"What I want to know is when does all this 'man's best friend' stuff start?"

Thu. August 30, 1990

     I thought that now that all the ships were gone things would slow down at work for Guy.  But he called at 3:15 to say he was fixing to go over to a ship & don't be surprised if I didn't see him tonight.  I said 'at all?' & he said yes, that this job had to be done by Tues. and he wants to do everything he can to keep from having to work this weekend.  Sometimes I feel like he might as well be on a ship as much as he has to work overtime.  Then we wouldn't have to be in the hole at the end of every month.
     But I think the worst part of him having to work late it that we just don't have any time to be alone.  Not that we ever are alone any more now that Chief is here.  It's like having permanent company.  He just wants so much attention  What I want to know is when does all this 'man's best friend' stuff start?  We have so many arguments about him it makes me wonder if that's what it's going to be like if we have kids.  I just get so tired of Chief during the day that I depend on Guy taking over of taking care of him when he gets home.  So when he has to work late it's like I have to do double duty.  And I don't think Chief feels any better about it than I do.  He misses Guy when he's late and is always glad to see him, whatever time he gets home.  Guy plays rougher with him so he has more fun with him anyway.  That'll probably make it worse once Guy goes back to sea.  But Guy says Chief will be grown by then and be calmer.  I hope so, especially if we do have this baby.  I don't think I could take care of both by myself if Chief was the way he is now.
     Now that Guy's going to be working most if not all of the evening I have to decide what I'm going to do if Chief lets me have any peace & quiet.  Sometimes when I find out Guy's going to be late it just upsets me so much that I don't feel like doing anything.  Sometimes it makes me mad & I feel like I need to do something physical like wash dishes or mop the floor.  But he did the dishes last night & said he'd mop this weekend.  He's already taken over cleaning the bathroom.  He said the only things he wants me to take care of is the ccooking and the laundry.  I've just been doing the bare minimum of both.  I'm so afraid of overdoing things.  Although I am tired some, the real tiredness hasn't hit me yet.  I think Tues. was the first day when I felt like I had to force myself to eat.  When I do eat what I feel should be a good amount for me, I feel a little stuffed.  But it's not as bad yet as it was the last time.
     I think I'll take Chief for a walk & go get the mail.

At this time, Dad worked in the navy and was stationed in Virginia Beach.  Mom didn't have a job, so that's why she was always home alone and got upset when he had to work late.