In some ways it's worse for me being here in the van than it is at home - on rainy days, certainly. When it's raining, as it is now, nobody sits outside (obviously, they'd have to be nutters if they did). Which means husband has no one to talk to (not that there's many people here at the moment - just 2 other statics occupied and 1 seasonal tourer). So he has the telly on.....and being a small space (our van is 30' x 10') I can't get away from it....even in my bedroom I can hear it clearly, caravan inner walls being made more or less of cardboard (well they might as well be). I have plenty of books, my craft supplies and notepads for lists, crochet hooks and yarn, my laptop for limited internet (the signal is variable) so plenty to keep me occupied. Husband has nothing. He has no hobbies whatsoever, his entire life (other than TV and napping) revolves around being outside, which he can't do when it's peeing down.
I have this morning had a discussion with him about finding himself a hobby, or at least something he can do to avoid just constantly having the damn TV on. Last year or the year before, I bought him some wood carving tools, he's never done any woodcarving before but I thought it was something he could get interested in, being the practical sort. Well, instead of doing some practising first, learning how to do it (I even found him some YouTube videos) and getting used to using the tools, he launched straight in to trying to carve a house nameplate sign. He cocked it up (as he didn't really know how to use the tools properly or any techniques), which then immediately put him off and he's not touched the tools since. He doesn't read, obviously, due to his dyslexia. I did previously get him some audiobooks, but he just goes to sleep within minutes! I've suggested he brings a pack of cards next time, or gets some jigsaw puzzles, or has a look in charity shops for games.....whatever, just find something to do!
He has borrowed my laptop a few times to look at cars, but I'm not really keen on letting him do that too often - he has a habit of clicking on all sorts of adverts and links on pages with no thought for security or scams (I do have an AV programme of course), his own desktop computer at home is frequently clogged up with rubbish as a consequence. Or he presses the wrong key or clicks on something he shouldn't and buggers it up (he's not computer savvy at all) and then I get called to try and sort it out for him. Which is like the blind leading the blind!
We're going home tomorrow, for a week or so (unless they haven't finished the roof, in which case we'll be back here on Monday). During next week whilst I'm catching up with washing, housework, cooking and freezing a few more meals and preparing for our next longish stay here, he can go out to a few shops and see what he can find in the way of things to keep him occupied. Otherwise, I can see we're going to come to blows (verbal ones), if he doesn't find something else to do other than have the bloody telly on all the time.
Cut the tv plug off?
ReplyDeleteOh, Sooze, as I read this I was thinking "welcome to my world"! My hubby doesn't even go outside, unless it's to get into the car. I'm the gardener, and it drives me wild when he says things like "we need to cut that back/weed the paths/plant up pots etc." Give me a bloody hand then! I've given up trying to get him to find a hobby. Everything I suggest is dismissed. Aaaaaaargh! You have my deepest sympathies, Sooze. xx
ReplyDeleteThere is a really simple solution to this problem - a cordless headset for Hubby. He can listen to his teevee and you can have peace.
ReplyDeleteThat is what we've done in our home for many years now only I am the one who uses the headset. I love it because I can do my chores, cook in the kitchen, even walk right to the other end of the house and still be hearing my shows.
I can also use it to listen to podcasts or audio books or anything I feel like. :)
The other bonus is that there is so much sound that gets lost when listening via normal speakers - with the headset I can hear every edit and sound effect and all the hard work the sound folks do that tends to get lost normally.
I was just going to suggest the same thing.
DeleteOh dear, I think you, me and Happy Hooker are triplets. Like you I am very 'sound sensitive' and my husband has two hearing aids so everything has to have the volume turned up. A few years ago it all got too much and I ~exploded~. 🤬 Badly. 🤯 In a way I only do once a decade, or preferably much less and I am not proud of - it's really not pretty but does get results.
ReplyDeleteHe now plays stupidly loud 1970s rock music and motorbike videos on his computer wearing headphones. I cannot hear a thing. It is bliss. Have you considered something similar which you could link to the TV ?
Brilliant idea Jayne.
DeleteWhich bit Sue? Headphones at the computer or the once in a decade explosion? 🤣
DeleteEar plugs for you or head phones for him
ReplyDeletePuzzles for him
This is a common complaint and aggravating of course
Prayers dear girl
And now you are beginning to realise that while Ilived at my Van Alan stayed and worked from home and just came up at weekends. I could put up with him for two nights and days and packing him off home on a Sunday night was always SUCH a relief.
ReplyDeleteAlan doesn't really have hobbies either, it's either work, buying stuff or falling asleep. When he does watch television it's always doing up cars programmes or ice road trucker type things or non-stop NCIS. Having our own homes is the only thing that keeps us together :-)
A couple of other people have mentioned what I was going to mention…..cordless headphones…or even ones with cords (just don’t trip over the wire though) I’ve heard them referred to as ‘marriage savers’ - you’ll understand if your husband gets a set.
ReplyDeleteI got Hubby hooked on jigsaws for the winter, on rainy days he putzes around downstairs. I agree with the headphone idea for him.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
My husband has not retired, but I fear this exact scenario as this is how he spends rainy days or icy cold days in the winter. He's also not computer savy, but he enjoys looking at the stock market and planning online sales eventually, so I guess that sort of is his hobby for now-on his own computer or tablet! Yeah, you illustrate how he is going to need to find things to really keep him busy as watching 6-10 hours of television on his days off now is a good indication of the future.
ReplyDeleteAll the time I was reading your post, one word was buzzing round in my head . . . . "HEADPHONES!" preferably the cordless type as he is clumsy and would surely trip over any wires! He can't expect you to put up with the situation when it impacts so badly on your state of mind.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine him being very popular with other caravan owners on the site, either??? Don't stand for him saying he doesn't like wearing headphones - it's a condition of being able to watch the TV.
Failing that, send for Jayne and show him what her *explosion* sounds like!
Oh my, you have my sympathy. Cordless headphones sound like a very good option to me. I do hope your roof is fixed when you go back to check.
ReplyDeleteYour hubby sounds so much like Tony. If I'm not constantly suggesting things he might enjoy then he gets up on a morning and moves to the sofa. He snoozes on and off all day then the TV goes on at 5:15 until bed time. Thank goodness we have a conservatory where I spend most of my time or I'd go stark staring mad.
ReplyDeleteHere is my tongue in cheek suggestion....a pup tent for him outside when it is raining where he can snooze away. And a portable radio.
ReplyDelete