My Husband is Driving me Mad... part of the 8 legs and a Tail series

My Husband is Driving me Mad!

 

My husband is a rule-follower and a closer-upper.  I, on the other hand, am a rule-breaker and an opener-upper.  This we have learned on this trip.  What rules you might wonder?  Well, mostly the rules around pets.  There is a leash law almost everywhere.  Smoochy is a country dog who is not used to being on a leash or tied up and I like it that way.  I fundamentally believe in the maximum amount of freedom for everyone always. However, when we arrive at a campground, Michael immediately puts Smooch on a line and I pretty quickly thereafter take her off.  Granted, some campgrounds are very tight and it would feel dangerous to let her loose.  In Santa Fe, there was a healthy bunny population and Smooch is a hunter through and through so we kept her tied up there.  Last night in Tennessee, we were in a beautiful park, the Natchez Trace State Park which was nice and wide open.  We were near a lovely lake where Smooch got to swim and we were able to be a bit more relaxed on the leash rules. Yes!

 

The closer-upper vs. opener-upper issue has to do with the shades in our rig.  Remember, our Mini-Max is only 18’ long so it is tight inside. I am in favor of having the shades and the windows open as much as possible.  Michael, on the other hand, keeps closing them up.  I mean seriously, who’s going to be peeping at us through our windows?  It’s almost impossible to see in and even if you could, so what?  Maybe it’s all of the time I have spent backstage in the theatre with clothing flying in all directions and actors in various stages of dress and undress. (La Cage Aux Folles comes to mind).  Maybe it’s the skinny-dipping that I learned to love at my summer camp.  Or maybe it’s the time I have spent at Burning Man in the Black Rock City where clothing is definitely optional.  I simply don’t worry about people looking in at us.  Peep away people!

 

I guess Michael and I are a classic case of opposites attract. He, an introvert.  Me, most definitely an extrovert.  We were talking recently about how introverts have trepidation about rejoining society as the pandemic (hopefully) winds down.  Michael actually thrived during the many months of quarantine.  He loved the quiet and solitude.  He prefers to drive in silence.  If I were driving on my own on this road trip, I would be blasting show tunes, listening to NPR and audio books and podcasts.  But I appreciate that he is doing the driving so I nap a lot.  I did not thrive during quarantine.  I missed my friends terribly.  I enjoy quiet times too but also come alive from the energy of being with people.  This is why I love the theatre and my camp.  It is also why I miss my working life when I had a wonderful team with which to share my days.

It is also well-documented that I am the sunnier personality in this combo.  My cup is always half full and I always expect the best from everyone and everything.  My husband is the complete opposite.  Of course, being locked up together for over a year during the pandemic and then spending every second of every minute together on a six-week road trip is a good test for any relationship.  Fortunately, we still make each other laugh and hopefully, mostly, bring out the best in each other.  We are pretty evenly matched in Quiddler.   We both love to create things- culinary masterpieces, theatrical sets, gardens, and of course, a loving family.  We will probably avoid each other for a week or so when we return home but then we’ll start planning our next adventure.