The Perils of a Relationship with a Hobbyist

In case you hadn’t noticed, Chad is a bit of a hobbyist.

He’s always got something going on that takes up all his time. These things include (but are not limited to) hunting, fishing, dirtbiking, snowmobiling, jet skiing, drinking beer, shooting, eating chili dogs, and hating naps.

For those of you who do not have significant others that are addicted to hobbies, let me give you a little information about how it is to live with one.

You frequently make a meal for two and eat by yourself.

There is no such thing as sleeping in on the weekends, there are always fish to catch, deer to hunt, or toys to ride as soon as the sun comes up.

You have to schedule time together. At least 3 days in advance. And never on a full moon.

Summer months are the worst because the days are long, and activities go from sun up to sun down (if not longer).

There is always a cooler outside the front door, ready to grab and toss in the truck (you don’t want your beer getting warm!)

You get really used to being able to watch Say Yes to the Dress and Dance Moms, and then suffer withdrawals when the man of the house actually gets home at a reasonable hour and wants to watch something more manly.

There is sporting goods laying all over the house. You have multiples of everything (ie: one pole for bass, one for trout, and one for bobber down)

Housework falls to the wayside. The only time the empty beer cans get cleaned up is when there isn’t room on any surface to put a fresh beer down.

So to my friends who aren’t familiar with the particular task of dealing with a hobbyist and are suddenly faced with this dilemma, these are my tips:

·         Make sure you have plenty of chick flicks available to watch

·         Don’t expect too much of your man during the prime hobby seasons. All you’re doing is setting yourself up for disappointment.

·         Try to keep your emotions under control. I know, I know, sometimes you want to scream and yell and throw a fit because you aren’t getting any attention. Hold on to these emotions for when you REALLY want something. Otherwise your tears won’t have the desired effect… you will have cried wolf too many times. When you do cash in on all the hours of loneliness, milk it for all it’s worth.

·         Ask to tag along from time to time. He will be happy that you are taking an interest, and he will LOVE being able to “teach” you the tricks of the trades. Not only will you get some time with him, but it will also score you “cool” girlfriend/fiancé/wife points.

I hope this will help you navigate through the life of a hobbyists’ wife!