Am I a Big Loser?

[JHolcomb]

OK, so I don't want the answer to that question unless it is a resounding NO :) I was just wondering what everyone around here does on the weekends. I had a rotten day today, running around and doing errands. I wanted to actually do something, but DH and I always end up doing nothing desipite my good intentions (he likes sitting on his butt on the weekends). I think it's worse in the summer because of the heat-we'd rather sit indoors even though I think a hike would be nice. Anyway, we got on the topic of what our families always did on Saturdays-chores. We seem doomed to repeat the pattern! So, do you guys have fun-filled exciting weekends all of the time or are you often stuck dealing with the rigors of daily life? Just wondering if I'm the only one that's a big dud.

Jen

[akairo]

No, absolutely not.

I think most people have to spend at least one of their days off doing chores, errands and all that stuff that can't be crammed into the work week.

Now I do not work (although my DH is trying to talk me into it), so on the few days of DH takes I want to go out and do things. Anything, just get me out of the house. He, on the other hand, spends is days out and wants nothing more than to crash in front of the TV, or sleep. All of this is soon to change though. We are getting a home of our own and will become like so many others spending at least one day a week mowing the lawn:rolleyes: .
I personally can't wait.

So no you aren't a big dud, just needing to jump start some variety. In my mind this is what Sundays are for. You now there is something to a "day of rest." No work, just fun.

Tamara

[BosunsWife]

I don't work and we still end up spending a part of our weekend doing chores. Usually its the things that need two people to accomplish. This weekend I spent Friday and today washing and ironing all of DH's laundry, i.e., uniforms, (he got home Thursday eve.) so that he can leave again on Monday morning. Ughhh! You are not alone...

[SusanL]

v?

[BlueMoose]

Same kind of weekends around here! My DH needs a little bit of "encouragement" to do chores around the house though. I guess he expected some magic fairy to do them when we bought the house. This weekend I don't want to step outside the door because my allergies are so bad! I went to the farmer's market yesterday and had a big sneezing attack! :eek:
Actually, most years we would be spending more time at the lake that we have this year, but its an hour and 15 minutes away and the baby doesn't like to ride in the car very much. He tends to scream ALL the way home! :mad:

[kwormann]

Originally posted by JHolcomb
I think it's worse in the summer because of the heat-we'd rather sit indoors even though I think a hike would be nice.



I dont know Jen, If I was in NC (where I used to live), I would be in Blowing Rock for the day......forget chores! Just throw away your things, hire a maid and spend the day on the Blue Ridge Pkwy (can you tell I am homesick for NC and have a fantisy life planned for those who are lucky enough to live there????:D)

[emilycat]

I've been immensely homesick lately,(okay, so Chapel Hill was only my home for 4 years, but still..... :) )--
I so envy you being where you are!
Why don't y'all try out some day trips? Head to the beach for a day, spend an afternoon in Wilmington, or take a drive/hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Don't want to drive very far? You could always take a short hike in Umstead, or rent a sunfish or a canoe on Crabtree.
Or hopover to Carrboro and browse around the funkiness.
And then stop by Carolina and visit for me.
I WANNA GO BACK! :(

Oh, and by the way, since I have thus far ignored your question and offered unsolicited information, you are definitely not a loser. Hey, if you're doing errands, at least you're being productive. :)

[Missi]

DH and I have different days off. I am off on the weekends and he is off on Wed and Thurs. I get the errands and the cleaning done while he is at work and would love to go out when he gets home, but he is usually tired and has to get up early for work the next day. On his days off, he wants to do the same (go out when I get home), but then I am tired from working and have to get up early the next day. Not having any days off together is a real pain. Weekends are lonely for me, I have no family here, and most of my friends have DHs/families they want to spend the weekend with. DH just started this schedule recently (well, since January) and while it was great to have all the time to myself for awhile, now I almost dread the weekends. I don't know how some of you do it, when your husbands are gone for an extended period of time (thinking of BosunsWife). Maybe if we had kids it would be different.

Anyway, enough of my whining. I definately feel where you are coming from, Jen.

[JHolcomb]

Cool. I'm not working right now either, and that's why I'm dying to get out. Anyway, we used to go to the mountains all the time when we lived in Winston, but now it's like a 4 or 5 hour drive each way to go, so that's kinda offputting, even though we've been dying for some Cottonwood brewery beer. My aunt just had a baby, though, and my grandpa is sick, so we need to go up, if only to visit family. We are planning an anniversary trip to the Outer Banks (our first!) for October. Can't wait. And Emily, we live maybe 5 minutes from Umstead, but we just can't get motivated to do anything in this heat-actually, I'm convinced it's the air quality. Do any of you have to contend with the air quality issues where you live? It's seemed really bad here for the past 2 or 3 years. Just yucky in the summer. Anyway, I think we might go out to the Botanical Gardens today for a change of pace.

[kwormann]

SSSHhhhh, dont tell DH you think the air quality is bad....the air here in HOuston is one of the reasons I have been giving him for needing to move back to NC.......

[JHolcomb]

Oh gosh, Kim, we have just about the worst air quality in the nation! Well, in the big cities-out in the country it's still good. But don't worry, I won't tell your DH.

[kwormann]

Is the air in Charlotte bad too?

[Chefzhat]

We try to do something fun every weekend with the kids, whether finding a cool park to take a picnic to and goof around, or go roller blading, or go canoeing, or camping or SOMETHING out of the house. I am SAHM and by Friday night I am READY to get out!!! So saturday is our fun play day, sunday go to church then schelp around for the rest of the day. After playing on Sat, I am ready to veg on Sunday and just hang with hubby and kiddos.

It takes a plan, though to get out, it's easy just to stay home and fuss around, but I feel so much better when I make the effort to get out.

[Vanessa]

I think most couples will end up running errands one day of the weekend. DH suggested we take a long drive yesterday and we ended up near Gettysburg. Just stopped at an outlet (got some cool cookbooks, and more kitchen gadgets)...but it was relaxing. We watched a movie had a leisure breakfast and read etc. Today it was mass, health store then we washed cars and he spent time with some neighboors. I was going to iron but it was so nice we ended up washing the cars. Our original plans were to have a picnic but...Oh well maybe next time.
Many couples we know end up fixing things or running errands during the weekend so don't feel bad :)

[beacooker]

Missi -

Yes, if you had kids it would be different - probably much worse! They wouldn't get time with mommy and daddy together, and your days off would be spent taking care of them on your own. I don't have kids quite yet, but the biggest thing I tried to avoid in making our decision to have them was the fantasy that they would solve our problems.

But years ago, I was in a similar situation with my DH, where I didn't get to see him at all on my days off, and it really did suck. Like you said, friends who are married ususally spend their weekends with their spouse, and single friends usually want to hit the singles bars, so it kind of leaves you lonely. Hopefully you and find a social activity to distract you on your weekends.

[olive101]

JHolcomb,
You are not a loser for doing errands on the weekends. I have hardly been home one weekend this whole summer. DH and I have mostly been going to the beach each weekend. The beach is great but the rest of my life is in chaos! The house has been a mess all summer and I can barely make it to the grocery store. In addition, I just finished (last week) a one year school program. It involved me driving 1 hour each way, class for 3 hours, twice a week. Needless to say, I didn't have any free time during the week to do errands. So now that fall is approaching and my school is finished, I am looking forward some "loser" type weekends. But OH NO, all of a sudden, most of our fall weekends are booked! I do not know how this happens!

The moral of this story is that there are down sides to being busy on the weekends and there are up sides to doing nothing! :)

[GayeC]

Originally posted by Vanessa
I think most couples will end up running errands one day of the weekend. DH suggested we take a long drive yesterday and we ended up near Gettysburg.

I went to college in Gettysburg! It is definitely a good place to visit for a relaxing weekend, or a bike ride or walk on the battlefield, or hot fudge sundaes at the Lincoln Diner..... I digress.

Jen -- you are definitely not a loser. My tendency (and DH's) is to do chores and not do anything fun on the weekend. We have to make an effort and plan ahead to do something fun. On Sunday afternoons we reaaallly like to take a nap, but I hate for the kids to be watching TV all afternoon. So some Sundays we nap but others we plan (that is the key word for us!) a bike ride, or picnic, or other outing to get everyone moving and out of the house. I have to say that on Friday nights we are totally comatose -- get pizza, get a video. We are just so tired on Fridays.

[Missi]

Beacooker---

Thank you for your kind words!!! I am hoping to start a few fun classes at the local community college soon to help get out and meet some new people. I'm sure this will help. And DH and I have NO plans anytime soon to have kids! When we do, I'm going to make sure we have at least one day off together for "family time".

[beejayw1]

Gosh, I hate to step into this thread, but thought I'd put my $.02 in.

I'm single, not involved with anyone, and I work during the week (surprise, surprise!). Many weekends I just hang out and relax (though I do have to do yard work and laundry and such).

But why do people seem to always need someone else to do things with? I found out (had no other choice) that if I wanted to do something, then, by golly, I had to go out and do it.

Just this weekend I was visiting a friend who was recuperating from a breast cancer operation, and I decided to head up to Maine while I was at it. An 'older' couple asked me, in the motel parking lot in Lewiston, if I knew of anything to do around the area. I pulled out my road map and a map of the Maine coast and started to show them where they could do. The wife said, "Oh, do you travel ALONE??" I replied that since I wasn't married, I had no other choice. (It was a pleasant conversation, actually). She seemed envious.

Anyhow, if a hike sounds like a good thing to you and DH just wants to sit down with his feet propped up, why not go for a hike and let him prop up his feet?:) You can compare notes when you get back.