THE POISON PILL

The term "poison pill" is a term used in the corporate world to fend off a hostile takeover. The term is also used in sports concerning contract negotiations. For my purposes I will use the functional definition for "poison pill" used in sports. When teams are negotiating with a player in sports they can offer a player a "poison pill" contract that does significant damage to the players former team if they decide to match the contract offer. The contract may consist of more years or more money than the former team is willing to pay. It can also contain terms that the former team isn't willing to touch (like guaranteeing that a player always be the highest paid at their position). Either the former team loses the player, takes the financial hit, or accept a contract they don't want.

This is what my wife has given me concerning my children. To add insult to injury my wife took my children under a cloud of deceit and maintains what would be considered primary custody. The poison pill in this deal is that I only get to see my kids on the weekends, every weekend. I love my kids and they love me. I wish I had more time for them but my work schedule and the distance between us does not allow for many weekday visits. Hence, I have a choice that really is no choice at all. Here is the poison of the pill.

Since I have my kids every weekend my social life is almost Nil. Most people still kick it on the weekends, save college students. Hence, my hang out time with friends or those of the opposite sex is totally shut down. Thus far I have had to turn down some pretty excellent company (female), free tickets to a comedy show, and hanging out with friends I haven't seen for quite some time. My weekends consist of regular trips to the park, Chuck E. Cheese, and animated movies. Whooo Hooo!!!!

In light of my weekend lock down I have a handful of choices. I could get a sitter for my kids and roll out with the friends and what not. That's not a great choice cause my kids come to see me and I want to see them so I really don't want to cut my time short. I could ask my wife to keep the kids for a weekend here and there. That's a no show. I wouldn't give her the pleasure of being at her mercy. Plus, my kids would be upset they didn't see me. Not really a win-win situation.

So, here I am. Little to no social life. I love my kids with a passion. I wouldn't trade them for anything. If this is my life from here till then, so be it. But it sure does burn me up that I have no social life, only see my kids on the weekends, and my wife gets to kick it every week with guaranteed child care. Where is the justice in that? I really need a weekend with the cousins or something to give me a kickin' it weekend. Ah well, it is what it is. In other words, I'm complaining with no real solution. She got me good with the poison pill.