16-Hour Days and the Weekend That Saves Me

Who do you spend the most time with?

Let’s be real—when you work two jobs and grind for 16 hours a day, five days a week, your “social circle” starts looking more like a work schedule. So if we’re talking strictly about who I physically spend the most time with, it’s not even close. It’s my coworkers. Like it or not, they get the majority of my waking hours Monday through Friday. That’s just how the math works out. I’m either delivering meals or slinging pizzas, usually surrounded by the same rotating cast of characters—some decent, some a bit much, and some that honestly just need to get it together.

But here’s the thing: just because I see my coworkers the most doesn’t mean they’re the ones who really matter. That honor goes to my weekends. Because when that Friday shift ends, I finally get to be around the people—and pups—that actually refill my tank.

That’s my wife, Jen, and our crew of four-legged chaos: Jersey, Larkin, and Aldo.

Jen is hands down my favorite human. She’s my peace after a noisy week, my teammate in life, and the only person who can talk me down when I’m ready to throw my Domino’s hat in the fryer. She just gets me. We don’t have to do anything fancy—half the time we’re chilling at home, maybe taking the dogs out, maybe just watching something dumb on TV. But that simplicity? That’s what I live for.

And speaking of dogs… let me introduce the weekend squad.

Jersey is our Saint Bernard and the definition of a gentle giant. Big, drooly, and thinks she’s a lap dog. She’s got this calm energy that kind of reminds me to breathe and slow down after a crazy week.

Larkin is our Belgian Malinois and has more energy than a case of Red Bull. She’s sharp, loyal, and basically our home security system. You can’t even sneeze without her investigating.

Aldo, our Miniature Pinscher, is the newest member of the crew. Small but mighty, with the confidence of a dog five times his size. He’s like the little brother who wants to be involved in everything, and he cracks me up constantly.

So yeah, during the week, it’s coworkers and chaos. But the real joy—the part that keeps me going—is the quiet comfort of weekends with Jen and the dogs. That’s when I feel like myself again. That’s when the world slows down just enough to remember what matters.

And that’s who I really spend my time with—where it counts.