FIrst World Problems

For years, my husband, when completely annoyed with someone complaining about something that isn't really something to complain about, in frustration says to me later, "First World Problems".  You know, those things we take for granted that we feel, as Americans, we are entitled to complain about.

Like, health care (at least we have it), the ac going out (as if!), McDonald's making you fat (no one made you go through the drive through), that sort of thing.  Well, guess what!?  I have some of my own first world things to complain about....and be grateful for at the same time.

First?  I have had a cold for three weeks.  I thought I kicked it, but it's come back with a vengeance and is attacking my eye.  Red, swollen, icky and sealed shut with boogers for the last three mornings.  But, it's just a cold.  I could have malaria or something so I won't complain too much.  I just wish I had darker sunglasses.

Second?  We've lived in our new house getting close to two years with inherited appliances.  The appliances are not the quality we had in our last home and are kind of a pain in the butt, especially the dishwasher.  It's been serviced.  It's been finicky.  It quit washing dishes.  Everything had to be washed twice, washed by hand after a cycle, or left with a grimy coating of soap and cooties.  I mean seriously.  A dishwasher not working!  Oh the humanity.

Last Wednesday, after it hadn't cleaned the dishes when we ran it over night, and it hadn't cleaned the dishes when run again in the morning I texted Ross and said I was done and that the dishwasher had to go.  And, I'm not even the one who deals with the dishes regularly.  Loading and unloading is a husbandly job if I ever saw one.  

Thank heavens for hard working, agreeable, bonus check earning husbands!  In less than two hours Ross bought a new dishwasher (over the phone), paid for it (over the phone), and arranged for a delivery and installation (over the phone).  Dave, the handyman brought the machine to my house promptly at noon last Friday and had it installed in 45 minutes.  

Heaven.  That's how awesome it is.  Ross was so excited that he did four loads of dishes on Friday night alone.

Third?  My husband is on a quick work trip spanning the hours of four days, but the timeline of 5 days. He is in Geneva, Switzerland with a 4 hour tourist layover in Paris yesterday, on Sunday.  I know that he really likes the amazing travel opportunities he's had in the last year and a half.  Australia, Chile, Argentina, Paris, and Geneva; not bad for a year and a half.  I also know that he misses us.  I also know that four days is a drop in the bucket.  My cousin's husband has been gone for two weeks of an 8 month Navy reserve deployment to Afghanistan.  One of my neighbors home schools her kids and is alone every single week while her husband travels for work.

Four days is nothing.  But holy cow.  Four days is hard.  I'm lucky that I've got my parentals to hang out with.  I'm lucky that my brother rode to and from a family party last night to help me with the boys. I'm lucky that my boys are so good and that it's really not that big of a deal.  I'm lucky that we have enough going on during the day to keep us busy.

But, absence does make the heart fonder and I miss my husband.  I miss what a good baby holder he is.  I miss how helpful he is on Sunday with the boys.  I miss talking to him at night before I fall asleep to the glow of my sister wife in his hand.

Like I said though.  First world problems.  I can deal and roll and all that jazz.