My husband had to go into work last night for a midnight software project. He had to work several hours in the morning (with an hour’s r/t commute) then come home and he left before 11 last night and got home at 5:30 this morning.
I tried to keep as much of a normal schedule as possible. About five minutes before he left I apparently fell asleep and awakened nearly immediately after he’d gone. Luckily he took the sandwich I made for him (more on that later), a fruit salad of watermelon, cantaloupe, kiwi and Granny Smith apple, and slices of watermelon and cantaloupe. Plus salt and vinegar chips.
I took the dog out and I was wearing a jean jacket and pajama pants at eleven. Then I tried to go to bed but it was hot upstairs and I didn’t feel safe with the slider open. The dog was going to and from the guest room where she was on full alert watching for Jim to come home, to see me. That lasted 3 1/2 hours. Then I had my phone by the bed instead of downstairs charging and texts were coming in very loudly (I don’t text).
He got home at 5:30, took out the dog, brushed his teeth, got undressed and was snoring 10 minutes later. I was wide awake and got up and went downstairs at six after he was really snoring away.
The result: he feels like he has jet lag. I’m just tired. It’s one thing to accustom oneself to a time zone and another to pop into work at midnight and be “on” for hours then go home to a weekend. I thought it was Sunday all day! What we both realized is that this might be an easy thing to do in one’s mid-twenties, but as one ages it is more difficult. Of course this work requirement was done on a Friday night so that on Monday morning Jim will be ready to go, it only ruins his weekend. How thoughtful.
Given the trend of software guys it’s late, start at noon or later and work well into the night. He would do this naturally but is forced into a 9-5 (more a 9-7 or 8) reality. So this was new although he’s used to scheduled or emergency calls with London or India or Australia in the middle of the night, from home.
We’re getting older. I used to work 18 hours and be back at nine in the morning. Three weeks was about all I could take of that daily but I was in my 20’s. Marriage, schedules, and a herding dog who thrives on “routine” is enough to make this work anomaly worth mentioning.
Do I like to throw off routine and try to go somewhere to “recharge?” You bet, I’m working on it now. We’re happy, just tired. Cheers, Dee
Cooking with Dee 
The rolls were nice but I’d have preferred a crustier Ciabatta. The roast beef was rare and thinly sliced and paired with Havarti, grilled zucchini and peppers, sliced tomato and a spread made of mayo, grainy mustard and horseradish. It was quite good.
You know what they say: “Getting old is not for sissies!”
I feel like I need a coupla days to recharge after our whirlwind tour of W TX, a last-minute mini-family vacation before school’s back in session… [Posted some photos on FB if you care to check it out]