I think I’m going to go seriously bonkers if I don’t get out of the house sometime soon. For the past 2 months I’ve basically been stuck here, because of illness, bad weather, or some combination of the two. Yesterday was the first sunny day we’ve had in a long time, but did I get to go out? Noooo. My son picked that day, of all days, to come down with a case of explosive diarhea. I know it’s not his fault, but it’s still damn frustrating.
Even worse, I came up with the brilliant idea to take a weekend and go traveling somewhere all by myself. I’m 25 years old and have never traveled alone, so I was really looking forward to it. But then, last night I found out that my husband has to be out of town almost constantly until the middle of February, so now I can’t go because I have nobody to look after our son.
Intellectually, I know that things will be better soon, the sun will shine again, blah blah blah; but emotionally I’m a basket case. I feel like my mind & body are turning into sludge. Does anybody else feel this way? Or, more importantly, would any of my Straight Dope friends mind babysitting for a few hours? My sanity is at stake here, please help!
Picture yourself on a boat on a river,
with tangerine trees and marmelade skies…
Kick the hubby and kid downstairs, scrape up a couple of mellow CDs, candles, munchies, a bottle of wine and adjourn to a hot bath for a couple of hours.
I can really sympathize. I am a younger mother and well, not getting out or traveling alone is something you are allowed to be frustrated about.
When I would start to feel that way I would bundle up ‘the boy’ and go to the mall or a park (in better weather). Anyway point is you don’t have to stay in the house because of him, unless of course there is the ‘explosive’ thing.
So when it rains see a cartoon movie at the theater. Snow? Take him outside and have a snowball fight or…better yet, go sledding.
And the second March comes around take off for a well-deserved weekend alone.
“Let me fall out of the window with confetti in my hair…”
Tom Waits
I hear you, tatertot. It really doesn’t help that when you’re this far north, there is a serious lack of light in the air in winter. This used to be my favorite time of year, but it seems to hit me harder and earlier with every year that passes.
If you can’t get away by yourself in the next couple of months, how about a day trip? Drive out to the Alsace and soak up a change in surroundings, or check yourself into a spa and don’t leave until you’re had a facial, a manicure and pedicure, and a full-body aromatherapy body massage.
The winter blahs suck mud, but try to hang onto the thought of long, long summer days!
Good night, that’s what happens when you post without reading carefully. I thought you had said that your husband had to stick around work pretty much until the middle of February, not be out of town. Ignore my second paragraph above.
Ahem. If you have no chance of getting away on your own at all in the next six weeks or so, then why not make plans for that first free weekend? I find that when I’m stuck in a wretched time, it helps immeasurably to have something to look forward to. Fix the dates with your husband, look through a travel guide or two and find things that intrigue you, and make up an itinerary.
In the meantime, when the weather is lousy, think up something fun to do with your son indoors, like head out to an indoor pool (obviously, wait until that explosive thing has run its course). When the weather is sunny, try to get outside as much as possible – playground, zoo, or park. Bad Homburg has both the Taunustherme and the Seedammbad, and Frankfurt has the Palmengarten and a kick-ass zoo. (Both a little north of you, I know.)
When it seems darkest, repeat the mantra: Spring WILL come. Spring WILL come. Spring WILL come.
I feel lots better now, I just needed to vent and put things in perspective. Like Shantih said, the winters here are very dark and sometimes I have these days where I just feel equally depressed and bitter.
Usually, I don’t let that stop me, but these past two months have been very tough on the tatertot family. We all had very serious cases of the flu, followed by sinus infections, ear infections, stomach viruses, you name it, we caught it. It seems like my son is going to be fine tomorrow, so I’m going to try and do something fun, even if it is just going out for coffee and cake.
I had planned on going to Munich for some serious museum-surfing, but now that Shantih mentions it, Bad Homburg sounds pretty tempting. I am so excited! I’ll get to do exactly what I want to do for an entire weekend. And none of what I don’t want to. And best yet, I’ve vowed not to do anything to get my husband ready for his weekend of being the sole parent. In the past, I’ve always made casseroles, laid out clothes, ect, when I’ve left them alone, but this time I’m not going to do a dang thing. I think this will give him a new appreciation of me and all that I do.
BTW, Shantih, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we are planning on having a Doper get together in Amsterdam around the 30th of April. We’d love to have you there!
Good for you, tatertot. He used to feed himself before you two got together, right? He can figure it all out for himself again. Just make sure he knows where the diapers and wipes are.
I’d love to join you all in April, but wouldn’t you know, I’ll be in America then! I swear, I’m not skipping the continent just to avoid you all. Lift a glass of something foamy for me!
I was only in Munich the one time, but I loved it – the people were so friendly, and there was so much to see. Mind, the contrast to Hamburg could only put it in a good light.
Hey, lay off ChiefScott guys! Now that I think about it, it was foolish and self-centered of me to complain about being cooped up, when our very own ChiefScott is stuck on a ship somewhere in the middle of the ocean. If showing his feminine side gives him a little comfort, then who are we to judge?
I spent several years in Germany and can commiserate. I remember that we had two weeks of summer. Once. The rest of the year(s) was fog-shrouded and dreary.
Heidelberg was the neatest place I visited, and Garmisch can be fun.
By the way, the above mantra ain’t necessarily true. As I recall, the climate in Germany was more often like late fall or winter year round.
