Top Ten Reasons You Know Jeff is Out of Town...

10. Gretchen makes a TVP casserole for dinner, and serves it with brown rice.
9. When you turn the TV on, the channel is tuned to the All Criminal Minds rerun channel - not ESPN.
8. The vacuum, and even the dishwasher, may be heard after 6:00 PM on a weekday evening.
7. The windows and curtains are open.
6. There are no dirty dishes in the sink, but the fridge may be accidentally left open.
5. Gretchen has only her anxiety, not Jeff's snoring, to blame for a poor night's sleep.
4. If Gretchen isn't sleeping, she's in shavasana in the living room, trying to relax.
3. Gretchen's socks and shoes match because she didn't get dressed in the dark while Jeff still slept.
2. Ducky (the cat) is crazily running around the house because there is no one home to monitor her comings and goings during the day.

And the #1 reason you know Jeff is out of town...

1. The wifi signal coming out of The Tiny Bungalow is full strength because Jeff isn't simultaneously editing photos, monitoring 18 different social media feeds, and playing banjo or bridge via skype with friends.

What do you do with your mate?

That's not a probing question, it's actually one that really wants to get at the heart of what occurs in your house on a lazy Sunday afternoon...or any day of the week.

Right now, I'm watching as Gretchen plays video games. Unlike when I was obsessed with N64 and other game systems, she uses these to unwind and also to fill time around her other projects. While working 70 hours a week has its benefits (I can't name any), she definitely needs time to set aside work for lighter pursuits.

I'm on the couch writing a self-imposed 11 blog posts in three hours as she plays - then the two of us will go to the supermarket together. Is that something you do as a couple? Is the guy in your house responsible for some things and the woman other things? *For the guy-guy or girl-girl houses, how do you break down the work?

And after work on a regular day, is there an assigned dinner maker? Is one night a week (a month, a year) your date night? Do you have a 20-minute daily debrief over a glass of wine and a Zima like we do?

From where we sit in the Bungalow, we like to think we're pretty normal. But maybe we have blinders on. What's your routine? What special things do you do? And what keeps the sparks flying?

How about it Mike, Jennifer, Gradon, Kevin, Chris, Derek, Bobbie, CC, Lois, Todd? Give us your thoughts - and share this with others.

We'd like to find out if we're going about life the right way or if we're odd people out when it comes to chores and enjoying each other's company.

Comments open....have at it.