Well, here's how I see it. I am here in Baghdad for extended periods of time, of my own volition. I have little use for money here, so consequently it all goes home. Whatever happens to it there, I am not privvy to. The wife doesn't seem to mind that I am here, on my own, and not at home taking care of her needs. Either a: She trusts me here; b: she likes the money more; or c: things are not as tight between her and I as I thought. Judging from her reaction when I come home, verses her usual reaction when I was around all the time, I am gonna assume that she does, in fact, miss me. In correspondence, I sign off as "Daddy" and she goes by the nom de plume of "Susie Q". Our opening to each other is almost always "Hello my love". Yeah, I know it sounds kinda mushy, but you gotta push the mushy buttons once in a while if you expect them to remain soft and supple.

To balance the estrogen level out at home (wife and two daughters vs. me) I have two well hung lads to help keep the balance of power. One is a mini-daschund by the name of Samson (aka lowrider), and the other is my prize Chocolate Lab known as Wyatt (aka Sprung). While both have been a little molly-coddled in my absence, they do their best at spreading the testosterone level adequately. I think it is impossible to turn a house into a feminist sanctuary with dog hair and ratted out tennis balls in every room, and a backyard full of "doggie bombs".

As far as EDC goes, I provide all the necessary supplies stocked in all the suitable locations throughout the household, and I make sure "the girls" all know how to use most of it. It is up to them to decide if they will pack it with them, or if they would rather tote cosmetics, their cd collection, their address book, etc. I've done my part, I've never had much success "making" any of them do something they weren't self motivated to.