Yeah, I'd try to hook up with the woman and kids and avoid the husband at all costs. Does her husband work days? Oh, Frisco's early bedtime means you can't meet up for dinner or in the evenings, but a morning out with the kids would be great!

DH admits to me very sheepishly that he LOVES it when he comes home and dinner is ready--but that really only happens about 20-30% of the time.

My college roommate would often have dinner waiting for me when I got home. He actually did this before we were even roommates if he knew I'd be coming over.

To this day, one of the sweetest memories I have of being in college is walking into Stephen's room and finding his desk cleared of all books and set up with a chicken salad sandwich (smuggled out of the dining hall) and a cup of coffee (free in the lounge) on a napkin place-mat.

Frisco's early bedtime means you can't meet up for dinner or in the evenings

This really is one of the greatest things about kids. I mean, his bed time really is 7:00 and you can tell when he's out past that time.

And then there's my situation, where I've had well-meaning but utterly condescending people tell me what a "catch" I am simply because I love baseball.

I got told I was a "great wife" because I went on this motorcycling trip with Jason. Now, I don't think I would go motorcycling if I didn't know him in the first place, but I wouldn't go on a week long trip if I didn't like it on my own. Exploring his interests is like a bonus with purchase for me--being with him brings along cool stuff for me to explore. I know he feels the same.

I recently researched a team someone liked in order to have a topic of conversation next time I saw him.

I even attempted to borrow a jersey so he'd see me wearing it from stage in order to facilitate hanging out with him after the show and talking -- but the jersey's owner refused on moral grounds. The whole thing was hysterical.

I found him anyway and we had plenty of stuff to talk about even without my research.

Stephanie, I think I'd avoid the couple in DC. It sucks but I don't think you can totally count on the husband not being there. I have major issues with my cousin's husband and he sometimes shows up when I thought I'd made a husband-proof plan. You just can't be sure unless you say, "Don't bring your husband," which is tough to do.

DW does the cooking in our house and I clean it up.

Yeah, Seska, PCA drama. Unfortunately, let's call her "Lloyd", has decided to get pregnant and leave my employ. Which may well be par for the course apart from the fact that after two years, she leaves me a voice-mail?! Class. I feel like Carrie Bradshaw getting broken-up-with via post-it.

Which may well be par for the course apart from the fact that after two years, she leaves me a voice-mail?! Class. I feel like Carrie Bradshaw getting broken-up-with via post-it.

Awesome. I had a PCA just stop turning up for work, forever - she turned her phone off permanently - but she'd only been working for me about a month. Two years with nothing but a voicemail is really shoddy.

I mean, my keen detective instincts were telling me that there was something keeping her head out of the game, but as good as my gut is, I couldn't just call the agency and blame my spider-sense. But I was right. Yay?

hm ... lots going on.

First, yay for MM! and yay for billytea and good in-laws and new baby!

The helpless male thing annoys me, but since it doesn't affect me it's kind of moot. In my family, my father was very insistant on traditional gender roles - he didn't clean inside, but took care of the garden and outdoors things. He felt it was a great injustice he had to make his own breakfast (it was 5am! ack!) and insisted on a hot meal every evening. My mother hated housework of any sort and pushed as much of it on me as possible ... except cooking, which might have improved things (I used to look forward to lunch at the school cafeteria).