Home Alone

How many times have I thought to myself, “How I would love to have this whole house to myself?” Well, this weekend I am HOME ALONE. My husband (the one I referred to as “geeky-techie” who is really just a nice loving guy) is in Detroit for his mother’s 91st birthday. I opted not to go because I can never scream loudly enough to make myself understood and it is usually about 85 degrees in her apartment.

I have to say that it is really a weird feeling to wake up in a king size bed all alone. I am so used to seeing him in his sound retirement sleep as I drag my tired body out of bed to go off to work or wherever. And there is certainly not that middle-of-the-night sometimes hug as he comes to bed. (Much of the time we are on very different sleep schedules.) His absence presents choices even about sleeping – Do I sleep on his side of the bed (allowing me to easily reach the alarm clock) or mine? Do I make the bed in the morning? I stayed on my side of the bed and I opted out of making the bed. I mean, who in the world is going to see it? If our cleaning lady were coming, I would make the bed so as not to appear to be a complete slob. But otherwise, why?

There is certainly not the need to cook dinner or even eat dinner unless I want to. I opted for Whole Foods deli – fast, reasonably good tasting, and there whenever I want to eat.

I have my choice of 3 cars to drive: a 1985 beat-up Volvo wagon (no thanks), my usual 1991 Honda Accord which is starting to look and feel like an old car, and our new 2005 Prius which my husband usually drives. Well, not a tough decision I say. In the interest of fuel efficiency and just to luxuriate a little, I’ll go with the Prius. I will not however use the ridiculous GPS system and have that woman jabber at me in either English or French to turn right or left. I can get around DC just fine without her help.

It is so eerily quiet in the house. The dogs bark occasionally, but I really miss the collection of random people crooning to guitars that often comes from my husband’s IPOD. I could take the initiative to play a CD or even to turn on the radio, but I almost like the quiet.

And about those dogs. I love them dearly, but for two days in a row Jake has thrown up on the family room rug and there is no one to negotiate cleanup with. They are good company, but sometimes they are a pain in the neck.

I will be more than ready for human conversation when he returns on Monday. My appetite for solitude has been more than satisfied. I’m ready for my soul-mate’s company!