Rule 056 | Never Change A Policy While Your Partner Is Out Of Town
Two months apart has taken a serious toll on the Pepper’s connection, so they do what ALL married millennials do: they talk about it on their podcast! The Peppers have discussed the topic of work travel in the past, but this latest experience has easily been the hardest one so far. Jessie makes massive changes to the house policies while Gerard is away, and this results in the need to ban an entire phrase from her vocabulary.
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In the meantime, come hang out with us on twitter or instagram and see below for this week's handy show notes...
QUICK BITES:
Jessie admits that her life (while pretending to be a savvy-single woman) is vastly different from her life when Gerard is still in town.
Can Lifestyle Design be considered a healthy coping mechanism? You be the judge.
The Peppers discuss how the latest binge-worthy TV show is a mini-series called Big Little Lies. (Pretty ironic that Jessie *almost* catches Gerard in one while they’re talking about it.) In case you decide to check it out for yourself, please be warned that there ARE gratuitous sex scenes (and some violence) up ahead.
Jessie fesses up to her treat-yourself splurges: expensive workout classes, fancier-than-normal groceries, and spoiling Sadie with new puppy toys. There could be far worse vices, but her revengeful attitude is a little unnerving.
Gerard acknowledges that their “cushion” has worn extremely thin... Probably more accurate to say that the cushion has been blown to smithereens, and they are currently trying to rebuild the house that once surrounded the cushion. As you might expect, abandonment issues abound.
Tune in to the following past episodes for more about navigating work + travel as a couple: how to love your partner through a rewards point addiction, keeping yourself entertained while one spouse is away, and what to do if you feel like a work-widow.
Part of the challenge from the duo’s time apart was caused by the stress of Jessie’s recent Kickstarter campaign -- A business project that no entrepreneur should have to go alone!
Gerard (accidentally) blurts out that his least favorite part about the travel was when he actually had to come back home to the tension each week. Everyone makes a note that insulting your wife is not the best way to woo her into quality time.
Jessie explains how her routine is different while Gerard is gone, and the two begin to hunt for a solution to running the house in a more streamlined way at all times. Basically, Gerard needs to do a better job of keeping up with the chores and Jessie needs to offer up WAY more grace than she has in the past.
There are STILL dishes in the sink as these show notes are being recorded. Not much has changed since we talked about this in Ep 44: Wine Glasses Are Not Meant To Be Washed By Hand.
Gerard explains the unfairness of Jessie changing the policy while he was away and he begs her to ditch the exclamatory approach.
The Peppers have big plans to repair their relationship by filling the Summer with joy and adventure together... This is the perfect pursuit as they launch into The MIF Summer Travel Series!
TRIGGER QUESTIONS:
- What is your favorite way to indulge while your partner is out of town?
- When has been the hardest time period in your entire marriage? What has allowed you to heal from that experience?
- What is one phrase that you wish you could BAN from your partner’s entire vocabulary?