Hard workin' man

Nick is gone. No, not forever. He is in WF giving Mom (mine, not his) her belated Christmas present, which is re-tiling her master bathroom. You know, the bathroom of the infamous blue floral wallpaper? This is relevant because I am consequentially living alone, bachlorette style, for a few weeks. However, I do not have a bachlorette lifestyle. Two dogs (Dallas went with Nick), a house, and the equivalent of two full-time jobs definitely constitute a two-person lifestyle. I always knew Nick does a lot around the house, but it has taken his absence for me to really understand how vital he is to my ongoing day-to-day functionality.
So indulge me while I give a shout-out to my invaluable husband. He is my lawn guy, dog groomer, maid, occasional chauffer, bug-killer, dishwasher, psychotherapist, plumber, personal trainer, reluctant shopping partner, and general heavy-lifter. If cheeseball sappiness makes you queasy, you may want to look away for these next few lines. Nick is indeed the love of my life, and I simply couldn't live without him. Yes, I could survive, but it would be with a much less fulfilling lifestyle. Nick's presence in my life is most definitely a gift from the Lord, who just dropped a husband into my unsuspecting lap that fateful Tuesday night in Waco, Texas. Poor guy had no idea what was coming: a lifetime of putting up with me. But God has richly blessed us, and after almost 5 years of marriage, thinking about him still makes me a little giddy. I even still smile when I look at my engagement ring, and Nick still smiles when he looks at me looking at my ring.
So I will spend the next couple weeks persuading the dogs they aren't being abandoned every time I put on shoes and trying hard not to make messes I don't have time to clean up. It's just too bad I can't afford to give Nick a raise when he does come home. At least there's no tax on affection.