I’m addicted to my work: I’m addicted to writing. I’m addicted to email, the internet, Twitter (& Perez Hilton). I’ve been accused of having an affair with my Blackberry and with my social media friends. (The accusation actually didn’t come from my beloved wife, Patti, but she nodded her head in agreement and gave me that one-eyebrow-up knowing look in response.)

And, said wife implored me to keep my work at work. Instead of waking up and checking my BB before kissing anyone good morning and jumping onto my MacBook and carrying my laptop home ‘after work’ and setting it on the kitchen counter so that I could keep working into the night because I ‘just have to’ finish one more thing - she asked me simply to be at home.

I listened, and I’ve done a pretty good job of changing my behavior. I do check the Berry, but only when I’m expecting something really important, when no one’s paying attention to me anyway or when I’m in the bathroom - where I believe I can do whatever I damn well please. And I don’t turn on my computer at home during family time.

So, imagine my surprise when, over the last few weeks, Patti has been on her laptop non-stop. When I come in during the day to get water, snacks or lunch. While we’re making dinner. While we’re eating dinner!

My response? Well, I reverted back to preschool, of course. “Why do you get to be on your computer non-stop when I’m not allowed to be?” I demanded. (okay, I whined.)

Here’s the part where I get schooled.

Her immediate response was, well, to be really pissed. And, then, the next day. She sat me down and gave me a list of all the things she’s working on. Want to see it?

And that’s just the first side…the back is just as filled. And Photo Booth on my Mac is not smart enough to take a picture that isn’t a mirror image, so it’s ass backwards, sort of like me - but you get the point.

Apparently, while I have 8+ hours to come out here to my little writer’s haven, she has to get 50 million things done at home (including starting her own business, scheduling the Common House we share with 15 other families, serving on the board of our kids’ preschool, taking a shower and on and on and on) with two toddlers running around (they only go to school 1 day a week). So, I can’t come home and keep working, but she can and must work whenever and wherever she possibly can.

I get it. I done been schooled.

Image courtesty of Gareth Lofthouse