Considering that Alpha Hubby and I had only known one another for 7 weeks when we got married, you might think there could be trust issues. And, a day or two after we married, he went on night shift for a few weeks. We ended up writing notes on then swapping diskettes with one another. He’d leave one on my desk and I’d answer and leave it in my drawer for him to pick up that evening.
That time was actually pretty valuable because it gave me time to adjust to having an interloper in my house… oh, OK. To being married to my dream man. Those notes were pretty hot, but also very informative. We really got to know one another. There is something about writing that brings out things you may not feel free to say verbally. It was neat. It did help me because I’d been single and alone, taking care of everything for so long, I’d need time to adapt to having someone in my life.
A month after we married, his current contract ran out and he put in for another. At that time, I would sometimes go to bed at the same time he did, sometimes stay up reading awhile. The night before his next contract started, I was up reading.
It was quiet. It was 1:00 a.m. I was reading a murder mystery. Suddenly, I heard this skritching noise. I should interject here that we were remodeling the living room and taking down the cheap Styrofoam-type ceiling tile. The ceiling slanted upward and at the tallest part of the ceiling, a few rows of the tiles were gone and it was simply insulation with the brown backing facing down.
Back to skritching. I heard it and froze. I looked up to the point in the ceiling that I heard it, dread building in me. Something made that noise all the way across the ceiling to a point farthest from me (thank God). Then I heard a scrabbling noise and something fell from out of the insulation.
All I saw was the back of this something. This something was black. This something had a white stripe going down its back. Before that something EVER hit the floor, I shot up off the couch and ran full force to the bedroom.
I burst in the bedroom. I tried to be calm. Thank goodness Alpha Hubby wakes up pretty swiftly if I just call his name.
“Hon, Leland, babe, hey wake up.”
“Huh, what? What’s the matter?”
“A skunk fell out of the ceiling.”
“Um, WHAT?” I’m sure he first thought it was a joke or something.
“A skunk fell out of the ceiling, through the insulation.”
I will give him credit. He moves FAST when it is necessary.
He didn’t ask any more questions or waste anymore time. He jumped up, grabbed his jeans, pulled them on and said to me firmly as he’s shutting the door, “I will take care of this. Do NOT move. Do NOT leave this bedroom no matter what. Stay here and do NOT move, got that?”
Now so many times in romance novels, this is where the heroine begins to act STUPID. She’ll bluster, “Hey! Don’t talk to ME in that tone of voice. Don’t tell ME what to do. Do NOT think you are more capable that I am, buster. I can help you because I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time before YOU came along.”
I am not stupid.
I said, “NO problem!” I sat on the side of the bed praying. I realized his new contract started tomorrow. If he got sprayed by a skunk, he wouldn’t be going in to work. No worky, no money. If the living room got sprayed by skunk, there would be no living in this house for awhile, either. Of COURSE I’m praying.
I didn’t hear anything. The living room wasn’t that far from the bedroom, but there are no noises, no yells, no screams, no anguished “Oh my gosh NO!” cries going on. Nail biting ensued.
In a little bit, he opens the bedroom door unaccompanied by the scent of eau ’de skunk.
“OK,” my conquering hero states, “it’s all taken care of.”
Wow, what? It’s gone? I ask and he shows me what he did. At that time the living room had its own entry coming in from the carport, separate from the main entryway. He opened the LR door, turned on the carport light, laid down dining room chairs across the entry to the dining room as a barrier, and turned off the living room lights. All that skunk saw was a light straight ahead, and he headed straight outside without detours and scent freak-outs.
Later on my hero said to me how grateful he was that I instantly did what he asked without question or argument. It gave him the ability to concentrate on what needed to be done without distraction. He appreciated that I trusted him to take care of the problem.
Sure, he can be a bossy-britches and often tries to herd me like a cattle dog. Sometimes I do have to stand up and say, “HEY quit treating me like that” or “Quit talking to me that way” in order to keep him from forcing me to do EVERY BLASTED LITTLE THING ON GOD’S GREEN EARTH HIS WAY.
But he makes it all OK when he reminds me that he married me because he knew I was a strong woman and that he couldn’t run all over me with his dominating personality. He loves my strength. Yes, you do, babe, quit making faces.
I do trust Alpha Hubby with my life, my heart, and to know what is right for our family. I poke at, prod and push him sometimes, but when it comes to important things, I will do what he asks of me, immediately, without hesitation or question. I trust him completely.
So yes, a skunk can teach you to trust. Or else it was just that I knew my limitations in dealing with strange animals.
OK babe, you gotta give me credit. I didn’t touch that last line… and I could have. You KNOW I could have! And no matter what, skunks, snakes, mice, or super worms, I’m in this love together, with you!
And don’t EVEN get me started on the insane baby possum in the bathroom.
7 weeks! Awesome. I think that people can be engaged for 7 years and not know one another. As long as all the “goods” are there, it takes many years of commitment to get to know and love each other forever.
We celebrate our 50th next month and it’s taken us all that time to refine our relationship. Keeping in mind that we were growing up and changing all along- It’s like mercury.
7 weeks! Awesome. I think that people can be engaged for 7 years and not know one another. As long as all the “goods” are there, it takes many years of commitment to get to know and love each other forever.
We celebrate our 50th next month and it’s taken us all that time to refine our relationship. Keeping in mind that we were growing up and changing all along- It’s like mercury.
I’ll try again…having left one comment it has been chomped by the comment box-grr.
Just wanted to say that I have sneakily and quiety been following your fab blog for ages now, so i was chuffed to bits when you dropped by the other day and left me a lovely comment. I have always enjoyed coming here. You have some top posts.
So, here I am writing a comment back to let you know a weird person from the UK is reading and enjoying.
Warm wishes
Carol aka facing 50
I’ll try again…having left one comment it has been chomped by the comment box-grr.
Just wanted to say that I have sneakily and quiety been following your fab blog for ages now, so i was chuffed to bits when you dropped by the other day and left me a lovely comment. I have always enjoyed coming here. You have some top posts.
So, here I am writing a comment back to let you know a weird person from the UK is reading and enjoying.
Warm wishes
Carol aka facing 50
Hello from a chuffed Facing 50 – I’ve been sneakily (and quietly) following your blog for ages and love reading your posts so I was very honoured when you dropped by the other day and left a lovely comment for me.
Thought I’d let you know that I am here, lurking in the backgroiund – but don’t worry, I’m not a stalker!
Hugs and warm wishes from Carol aka facing 50
Hello from a chuffed Facing 50 – I’ve been sneakily (and quietly) following your blog for ages and love reading your posts so I was very honoured when you dropped by the other day and left a lovely comment for me.
Thought I’d let you know that I am here, lurking in the backgroiund – but don’t worry, I’m not a stalker!
Hugs and warm wishes from Carol aka facing 50
hello! 7 weeks! that’s so romantic… following you via SITS… happy weekend! malia
hello! 7 weeks! that’s so romantic… following you via SITS… happy weekend! malia
Without trust in a relationship, you have nothing. The two of you have it all……
I’m a teary-eyed. Isn’t love grand? You two inspire!
Without trust in a relationship, you have nothing. The two of you have it all……
I’m a teary-eyed. Isn’t love grand? You two inspire!
Hey, if someone (even Charlie Manson) tells me he will take care of a skunk……….I’ll let him. Of course, I would lock the bedroom door after he left too. LOL Just kidding. Sometimes discretion IS the better part of valor.
Hey, if someone (even Charlie Manson) tells me he will take care of a skunk……….I’ll let him. Of course, I would lock the bedroom door after he left too. LOL Just kidding. Sometimes discretion IS the better part of valor.
I completely get it. While I am proudly independent (at least thats my story and I’m stickin’ to it) I would follow a directive from Mr. Wilson in a heartbeat in an emergency situation…what’s the point if I wouldn’t?
The great thing is that I think he would do the same with me.
While I love our “clearly defined roles”, we also have to be adaptable and trusting enough to shed them if need be.
Glad no one got stinky:)
I completely get it. While I am proudly independent (at least thats my story and I’m stickin’ to it) I would follow a directive from Mr. Wilson in a heartbeat in an emergency situation…what’s the point if I wouldn’t?
The great thing is that I think he would do the same with me.
While I love our “clearly defined roles”, we also have to be adaptable and trusting enough to shed them if need be.
Glad no one got stinky:)
I do give you credit, when I tell you what to do in a situation you obey to the letter. Remember the time when I yelled “stop” and you and Josh stopped in your tracks. If you had ignored me one of you would have been bitten by a copper head. But because you obeyed, I was able to stomp it to death before it could make a move. Obeying is not just to save your life but it could save mine or keep me from getting hurt. You can deal with strange animals just fine, after all, you have me. How much stranger can it get? And I am the scariest thing around. At least we didn’t stop and have sex in the middle of the skunk incident like you tell me they do in romance novels. That is sick, who would do that or who could even get in the mood? Oh, we are about to die, lets have sex!! That is last thing on my mind. I am going to attack and win then the damsel can faint into my arms but only after I am sure the bad guy is deadddddd! None of this getting up and coming back and attacking. I mean deadddd! As in not breathing, no blood left in the body. Then you can fall into my arms. And by the way, that herding you like a cattle dog, maybe that could come to some funnnnnnnn! Selah baby!
I do give you credit, when I tell you what to do in a situation you obey to the letter. Remember the time when I yelled “stop” and you and Josh stopped in your tracks. If you had ignored me one of you would have been bitten by a copper head. But because you obeyed, I was able to stomp it to death before it could make a move. Obeying is not just to save your life but it could save mine or keep me from getting hurt. You can deal with strange animals just fine, after all, you have me. How much stranger can it get? And I am the scariest thing around. At least we didn’t stop and have sex in the middle of the skunk incident like you tell me they do in romance novels. That is sick, who would do that or who could even get in the mood? Oh, we are about to die, lets have sex!! That is last thing on my mind. I am going to attack and win then the damsel can faint into my arms but only after I am sure the bad guy is deadddddd! None of this getting up and coming back and attacking. I mean deadddd! As in not breathing, no blood left in the body. Then you can fall into my arms. And by the way, that herding you like a cattle dog, maybe that could come to some funnnnnnnn! Selah baby!
Brilliant man you have there. No offense to mine, he’s a darling fellow, but I think he and I would both have ended up skunked that night.
Brilliant man you have there. No offense to mine, he’s a darling fellow, but I think he and I would both have ended up skunked that night.
Oh my gosh! That is too funny! We have had our fair share of animals…. When we were first married you should have seen Hunk after the mouse…… Seriously, my house was a mess and ended with one mouse outside and a small hole in my wall…… My hero. ha ha
Oh my gosh! That is too funny! We have had our fair share of animals…. When we were first married you should have seen Hunk after the mouse…… Seriously, my house was a mess and ended with one mouse outside and a small hole in my wall…… My hero. ha ha
So, so glad that skunk didn’t get his dander up and spray! Oh, what an awful smell!
Alpha hubbies come in very handy!
Major awful!!! My dogs used to get sprayed….. of course then they wanted to rub up on us. lol
So, so glad that skunk didn’t get his dander up and spray! Oh, what an awful smell!
Alpha hubbies come in very handy!
Major awful!!! My dogs used to get sprayed….. of course then they wanted to rub up on us. lol
i still can’t over the fact that a skunk fell through your ceiling? I thought skunks stayed on the ground? I didn’t realized the climbed! lol
btw…thanks for dropping by my blog!
i still can’t over the fact that a skunk fell through your ceiling? I thought skunks stayed on the ground? I didn’t realized the climbed! lol
btw…thanks for dropping by my blog!
~~I can always click to your page, Nan, to get a good laugh…. and the strong scent of eggs or skunk!! HA HA xxx
~~I can always click to your page, Nan, to get a good laugh…. and the strong scent of eggs or skunk!! HA HA xxx
I’m back! Did you miss me? I took time off from the computer. Anyway, I am having trouble getting over that visual where he is herding you like a cattle dog. Is that a new sex game? And what’s with all the gross things like super worms and baby possums. Where do you live? Elm Street? Like “Nightmare on…?”
I’m back! Did you miss me? I took time off from the computer. Anyway, I am having trouble getting over that visual where he is herding you like a cattle dog. Is that a new sex game? And what’s with all the gross things like super worms and baby possums. Where do you live? Elm Street? Like “Nightmare on…?”
This is one of my favorite songs from back then. You always have great music. And I can’t believe a skunk fell out of your ceiling like that. You must have been completely freaked out. And I can’t believe he came up with a solution that fast. I would have been stumbling around trying to wake up. Great post, as usual!
This is one of my favorite songs from back then. You always have great music. And I can’t believe a skunk fell out of your ceiling like that. You must have been completely freaked out. And I can’t believe he came up with a solution that fast. I would have been stumbling around trying to wake up. Great post, as usual!
OK, Leland — that was really, really smart!
I guess the point of this — trust — was what i was supposed to get from it, but I’m still stuck on, “WOW, Leland, that was super clever.”
🙂
Go AH.
OK, Leland — that was really, really smart!
I guess the point of this — trust — was what i was supposed to get from it, but I’m still stuck on, “WOW, Leland, that was super clever.”
🙂
Go AH.
That is such a clever way to get the skunk out! I really like how to appreciate your husband and give him credit when credit is due.
Also I wanted to thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving your lovely comment. It was really nice.
That is such a clever way to get the skunk out! I really like how to appreciate your husband and give him credit when credit is due.
Also I wanted to thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving your lovely comment. It was really nice.
Bert likes to watch old westerns. He was watching one the other day (Audie Murphy) where the hero tells the woman to stay put … and I commented that it was a sure sign that she would wind up in the middle of main street in the line of fire. She did too! 🙂 I’m glad you didn’t!
Bert likes to watch old westerns. He was watching one the other day (Audie Murphy) where the hero tells the woman to stay put … and I commented that it was a sure sign that she would wind up in the middle of main street in the line of fire. She did too! 🙂 I’m glad you didn’t!