Newby here, desperate for some advice (thread 2)

[JRuss]

The trip to the Lake was good. W ended up coming up later Friday evening because she needed to finish up at work. It was frankly a little surreal. The vibe was very much like we were all just one happy family taking a cool weekend trip to somewhere new. The kids had a blast, we had good food, parents drank a little too much, it was quiet and very beautiful where we were. There was no cell phone service there, and I really, really enjoyed that, both for my own sake (usually get dozens of work-related e-mails over the weekend) and just because it's nice not looking at my wife texting with her various girlfriends about who knows what. Just a fun time.

W complimented me several times for organizing the whole thing, handling all the details, etc. Said I looked really good in my bathing suit at one point and could tell I've been working out. Gave me a kiss on the mouth when we got home sort of out of nowhere. Not a hot sort of kiss, but I have a hard time remembering the last time she did that for any reason.

Then, this AM (last night, really), frosty returns. I really get the sense that a lot of what my W is struggling with is her life (work) not being what she wants, and I'm wrapped up in that, have been made in her mind to be the reason for it, etc. So, after this nice trip and weekend away, my thoughts going back to work this AM are not where I'd hoped they'd be. I think it's still very much the case that she's going to do whatever she ends up wanting to do without whatever I do, become, evolve into not mattering much at all.

Detachment, you are an illusive, crafty ghost.