Being Married to a Chef Isn't All Glam

What is with people and the notion that being married to a chef is glamorous? Newsflash... I'm here to tell ya - it's far from glamour. I know it's hard to believe!

I was out doing a little Christmas shopping and stopped into one of my fave stores to peruse it for Yummy to let him know if he should head in there or not for his holiday shopping. I asked if they would be open on Sunday - this is his ONLY day off as he works 12-15 hours, 6 days a week. Of course the store isn't open on Sunday but the sales person asked if I wanted to pick things out for them to hold and he could run in on his break and pick them up. Break!?! What break? Then she asked, "Well, doesn't he have just 10 minutes that he can run in and pick up some packages?" At this point, I had to nicely explain to her that she really didn't understand that what little time he has is very valuable and when he's running a restaurant that is now doing lunch for the 4 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas and running 200+ covers at lunch and 350+ for dinner that he doesn't have 10 minutes to leave the restaurant since when one shift gets done, he starts prepping for the next let alone time to eat or sit down! The owner of the store was there and she somewhat got it as she knows how busy the restaurant is during the holidays but I just thought to myself - what a naive person.

Besides Yummy not having time to shop for the holidays, I literally see him for 10 minutes in the morning before I leave for school and then an hour when he gets home and before I go to bed. Then there are the times that I am in bed before he gets home because I just can't stay awake any longer.

Not to mention the holidays that I spend alone... Yummy works on Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day. We're fortunate that the restaurant is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas! It's a grand time spending the holidays alone and having people pity you because your husband is working.

Don't get me wrong - I love my husband beyond words can express. I wouldn't have him change for anything in the world. I stand tall and proud when I tell people what my husband does for a living. I'm not complaining about my life -it just amazes me at how some people do not think about what it's really like. They just don't get what it takes to run a restaurant and the downside to it.

So yes - being married to a chef is just glamorous.