain mysteriously aloft - I do not.
Far from a deluge of beer and pizza such weeks seem instead to awaken my inner navvy. Given such a period of relative peace and quiet I start thinking about what I could knock off from the long list of things to do when I'm found unhindered by nappy changes, trips to playgroup and my wife's incessant efforts to get me to pick up socks. As the time of their departure becomes increasingly near I plan and jot, working out what jobs I can fit in and what materials I'll need - I delight in producing a timetable that is shaped by my own hand with no outside influence THIS IS FREEDOM.
The down side is I get so determined to get everything that I plan finished in time for their return that I rarely sleep, eat of do anything that isn't list based for the entire period. I steadily go from one task to the next hungrily snatching a bite of God knows what whenever something vaguely edible seems within reach. My muscles ache, my hands are blistered and I have barely any fingernails left but I got everything finished.
So last week over five days and in addition to running our business, feeding the chickens, pigs and watering the plants this is what I did...
- Built a climbing wall for the kids in their garden play area
- Reorganised the kids play area so a trampoline would also fit in
- Built a massive pergola
- Continued to build (by way of adding a thick insulating layer) our garden pizza oven
- Did some sorting with of our bees
- Made a website for my wife's new interest
The list is not vast but the effort and times given was. I'll be writing some blog articles about some of these things where you can find out more if you are interested.
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