Panda sent me a funny article about the spouses of furloughed employees and how they’ve had to adjust to different behavior from their partner. It highlighted one woman whose husband is at home now and is cooing with the cat, organizing their CDs, and otherwise staying active with random stuff. She works from home so she really notices the difference. For me, there was quite a change too (I say was because Panda got called back as of yesterday, so now he’s deemed “essential” and they’ve put him back to work). We actually got to enjoy the furlough a bit since we don’t live paycheck to paycheck and I believe Congress agreed to give backpay so we can definitely hold out until the government shutdown finally ends.

One night, I came home to this!

So what was it like for the 9 days that he was home? Well, for one thing the chores got done – floors were vacuumed, clothes were laundered, dishes were washed, and meals were cooked. I got to come home to a hot meal waiting for me quite a few times AND he even got up to cook me breakfast a few mornings. Twice, we were able to eat lunch together. He got to sleep in and get some reading and exercise in. He was able to help me pick up packages from the rental office (I never get home before they close on weekdays). He even had time to help me play a game on my iPad so I can advance faster. 😛 Not too shabby.

Did I enjoy it? You know, it really was nice. I like having a house spouse. I’m not a chores kind of gal so I loved having all that being taken care of. However…

Packages like these could be opened pronto instead of waiting til the weekend!

Once Panda went back to work, I found that I really enjoyed having him look all professional and important as he headed out the door. I liked knowing that he was spending his days interacting with plenty of smart people, working toward a goal. I was comforted that he had that social interaction since sometimes his communication skills need work. 😛 And of course, since he’s the breadwinner of the family, I certainly like knowing he’ll be bringing home a paycheck. After all, our new condo purchase is riding on it! Definitely couldn’t afford the mortgage on my income alone. Still, sometime down the line I’d be totally open to a lifestyle change where he stayed home and took care of the household, if he wanted it. For now, we’re enjoying our DINK (dual income, no kids) status. It’s a nice life. 🙂