Lowering my expectations

Sometimes you just have to lower your expectations or you'll be in for a boatload of disappointment. I feel like I have to do that with my husband. He doesn't do much to help around the house unless I nag him. Then he'll go like gangbusters for a day, cleaning, organizing, etc. Then he'll fall back into his normal routine. I hate, truly hate, that I am responsible for so much at home. He mowed the yard like 95% of the time last year - but that is dependent on the weather and his schedule. Some years I've done it almost as much as him. After that, there are no chores where he is the primary "doer". It's me. I do the laundry. I do the vacuuming and dusting. I collect the garbage from around the house. I take out the garbage. I take out the recycling. I clean the bathroom. I unload the dishwasher. I do the tidying up - to the extent that we tidy up. And none of it gets done enough because I hate to have all my free time spent doing this stuff. With his schedule, A has more blocks of free time off than I do, yet he doesn't do anything with it. An hour or two spent on some housework on his days off and it would make a world of difference. He's not going to change though - he may promise - but I know better. He hasn't changed in 6 years - except to do less - so I need to stop expecting more. I probably won't though.

Friday Photos!

Happiness is...

....a day early. But - I have such cause to be happy this morning. I woke up with my husband in bed next to me.
Sunday night, there was a 7 alarm fire in Chinatown. 7 alarms is pretty damn big. While at the fire, searching an apartment, A fell part of the way through a hole in the floor that the fire had created. Had he fallen all the way through, it would have been a whole different outcome. He was able to pull himself out of the hole, but realized he was in a bad situation. He had received some burns in his fall. He had to find a different way out of the apartment - couldn't go back as he came. He called in a mayday, but kept working to get himself out. He heard the guys on the hose line and kept moving, finding a door. The door was locked and he couldn't use his tools on them because he couldn't grip them due to his burns on his hands. He was able to use his gloves to open the lock and get out. He has second degree burns on his upper arm and one ear. He has first degree (the least serious) on his stomach and fingers. The fingers hurt a lot, probably due to all the nerve endings there.
Yesterday was a stressful day, thinking what could have happened and worried about how bad the burns actually were. I felt a lot better when I got to see him and hug him - gently. It could have been so bad. He's well trained though. He credits that to him getting out. He particularly credits his captain and one of his lieutenants for the things they taught him and the confidence they inspired in his skills. I am grateful to them too. I am also grateful to all the friends and family and FDNY family that reached out to us yesterday.
Now, today, I just heard him get up. So, I am going to go have breakfast with my husband. :)

Friday Photos

It's been a while - but here are some new photos. Spring has sprung!