Surviving Marriage - Who Controls the Remote - Pamela Reed Wedding Photography

It truly is the little things. In our house, I am the television addict. I control the remote.

Don't misunderstand though...when Kevin is around it's a joint decision what we watch.

But I do have all three remotes on my side of the coffee table. Then again I do sit there sometimes all day so I have a stash of chocolate, cigarettes, lighter, paper and pen for ideas, phone on the charger and glasses close by. Usually there is a ring of debris at my feet from eating at the coffee table as our rental doesn't have room for our giant dining room set (its now in my office as second desk). And I can be a real slob sometimes.

Pausing and thinking about it... I am kinda embarrassed... but just a little. 

So we have a pretty sad routine lately.

We are stuck in this small apartment saving to buy a house. Kevin goes to work very early in the morning and most often works long days. He arrives home on his bicycle, throws the backpack on the chair, heads to the back to do gawd knows what, returning to grab a drink and sit in his self-assigned chair. The television is already on. And the discussion starts over what we are going to eat. (If you have read past posts you know food is high on our activity list). 

We decide what we are going to watch while crouched over our plates of whatever we didn't argue about making for dinner. 

Last night we were catching the last four episodes of Justified as the series has ended. We took our self-assigned spots: mine, a huge divit in the couch, proceed to get comfortable and start the DVD. Feet up on the coffee table as dinner has been cleared. The TV is on pause because neither one of us can sit through an entire program without getting up for some reason. The remote is by my right foot. Kevin is to my right. He says "I'm ready. Start the show." I look over at him, with a full belly and a very lazy, not-wanting-to-move sigh and lightly kick the remote his way. He looks at me in bewilderment and then says "well, hell I could have just reached over if you are too lazy to pick up the remote." It was such a smooth move though. Just like the movies. 

Welcome to Marriage Survival. It really is about the little things. From the first day of your wedding you establish your respective roles. Compromise and always be able to laugh.

Because without laughter we are all screwed.