Dealing with the Ex: Mr. Charming

This post might be more dangerous than any other.  Why, you ask?  Well, because a long time ago, someone told me I'm still in love with the Ex.  WHAT?!

Mr. Charming.  Many people can see the intelligence and charm right away.  Eventually the jerk can be seen, but until then, Mr. C is IN.  Don't get me wrong.  Mr. C will not win me back.  But, oh, how I miss the intellectual conversations!

I just texted back and forth with Mr. C for about half an hour.  About phone carriers.  Cell phones.  POT PIES.  Now I find myself wanting to send him the recipe for my pot pies, which Patrick says is the best thing he's ever eaten.  I know if I sent it I'd ask him to tell me how to spice it right, because that's my weakness in recipes.  The running joke in our marriage was that Mr. C could take cat food and sawdust and make a gourmet meal.  There were so many times when I'd look in the cupboards and couldn't find anything to make, and Mr. C would walk in there and whip something up that was DE-LISH.

Honestly, though, the root of his problems is sex.  Call it sex addiction if you'd like (I don't, he does), but if he just kept him thing in his pants, things would have been better.  Mr. Charming.

Still a jerk.

Vacations and Surprises

Patrick was gone for two weeks on his vacation to my parents.  Technically it was supposed to be both my parents and my sister, but my sister had something come up.  And Patrick was at a camp for a few days too.  I've really had some angst about the visits because there aren't any kids on their block and my parents don't really know people who could do play dates.  And my mom is all about unplugging.  I figured Patrick would be bored out of his gourd!

Turns out....I was wrong.

After picking Patrick up from camp, they spent a night at home.  Then they took their camper to a kid friendly camp.  (Dad must have just loved that.)  They had a really good time though.  Patrick got to ride his bike around the campground without fear.  The campground owners gave some kind of rides to the kids too, but Patrick wasn't real clear on that part of the story.

Once home, Grandma took him on the different nature trails in the area to ride bikes.  Grandpa spent time with him in several ways.  Once they spent 45 minutes watching a pile driver out on a country road.  He helped Patrick build an erector set digger, which took a few days.  He played miniature golf.  He allowed Patrick to play with a remote controlled boat, which unfortunately sunk when Patrick tried to launch it with his hand.  Patrick ended up wading pretty far into the pond to get it back out!

I, on the other hand, worked.  I finally let my bosses and co-workers know that I would be giving back some of the work I've taken on in the last few years because I couldn't keep up with the "traditional" job duties.  And that my hands hurt.  A lot.  So my goal is to hand back work that is not mine to do.  Wish me luck, because I'm sitting here typing this and getting ready to do it!  I also went to a movie -- The Heat with Sandra Bullock.  Hilarious!

But I digress.  Back to the vacation part.
I don't recall having fun with my dad.  There's a very real possibility that we miniature golfed.  Once.  I just don't remember.  I remember the work and chores quite clearly.  Handing him tools, baling hay, mucking stalls, picking up sticks.  I probably would've been the kind to enjoy watching a pile driver for 45 minutes.  (I have spent more than that watching cool things with Patrick - like a paver, and the railroad repair equipment.  Now THAT was cool!)

While I wish I had more memories of having fun with my dad, I'm eternally grateful Patrick has had those experiences with him.  My parents are in their 70's and the whole family is thinking there may not be too many more years like this one.