Tennis Widower

I am sure most people have heard the term "Football Widow", or at least the term " Widow". Now, I am a fan of American Football (i.e. not the soccer variety), but I am pretty tame about it. I am content to watch/listen (to) it in the background while doing other things. Occasionally I will set aside some time to actually sit down in front of the tube to see a complete game - especially if it is a rare occasion when the Carolina Panthers are playing and the game is being televised in my area. But I think I have run into a whole new twist to this situation. I am what could be called, a Tennis Widower. My beloved loves Tennis. Just before I left for my two week Annual Training the French Open was being played. The finals took place the first weekend I was away. Well, I get home and the Monday of my 'home coming' Wimbledon began. (The Australian Open takes place in early January, and the US Open takes place later this summer - around Labor Day.) So for two weeks before I left, and now for two weeks since I've been home - the house has been completely disheveled. That is not to say that I exect my beloved to take care of it all. I do indeed help out. But that has meant later nights than usual cleaning up from dinner, making sure the kids get their bath/shower, folding laundry, etc. I am also not saying that my beloved just shuts down for these 'Majors' either. It's just that she does not function at full capacity so to speak. :) All of this I don't mind. I enjoy tennis. There are some really good matches to watch, etc. but the kick in the seat of my pants happened this morning. I had the opportunity to essentially take half the weekend off from my National Guard drill (long story, but I would have been able to not show up until 1300 tomorrow, and then get off NLT 0900 Sunday), but I would obviously not get paid for the half I was not their (totally expected and understandable). But when I explained the loss of income to my beloved she told me (in essence), well the women's finals, and the men's semi-finals are tomorrow. It's not like we were going to be doing anything else. ! 8 Wow. So it came down to me making the decision. Lately money has been pretty tight, and we are coming up on vacation time so... I opted to just drive the extra miles and drill for the entire time period. I do not want anyone to read into this more than it really is. If I asked my beloved to skip the finals, she would. We would go off and do whatever it is I would like to do. All the while she would make sure the video recorder was running so she could watch it later. ;) Verse for today:

Psalm 28:6-7, ESV Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.