Today I got up at 7:10am.  I went to wake up my son so he could get ready for school, but he was in the den reading one of my mythology books.  Pretty cool for an eight-year-old.  I made him some oatmeal for breakfast and he got mad because he wanted cold cereal.  I let him know that he could have cold cereal tomorrow.  He said that tomorrow he would want oatmeal.  I said, "Then you’ll have two disappointing days in a row, because that’s the last of the oatmeal."

Once he finished eating and got dressed, I drove him to school and dropped him off.  I was (and still am) in my pyjamas.  I got back home at 8:00am and checked my e-mail.  I had some friend requests which I rejected because I don’t talk to people I don’t already know.  My head was screaming at me so I went back to bed.  I set the alarm for 11:15am, so I could get up and take a shower and run any errands I needed to run before it would be time to pick up my son from school.

I was awakened by the telephone.  My wife was calling from work to see if it would be okay if she went out for drinks with some coworkers after she got off the clock tonight.  I know she can be trusted tonight because she was very forthcoming with information.  It’s very obvious when she is hiding something.  She went out after work on Sunday, she told me about it well in advance.  After my freak out just over a week ago she "asked" me if it was okay for her to go.  She let me know well in advance that she would be having coffee with Stan, an old friend from high school, on Tuesday afternoon.  She let me know well in advance that she was going to a hospital Christmas party with one of her friends last night.  All of those things came with a wealth of information.  On the other hand, Thursday night she is also planning on going out.  The only thing I know about Thursday is that she will be out late.  That means she will be seeing whomever it is she is seeing, and she hopes the fact that she mentioned she was going out in advance is enough that I won’t be curious about her activities.  Again, it is the only one she hasn’t told me details about.

Anyway, she said, "The girls want to go out and have a drink after work for only about an hour or so, ’cause they have to work tomorrow.  That okay?"

I responded immediately, "With me?"

She laughed and repeated my query to her co-workers.  I could hear much laughter, and someone asked her, "Is he cute?"  My wife ignored that question (because the answer is a resounding "NO"), and said to me, "I really think they were talking about me.  Do you mind if I go?"

What I thought was:  She went out Sunday night, Tuesday day, Tuesday night, is planning on going out Thursday night until about 4:30 Friday morning.  She worked Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, and will be working on Saturday, too.  The end result is that the only day she will actually be home for any appreciable length of time is Friday, the night she knows I have committed to my friends (about 5 of us gather on alternate Fridays at Jim’s house where we talk and play RPGs).  While she is gone I am quite literally trapped at the house taking care of our children.  I get to leave the house once, and she gets to leave the house all the rest of the times.  And there’s no possible way I can interpret this as her doing everything she can to avoid spending any time with me.  Right?

What I said was:  "Sure.  I assume this means I will once again not be making dinner for you?"

She said, "Nah.  I’ll grab something while I’m out.  Thanks!" and hung up.

I went back to sleep.

I got up at 11:30am, did not take a shower, and played World of Warcraft for almost 30 whole minutes (bringing my total playing time for the last month up to 2 hours.  Why am I paying for this?), then tried to watch a bit of television.

I am still unshowered.  It has gotten bad enough that I can smell myself.  I think I had a shower on Sunday, but I’m not sure.

I’d like to do some tequila shots, but I cannot.  I have to pick up my son from school soon, then I have to take care of both kids until she comes home.  She gets off work some seemingly random time between 7:00pm and 8:00pm.  I will be surprised if she manages to get home before 10:00pm.  She did mention that "the girls" have to work in the morning.  It didn’t seem to make a difference last night when she came home at almost midnight.

Believe it or not, I am close to finishing an English degree.  A couple of years ago this would have had a coherent structure.  Alas, I lack the ability to concentrate anymore.