A Husband-less Week

Tomorrow morning at 5 AM I'll be on my way to the airport with S who'll be in NY until next Friday for a training session with "The Company." Yes, 5 AM - so early that I'll have more than enough time to get to the airport and back and still be in more than enough time to shower and make it to the usual 8 AM mass. I wont' complain, however, considering that in 2 weeks when it's S's turn to get me to the airport we'll have to leave 30 minutes earlier (early flights = cheap flights). And once I'm done with the teary goodbye at the curb (because I can't drop anyone off or be dropped off at the airport without crying - it's a problem) I'm on my own for 6 entire days.

When I had a job and S was away I worked crazier hours than when he was around. Now that I'm home these 6 days won't seem quite as different as they once did. But I'm sure I'll get up to some of my old tricks. Mostly my old tricks revolve around food. First, I don't eat on a regular schedule - I eat when I get hungry and that's very unpredictable. Also I don't eat meat when S isn't around - just lots of Boca "chicken" patties, salads, baked potatoes, fruit, crackers, hummus and popcorn. When I go grocery shopping tomorrow I won't be armed with my usual list of here are all the meals we're having this week and here's what I need for that to happen, but instead with a mental list of things I tend to snack on.

My S-less week will also mean that the house stays cleaner for longer - I might have to run the dishwasher once. I might have one load of laundry to do. Things will stay where they belong. Now, don't get me wrong - I can be a tornado in my own house and undoubtedly S will tell you that the same is true of the cleanliness when I'm the one missing for a week, but it is truly amazing what one less person can do to a house.

I will be in sole control of our TV and TiVO. I can watch the All Star game on Tuesday night without hearing cries of "You will not watch that filth on my TV." I can sleep diagonally on the bed as I'm known to do when I have the whole thing to myself (that is once I fall asleep, which I don't do very well when I'm by myself.) The cats will reclaim their "half" of the bed which I'm pretty sure they're still bitter about losing even though it's been a number of years.

And of course I will miss S very much and will look forward to Friday night at 10 PM (we're really not good about having flights that leave and land at nice pleasant hours) when I get him back.