My Husband Has Begun To Drool - Here Comes the Amgen Tour of California
Originally, I thought the Tour of California sounded like a lovely family-friendly vacation involving, perhaps, an RV and the Redwoods while my children were galloping through fields of poppies.
There must be a big bicycle race coming to California. I can tell with almost complete accuracy when there are exciting happenings in the cycling world. This is not, mind you, because I am an avid cyclist with my finger on the pulse of the sport. It is rather that my husband has begun to drool.
Of course he pretends that he is not drooling. He acts as though it’s all about work. “Honey,” he begins, with a serious face, “This is for work. This is for Bicycle.Net. I have to go cover the [insert name of cycling event here].” “Poor you,” I muse, with sarcastic empathy, “you have to work again this weekend?” Probably he cannot hear the sarcasm in my voice because of the drool. Apparently it can affect one’s hearing and perceptions.
Recently my husband announced that he is going away for 10 days because of something called the Tour of California. Originally, I thought the Tour of California sounded like a lovely family-friendly vacation involving, perhaps, an RV and the Redwoods while my children were galloping through fields of poppies. No such luck. Apparently, the Tour means my husband is going to pretend that he is working while he rides his bike all day and hobnobs with cycling stars. Apparently I am still going to be at home driving carpool and changing diapers while my children gallop through the living room with pairs of underwear on their heads. The old adage is right. The truth hurts.
“But I’m going to be up late every night writing up the events and posting them on the website,” declares my husband, in an attempt to make the whole experience sound more like work. “I’ll be so tired—it’s not like a vacation at all.” For this comment he receives the burning wifely glare given by women who have barely slept in six years and do not find this argument compelling. But, to no avail.
Soon the day arrives on which my husband is set to leave. He has amassed more luggage than we would have needed if the whole family were to have gone together. Boxes of Bicycle.net shirts and hats, all sorts of techno-fancy gadgets for photographing and interviewing famous cycling guys. (Frankly, I think they all look alike, but you can’t say that sort of thing to my husband). A few days later and countless pictures, articles, and interviews have already taken place and the Tour has only just begun. “You talked to Tyler who? “ I ask, supportively. My husband sighs. Thankfully for him, I am not the target audience for his site.
No time for site-surfing here. Not when all three kids came down with colds the day my husband left town. The last time we spoke he admitted, despite all the hours of hard work– “I love this.” “I know you do.” I replied. That other old adage is also right. The truth can set you free.
Share/Bookmark: 
Categories: Family-Fun, Features, Humor, Tour of California
Tags:
You are a saint! I have watched this tour a bit, somehow it came across my radar, and I have to agree - they all look alike. Maybe after your husband’s tour you can plan the one you thought he meant.
Sounds like your hubby is a first class chap and he should know that, as men, we understand how hard all this is on him.
But of course he’s not alone.
He’s lucky to have a supportive wife even if he has to struggle, as many of us do, to try to get her to see the redeeming and essential qualities of spending weeks following innumerable tours, and to get her to remember the names, palmares, and detailed personal information for the hundred and forty or so riders participating in whatever race is going on at any given time.
It’s may be just one way that we bond with our spouses — but it’s an important one.
I’m sure he’ll be comforted by the fact that he could have picked no finer life-partner and soulmate in the world for picking the skivvies off the heads of their fine offspring. He’s a luck man, that Veloguy.
Please send him our best!
Without any question…you are a Saint. Pure enjoyment surrounded by mini-bouts of work. Sounds like a good job if you can get it.