Hubby is going into his third year of life on the road. His job on an oil rig takes him out of state for six months out of the year. Thankfully (I think), the time in split into two-week rotations, which we refer to as “two weeks on, two weeks off,” or “Two and Two.”‘

Life on the road is hard. I’m not the one who lives it, so that adjective is
born solely from my observation, and likely, it’s not enough to truly explain Hubby’s experience. I’ve seen a few videos of the type of work he does. There’s a lot of lifting, carrying, and swearing while wearing an gigantic protective suit. Rest time is spent in a tiny trailer with a subpar mattress. Meals often include the term “ramen.”

My Two and Two is much less taxing physically. Comparatively, one could even say it’s a walk in the park. I go to work, return to a nice home with a warm bed, and I don’t eat anything that’s preserved in a year’s supply of sodium.

But it’s not easy.

For two weeks, I am The End All, Be All. Employee. Cook. Cleaner. Homework Helper. Conflict Negotiator. Tailor. Chauffeur. Story Reader. Washer Woman. Boo Boo Healer. Home Repair Expert. Pocket Reference. I might not be lifting a 100-pound piece of equipment, but I’m working my tail off.

When Hubs is home, however, it feels like there’s even more to do. I cook more. Dishes and laundry pile up faster. The girls resist going to bed because they want to spend time with Daddy. I easily hit my daily pedometer goal because I’m walking in circles clearing clutter.

Hubby senses my frustration, and he’s offered to help. The to-do lists I’ve provided, however, go largely uncompleted. This does little to reduce my angst.

While working on a new list for Hubby’s return, I thought about how we each view his time at home. He sees it as his “two weeks off,” and I see it as MY “two weeks off.” This conflicting perspective, I realize, is the source of my annoyance. We’re both tired, and we both need a break, but the world stops for neither one of us. Figuring out how we both get a little relief will be the first topic of discussion when he gets home this week.