Ok, ok I don't blog very often; but when I do it is usually fairly decent. So....
I usually try to spend as much time with Laura and the kids as I can on my 12 days off. This trip home, the time spent with them was extraordinary. We went to Galveston the first weekend home to mollify Morgan's hurt feelings over the canceled Schlitterbahn trip; even with the fistfights in the back seat it was very fun in the sun. Sunday we hung out , cleaned, and ate a great steak dinner. Over the following week, no one event with the kids stands out but Laura and I had a much needed marriage check. It was tearful and happy at the same time. Laura even shed some tears. That second Friday we surprised the kids with an Astro's game, dinner, T'shirts, and drunken fans. Hey Morgan, Morgan......"Whew 'stros...yeah baby, BLEGH!" hahahahahahaha. Then we rolled out of bed at 630 am, and drove to the New Brunesful hill country area for a needed soak in the Guadalupe river and a yummy lunch at the Gristle Mill. Even with the fist fights in the back seat, a good time was had by all. As I said, it was very high quality time with the wifey and kids.
Come Tuesday morning, I have the kids give me one last kiss and hug; make sure it will last for 15 days, be good for Momma, work hard in school and do your chores. Good bye little children, Daddy loves you! Run a few last minute errands, pack my gear, wait for Laura to return from staff meeting, give one last, slow, oh my God! kiss and hug and start the car. Watch Laura go in the house, turn car off and bang my head on the steering wheel....no! no! I don't want to go! OK, suck it up; I have to go, I need to find the hotel prior to the fall of night, when the banjos start in South Louisiana (NAnanananaanananana) "You sure got some purty lips, boy!".
Start car again, back out of drive way and head down street listening to 94.5 The Buzz. thinking that I can do this. As I drive I think to myself: I have to go to work, the kids have to eat, the house has to be paid for, Laura needs a new bed, the dog is pregnant and their will be 12 puppies and they gotta eat too! And I do great, drinking coffee and smoking a big cigar until I get to Beaumont and the radio station fades and silence takes its place.
And my heart breaks into a million little pieces and flows out of my chest thru my eyes. Yes I know I am lucky to have this job, I know God has a plan for me, I know I could be stuck at WOM working like a Hebrew Slave, yes I know all this.....but I still ache so badly inside when I leave my family. The ache does not end when I come to the rig and start my hitch, it just gets numb. Like a toothache that hurts for so long that it goes numb until you chew on that side and then the pain hits like a freight train, WHAM!
Say what you want, think what you may, but until you spend time away from the ones you love every 14 days you won't understand. I miss my family so very much!
2 comments:
And here i thought you were skipping to the rig with glee...and was that a twinge of a knife blade with that last paragraph?? It sounded kinda angry.
I miss you too. And I am sorry that your trip did that to you. : (
No the last paragraph is not meant to be taken in an angry tone. It is more of an invitation to understanding how I feel.
I do hope you found alittle bit of humor in the blog, mixed with trhe sad.
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