The Hubby Goes Back to School

Pay them enough money and they will steal your husband away!

Back while I was gallivanting around Arizona, Ben officially started his 17th year of school. And regardless of how much I desperately wanted the picture, he straight up refused to take a first day of school picture in his backpack, standing in front of the new house. Oh well, his loss. He began a two year program at Northwestern University called MPD2. Spelled out, that is their Master of Product Design and Development Management program. (In other somewhat related news, their acronym slightly annoys me. Where did the other M go? Really, even if it isn’t as sexy, it should be MPD2M. No one else seems worried about this…) From my understanding, you mash up an MBA with some design engineering courses and throw in some supply chain knowledge and leadership development and you get the MPD2 curriculum.

Since Ben started school, we have been busy navigating this new life style.  I was relatively naive about the amount of time and effort that would be going into Ben's school.  I was warned at his opening meeting, but I breezily dismissed it.  I was wrong.  I was warned and I should have listened.

Most of our recent interactions have been done over the glow of a homework-lit screen.  It's romantic, I guess?

MPD2 has taken over my husband.  Even more incriminating, it has taken over my kitchen table. It's even gone so far as to take over my nights full of newlywed bliss (aka - TV and couch cuddling time).  Let me give you an example:

Things that now occupy the majority of Ben's night:

• Video Conferencing with his team
• Reading, writing (no artihinetic just yet...)
• Football and/or working out

 Things that used to occupy the majority of Ben's night:

• Watching old Frasier reruns with me
• Helping with the dishes
• Football and/or working out.

Needless to say, I'm not exactly thrilled with the new developments.  Ok, now please don't take this the wrong way.  Most of this is said jokingly.  As a disclaimer, I am incredibly proud of my husband.  He's is putting in a lot of effort and taking his school seriously.  He's learned much already, even after just 4 weeks.  I am excited that he is doing this for himself.  I am in full support of him going back to school.  I just also have to battle with inner-selfish Liz.  Inner-selfish Liz wants her husband back.  She wants random conversations and cuddling and someone to hang all the things that require drilling and anchoring.  Honestly, she wants attention.  Most importantly, Inner-selfish Liz doesn't want to be a grad school widow.
 
It's about this time in my bout of self-indulging pity that I hear the ever fateful words of Mr. Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want".  Usually the song gets stuck in my head and I forget what I was complaining about.  At least for the next 14 minutes...