As I clean my kitchen this morning, I need to clean the coffee pot and put it in the cupboard. It lives in the cupboard when my husband is gone because I don't drink coffee, we don't have nearly enough counter space, and I really like to have empty counters.
The moving of the coffee pot has become a symbol of my mental transition from "with spouse" to "without spouse." If he's only gone a day or two, I don't bother. Three or more days, it will probably be put away at some point. It isn't as if I'm thinking, "Well, I'm glad you are gone so I can get this coffee pot off of my counter." In fact, it is exactly the opposite. I like having the coffee pot out because it means that there was a coffee drinker in my house that morning.
Most military spouses have developed some sort of routines that are different when their spouse is gone. Some people stock up on military-themed movies, some people do all their husband's laundry. I tend to make up some crazy scheme to get thin, smart and rich. Oh, and turn my children in to model citizens. And decorate.
Some day in the future, I'm going to have a house with a sensible spot for the coffee maker and absolutely no reason to ever put it away. Should work out well, since the coffee drinker should be waking up in that house more often than he does now. In the meantime, time to run some vinegar and give Mr. Coffee a good scrub. I hope it gets to come out again soon.
