Tomorrow is Ian’s first day back at school. He teaches economics and American History at a local high school, and tomorrow is going to royally suck.
That’s because tomorrow morning will mark the first day of the 2009 school year, and thus the first day of us waking up at 5:15am for nine months. All I can say to that is, “Boooooo.” I’m more productive when I wake up early, my business picks up, and yet I want nothing more than to have my wake-up hour hover around the 7am mark.
“Carlene, you weren’t foolish enough to pick a job with the most hellacious schedule known to man; why do you wake up at 5:15am if you don’t have to?”
Ian and I started dating at the end of 2006, and he began teaching the following fall. From the first day he began teaching, our relationship took a rather frightening turn south, fueled by mutual resentment that one or the other of us would be too tired or awake to do what the other wanted to do, thanks to our different schedules.
One day, after we were moping around Potential Break-Upsville for a solid six months, I randomly woke up with Ian one morning, and drowsily climbed into the shower with him, leaning with my eyes closed against the wall while he chattered away at me.
I honestly can’t remember why I got out of bed; I probably woke up when he clambered out of bed and couldn’t fall back asleep – about as likely as getting struck by lightning on a sunny day, but it’s been historically recorded.
There was a direct, obvious change that day. Ian was so excited to have company in the morning that he was super thoughtful and nice to me the remainder of the day. I was so pleased to have my obvious sleep sacrifice appreciated that it made me want to act nicer as well, and suddenly a tradition was born.
What the whole experience had taught me is that a single act of self-torture on your part can guarantee a lifetime of happiness and love in a relationship.
It’s the same reason I stand on the sidelines of Ian’s dodgeball games, and it’s also why Ian is willing to be dragged along to “let’s do hair and makeup and talk about movie stars!” girlfriend sessions and help my friends move into new apartments.
Tomorrow’s going to suck – a lot – and in the end, it’ll be the best thing I do all week. The second best thing I’ll do all week is make sweet, sweet love to my office Keurig coffee machine (here it it, the beautiful beast) and start stalking the interwebz for good deals on exotic-sounding K-cups.
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One Response to “School’s back in session? I demand a refund on the summer.”
I do not miss waking up to go teach! Of course, now I have to wake up and take the girls to school, but at least I get to come back home…
My sacrifice for love this year is to start watching football with Mark. He was so excited about it he devoted his facebook status to me and even called me “the best wife in the world.” Of course now I have to live up to it, follow through, and actually watch football!