Perpetual Ruminations

That Was The Plan

I've mentioned before how difficult it is to try and plan anything out without it getting interrupted and Monday and Tuesday verified it again. A lot of the times it's just me interrupted while trying to do some writing or work on a project. Being introverted, this messes me all up and gets to be very frustrating. Also, being introverted, it's difficult for me to talk to anyone about it, but I have tried and it seems to only make the interruptions worse. I do vent to my wife about it, but until the last two days, I  don't think she really comprehended how bad it's gotten.

She works rotating days at work as well as every other weekend, so Monday and Tuesday were her weekend. She had worked a double shift on Sunday and was beat and needing some quiet, restful time on Monday. Our plan was to do a lot of nothing much for the day letting her relax and do whatever she felt like while I took care of cooking. But, shortly after getting up, her mom called and got her worked up over some family drama. Shortly after she got off the phone and tried again to relax and take it easy, her sister called about the same family drama.

She was trying to work on my Christmas present, something she's sewing for me, but after the two interruptions, she didn't feel like trying to get back into it, so I suggested we take a break and drive over to the state park we live by and just get away from everything. It was a nice day and she agreed, it would be relaxing to take the dogs to the park and get away from everything for a while. But, before we got out the door, the neighbor came over to visit.

Not wanting to be rude, she let him in. I was getting a few things ready to bring along with us, and told him he had just caught us as we were heading out the door. He asked where, and I explained. He sat down and said, "I know just what you mean, sometimes you have to just take off to get away from people."

But he didn't know what we meant because he proceeded to tell us about everything going on with him. During the conversation and a few cups of coffee, we mentioned a few times that we wanted to get going before it got too late. He claimed to understand and mentioned a few times that he should get going as well, but in the end, it was almost dusk by the time he left.

I had given up on getting to the park, so I decided to start getting things ready to make dinner. Maybe if I was busy he would take a hint and go back home. He did, eventually, but by the time he departed most of the day was wasted, dinner was late, and it seemed the day was wasted.

While we ate dinner, we discussed plans for Tuesday. We needed to pick up a few groceries and some meat from the butcher/locker plant, but my wife also wanted to take some time to work on her sewing project. I offered to do the shopping while she worked on her project and watched the dogs, but in the end she wanted to shop together. The plan was, get an early start so we could get the shopping done, return home and have the rest of the day for her to work on her project.

Tuesday morning we relaxed with some coffee, then double checked our shopping list and by nine we were off to do our shopping. It was another nice day and we enjoyed the drive into town. The dogs were with watching out the windows at all the sites and it seemed like it would be a great day.

We had driven to a town about forty-five minutes away because the grocery store there has better prices and more variety, and there's also a Walmart there and there are a few things they have that we needed to replenish. The shopping went fine and soon we were headed back towards our local town where we shop for meat at the local locker store; they carry locally raised beef and their prices are generally lower than the grocery stores

Yep, it was turning out to be a great day. We had the shopping done except for the meat and would be home shortly after noon. We had already decided to get a chuck roll (it's the entire chuck of a beef) and butcher it ourselves because it's so much cheaper than if they cut it up. I was going to do the cutting while she  worked on her sewing project. But, about five minutes out from the meat store, her nephew called.

She explained we were heading to the locker plant, then home with groceries and the chuck to butcher out. She talked for a while and after she hung up informed me that his clutch was acting up and he wanted to know if one of us could follow him to the garage and then take him back to the trucking company he works for.

We talked it over, and since he was having vehicle problems she decided that she would follow him over to the town his cousin has a garage in so he could drop off his pickup for repairs and then take him back to the town he drives out off so he could get his truck (he's a truck driver).

We got to the locker plant and completed our shopping, but he hadn't showed up yet. It was her understanding that he was also at the locker, but it turns out he was still at the trucking company when he called. She told him to meet us at home so we could get our groceries unloaded and he showed up shortly after us. Once the vehicle was unloaded, she followed him over to the garage, about a half hour drive from here, then from there she took him over to where he works, an hour drive, then filled up with gas and returned home, another forty-five minutes.

I put groceries away and waited for her to text me when she was ready to drive home; I had ribs ready to go in the oven for supper, but didn't want to start them too early. After I got her text I put the ribs in the oven to slow roast, got potatoes peeled, and a vegetable ready. But, I didn't want to start everything until she got home so it would be fresh and hot. In the end, we had a very good dinner of barbecued ribs, boiled potatoes, and stir-fried fresh green beans with a bit of bacon thrown in, but it was also another late dinner and another day she didn't get to relax or do what she wanted.

After dinner we relaxed with a brandy and talked for a bit. She was a bit frustrated because she hadn't gotten to do much of anything she had planned. I agreed and told her I understood exactly how she felt. I also pointed out that she has the upcoming weekend off and could take the time to work on her project then; no plans, nothing to do, just relax like we had intended for this two day break. But, any day now her nephew will be calling needing a ride to go get his pickup. He's back on the road for now, but it's unsure when he will be back or when his truck will be ready. Also, there family drama is building as Christmas gets nearer and her family members are doing their best to draw her into it.

As we talked over coffee this morning she told me that she was finally starting to understand why I get so frustrated when I want to spend time alone doing my thing and can't. Especially when you explain it to these people and they nod and say they understand, but then demand even more attention and time. I had told her before, but mentioned again that it seems the only way to write for me is to have someplace to go that nobody knows about and to turn the phones off. She smiled and asked, can I bring my sewing machine and come with?