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The Pursuit of Happiness (earplugs required)

By Robin Kaye


Lately, it seems as if the only thing I’ve pursued is an hour of peace and quiet. My life has been a little out of control—especially on the weekends. My daughter, Twinkle Toes, is in Central Pennsylvania at dance camp for five weeks and needs to be picked up every Saturday morning. My son, a Boy Scout Camp Counselor for seven weeks, needs to be picked up every Saturday afternoon on the Eastern boarder of Pennsylvania and Maryland, making it a four and a half hour loop from start to finish.

We then feed the Boy Scout the equivalent of a week’s worth of food, help him do his laundry, and return him to work no later than noon on Sunday—only a three hour drive round trip. For Twinkle Toes, it’s an early Monday morning run to Central PA. My husband and I do ten and a half hours of driving in three days. It is no wonder I’m having such a difficult time getting anything done.

If the driving wasn’t enough to get to me, the state of my household would. A few weeks ago, my Domestic God/husband received a call from his mother telling him she was sending us furniture. So, after ten years of using my living room as a storage shed, my husband was on task and finishing it so that we’ll have a place for his mother’s furniture. (I won’t mention that my grandmother’s furniture has been waiting under sheets for the living room to be finished since we moved in.)

At first, I was a bit peeved that one phone call from his mother could do what I hadn’t been able to accomplish for ten years, but then what was the point? At least the living room was taking shape and not a moment too soon. After I thought about it, I was thrilled that my days of getting kicked out of my own office so DH and one or more of my kids could watch a Harry Potter marathon were numbered.

Right now, I’m writing my blog while sitting on my bed with ear plugs in so that I can drown out the blaring of a Harry Potter movie coming from my office, the Friends DVD playing on a computer in my dining room, and Rock Band – the Beatles version being slaughtered in my family room.

I guess the pursuit of happiness for me requires earplugs. And, now that I am blissfully deaf, I’ve finally found an hour of peace and quiet to write this blog.

“Huh? What did you say? I can’t hear you dear. I have my earplugs in.”

Comments

  1. Oh, Robin, I know so well, being in the middle of writing a hot, sexy scene with the tv on in the background, or my daughter or son would decide to have a discussion right when I was in the middle of a scene. I'd always stop if they wanted to talk, anxiously hoping I could get back into the scene without any problem. I never did earplugs...but that's really not a bad idea!

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  2. I can't imagine how those of you living in the swirling cacophony of family write at all!
    The need for earplugs doesn't surprise me.
    These days I live on the other end of the noise spectrum.
    I used to hear people say they turned on the TV just so there would be some noise, and I'd think, what is wrong with that person? Don't they know silence is a blessing?
    But now, in the evenings, I do the same thing.

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  3. I 'hear' you Robin. My house is friend central for my kids (okay, so I have adopted them over the years) but now my husband is home too and trying to find the time and the proper mood to write is crazy. I guess the saying "Summertime and the living is easy" is just a legend. I guess I may have to take my lap top and buy a cup of coffee or two at the local cafe to get some inspiration.

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  4. Robin, it might be annoying but it certainly makes a cute story!Thanks for sharing a bit of your hectic family life. It made me smile because I remembered the days of my children's youth. When they have homes of their own you realized they grew up far to quickly.

    Amelia

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  5. A wonderful amusing post Robin.
    Kids are noisy aren't they? It's hard to imagine we miss my son when he's not around because he makes his presence felt when he's home. Hope that driving doesn't wear you out. LOL on the furniture.
    Ciao bella & take care.

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  6. Dearest Robin, I thank God everytime I read a blog like yours (even though I did laugh my rump off!) that my child is now 21 & out out of the house. His friends feared me, but still came over to our place over all others....yes I said feared, hey it kept the little monsters in line! As much as I love my Son, I don't miss a moments of the madness. Though there are times when the cat box needs cleaning and the garbage needs taken out, that I do miss him a tad. lol

    Good luck with all the driving, just be careful.

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  7. Hi Terry~

    I remember being interrupted by my 4 year-old (okay, this was 9 years ago) My computer was in the family room and she was watching Teletubbies, and asked me for apple juice. I said "Sure, just let me finish writing this sex scene." She happily went back to Tinky Winky and when my son came down for something, she said. "Mom will help us just as soon as she finishes writing her sex scene." LOL He was about 8 at the time and sat down to join in the Teletubbies fun until I was finished.

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  8. Hi Mary Margaret,

    I usually don't mind it, but will be very happy to have my office to myself once the living room is finished. It's going to be interesting to see whose furniture winds up where...

    The other day, I put in my earplugs when DH was watching TV and it took me a while to figure out that the whole time I was working, he was carrying on a discussion with me. LOL

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  9. Loni~ Thanks for dropping by! Now you know why I drop my daughter off at dance and plan to spend the rest of the day writing at my favorite Starbucks! I thank my baristas in every book. I've written three books at my Carlisle Crossing Starbucks and I'm happily sitting here now and plan to stay until closing. Sure, it's an hour and a half away from home, but sometimes that's a good thing!

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  10. Amelia~ I know what you mean when you say they grow up too quickly. Last week my Husband picked up my son from camp. He'll turn 17 this month, I looked at him and said "Oh my God! You have a man neck!" In one week, he went from having a boy neck, with bobbing Adams apple, to a thick man neck! How did that happen?

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  11. Mary~ Hello girlfriend! I do miss the kids when they're gone but the animals make up for the noise deficit though. I swear, I have the loudest cat known to man! He's the three-legged bengal in Breakfast in Bed--only he doesn't drink coffee like Tripod, unfortunately that's the only thing fictional about Tripod/Raja.

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  12. Hi Jessica~ Driving for me is nothing. I used to drive my daughter back and forth to Dance (3 hours round trip) five or six days a week. I would just love to have the kids all in once place for more than 12 hours at a time. Next weekend my DH goes down to Florida to pick up the furniture, so I'm on my own with the Mommy Taxi. I will be happy when summer is over and all I have to do is wake the kids up and make sure they make the bus...

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  13. Enjoy your new living room. Now that you know your MIL is an effective husband-motivator, I'm sure you can find a way to use that to your advantage.

    I've never used earplugs, but blaring my iPod through earphones does happen on occasion. Happy writing!

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  14. Hi Olivia~ I think once all the drywall dust settles and we get some paint on the walls, it's going to be great, especially once we put the TV in there. As for the MIL - she doesn't like me much so if she knew she was helping me, I'm sure she'd stop. LOL You'd think after 20 years she'd be used to me...

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  15. I've always been thankful that my "office" is in my bedroom at the back of the house away from most foot traffic and noise. If I had to be in the middle of everything, I wouldn't have written a single word.
    Glad your living room is finally becoming what it was intended to be; a place to live.

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  16. Despite the fact that my kids each have rooms full of toys and a downstairs playroom filled with even more stuff, the one place they want to be is my office. I have an office chair that spins around - and that provides more hours of entertainment than anything else I've ever bought. Too bad it is supposed to be for my bottom and not their amusement!

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  17. Great post Robin--I might have to use your idea of earplugs, just for a little time to myself!

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  18. Earplugs became my lifesaver many years ago for sleeping in the daytime. Can't live without them!

    Robin, your life is crazier than mine by far, so I shall no longer complain.
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    .
    .
    Ah heck, who am I kidding? I will still complain.....

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