The past week took a much different turn than I thought it would. TheHub did not go into the office as much as he has been, and seemed to believe we need to do things in tandem. If he is not going into the office I NEED him to play 18 holes of golf at least 2 times a week and go putt and chip balls every other weekday.
I know we will adjust and find a new normal, but this past week just about drove me crazy. I am thrilled he likes me enough to want to do things with me, but I don't need someone with me everywhere I go. I need to be able to go to the grocery store at my own pace and buy whatever I want to buy without input or clock watching.
In my delusional state what I thought might be a good meal plan
Leftover ziti, tossed salad
Pork chop, green beans, potatoes
Veggie meal
Chili, coleslaw, cornbread
Out to eat
Chicken divan, coleslaw, dinner rolls
Grilled tuna or steak, tossed salad, baked potato
vs
What really happened:
Monday joy: I was able to stay home all day, just doing regulation house things. There are days I love going nowhere and this was one of them.
Monday dinner: I have an over stuffed freezer which was not being emptied, because of our eating out/ doing take out recently. Since I decided I have to attack the hoard, I pulled out a huge pork chop to thaw. Pork chop in an orange mushroom sauce, baked potato, tossed salad
Tuesday joy: This was a drop dead gorgeous day. I did a lot of reading on the screened porch. As long as I sat there quietly, I was able to see the comings and goings of all the little critters, either flying from place to place (birds obviously) or scampering to and fro (chipmunks and squirrels). While I was outside I also got to watch my backyard nemesis, the stupid groundhog.
Tuesday dinner: We went to trivia which meant no cooking for me. On the drive there we were treated to a beautiful butterscotch sky.
Americana salad or flatbread (TheHub)
Wednesday joy: This was another beautiful day. I went to my Wednesday class then out to eat with a couple of friends. After lunch I had a couple of things to pick up from Publix (cherry picking sale items) before heading home.
Wednesday dinner: We had planned overs, so all I had to do was throw together a tossed salad and dinner was done.
Leftover ziti, tossed salad, garlic bread
Thursday joy: TheHub had a quick meeting for the project he has been working on since his non-retirement retirement. Once it was over he headed home and made plans for us to go out to a late lunch at The Standard (fantastic patty melt) . He declared it was a celebration of the last big work meeting he would ever have.
Afterward we ran to Trader Joe's. I do not shop at TJ's regularly, but I do like going there at least seasonally and pick up a couple of their frozen foods I keep on hand.
Thursday dinner: We were not really hungry after eating a late lunch .
Tomato soup and crackers
Friday joy: It seems the celebration continued through Friday. TheHub decided he wanted to go out to eat lunch___again, then go with me to Aldi to do a little more grocery store shopping. I do not eat lunch out very often and TheHub has eating lunch out every weekday for the entirety of his work life. I am hopeful this will change shortly, because I do not want to and I am not going to eat out every day.
Also I am not thrilled to have a grocery shopping buddy. I had much rather do it by myself, though I will admit it is nice to have help getting the groceries in the house after shopping and to have an extra set of hands putting things away.
After shopping and running couple of other errands we headed home.
Friday dinner: We ate at a local meat and three and had a veggie lunch. We were not particularly hungry so I grabbed one of the frozen TJ's buys.
Spanakopita, tossed salad
Saturday joys: We woke to a beautiful ball game day. We started with the TV on Game Day, then watched ball games off and on all day while we did small jobs around the house. It was a nice day and neither of us had to go anywhere.
Saturday dinner: Watching games means snacking so we were not very hungry for dinner.
Chicken enchilada soup
Sunday joy: We went to church, came home and ate a quick lunch before both of us settled down to some reading time. We did a few things around the house (very few) then TheHub went to hit a few golf balls while I continued to read.
We are kind of late to the party, but we finally started watching "Only Murders in the Building". I think we are really going to enjoy it.
Sunday dinner: I intended to cook a roast but forgot to put it in the oven in time for us to have an early dinner. Instead I counted on some things I had previously frozen to bail me out for the meal prep.
Egg rolls, rice, tomato slices, cucumber slices, 1/2 tangerine
What's up for this week?
1. out to eat (anniversary celebration)
2 out to eat (fundraiser dinner for The Parkinson's Association)
3. Hot dogs and baked beans (We have had this every Halloween night since our oldest son was 2
4. Roast, baked potato, tossed salad, green beans
5. Soup TBD
6. Take out (have a minimum to use before the 31st)
7. Bulgogi chicken, rice, shishito peppers, asian slaw
Books read in October:
Bicycles, Bloomers and Great War Rationing Recipes
Gambler Secrets from a Life at Risk
Everything's Fine
You are Here
Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan or with no plan at all.
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Anne
I hear you on adjusting to having someone else in the house. There are some things I much prefer doing on my own (and they are much quicker too).
ReplyDeleteYour meals (as always) sound impressive.
TheHub is actually quicker than me, but he does not know where anything in the house goes, unless it is something he uses regularly. he goes with me to the store, looks at what he wants then is like a hawk waiting for me to be done.
DeleteWhen I was home in England one year I wanted to go into town shopping so my brother very kindly offered to take me to the mall. Well he stood at the door of every shop with his arms folded and while he never said anything, I kinda looked into the shop from the doorway for about 15 seconds and said "nope, nothing there that interests me". Never again!
ReplyDeleteThat is kind of what I am feeling like.
DeleteI don't want someone questioning the reasoning behind everything I purchase. I certainly don't want someone vetoing what I buy. And, I refuse to have someone shop who only wants to buy the cheapest brand! Company? I don't mind that so much.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can get him on a schedule that works for both of you. Yes, it is nice he likes your company.
He has spent his entire life either at work or doing things (sports things) with our sons whn they were young and once they grew up he buried himself in his job. It was easy to do because so much was demanded of him there, both time and energy.. He never took the time to figure out who he is. Now it's time for him to start doing things he enjoys more than just being with me all day.
DeleteHot dogs and baked beans for Halloween. Thats a great tradition!
ReplyDeleteIt is an easy tradition!
DeleteMy husband and I have different styles in the grocery store, so it works best for us if we divide and conquer. He will get some things on the list and I will get others. Good luck as you and the Hubs figure out your new retirement normal.
ReplyDeleteWe will figure it out. This is just new to both of us and we don't know how to navigate it yet.
DeleteI too prefer to go shopping by myself...my husband can go with me, but I usually told him to take a walk somewhere and gave me 30 minutes to shop...
ReplyDeleteI will admit I love having someone help me unload the car and put the groceries away. It is just the actual shopping and having someone with me that is hard for me to adapt to.
DeleteI suspect your husband is going to have a hard time giving up eating out for lunch. Perhaps he could combine that with hitting golf balls...two birds, one stone?
ReplyDeleteHe is and I will love going to lunch once a week with him . I am hoping as he starts playing he will find a group to have lunch with afterward.
DeleteTBG started going shopping with me when he retired. At first, it drove me crazy but we've settled into a routine. You'll get it figured out in time. As much as I love and adore my husband, I need my alone time. Happy Anniversary!!
ReplyDeleteI think everyone needs/loves THEIR time!
DeleteAnother awesome song choice! How I'd love to do our grocery shopping solo. Unfortunately, Tom has the attention span of a squirrel ..... one minute he's right behind me, the next he's taken off on that darn scooter and I have to run this way and that to find him.
ReplyDeleteNow that would be kind of fun to watch!
DeleteLove your song choice. When my dad retired, he drove my mom nuts. She'd had the house to herself all day for years.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
It is an adjustment, that is for sure.
DeleteThe planned and actual meals all sound great to me! Happy anniversary! I'm sure you and your husband will settle into a retirement schedule that works well for both of you, eventually. :)
ReplyDeleteHe will and I will, but it is going to take some time.
DeleteHappy Anniversary!! Good luck with the retirement stuff.
ReplyDeleteOur son got married a couple weeks ago, and I'm trying to navigate this new stage. I don't have to cook as much, and I can now make all the gluten and cheesy meals that I want... but the house sure feels a bit quieter now.
Oh Only Murders in the Building is great! Enjoy!
It took me about 4 years to learn to cook just enough for the two of us with leftovers for me a quick lunch, but I finally did. Now I have to refigure how to have enough left over for 2 lunches (if we can stay home to eat it instead of going out)
DeleteI like to wander around the store too, taking my own time, and that doesn't include having a clock watcher with me either. LOL
ReplyDeleteI do too! I think I need to ask hime to come with me when I am going to do nothing but cherry pick a store. Those are quick in and outs for me.
DeleteI will find it and he will figure out what he wants and needs. This is just a new path for both of us and we are a couple of old dogs.
ReplyDeleteI'm chuckling a bit, envisioning you & your husband navigating this new phase. (Hawaii Planner)
ReplyDeleteIt is going to take adjustments for both of us. For decades I have been doing what I either wanted or needed to do completely unfettered by TheHub. He has been bound by a job that required much of him and now he is not sure what his next step is.
DeleteChange is constant and getting used to even good change is challenging.
ReplyDeleteWe will figure this out. Right now we seem to be having scheduling difficulties. We operate on different schedules and of course mine is the right one!
Delete