So What Do You Do When You Are Alone?

I am at the beginning of another four days and three nights of being a single parent while my husband is on the road. I always have long evenings when he is not here. So far, I have cleared off about half the clutter on the nearby sofa. It must be completely bare, except for the cushions, in ten days. I will feel better when this room is orderly. I have read all my e-mails. I have marked some things to order in my stash of catalogs. I don't order everything I mark, so I like to leave the catalogs for a few days so that I will decide whether or not I really do want to order the items I've marked. I've made some tea. It always soothes me.

My son has yet to put the two dogs back outside after bringing them in "for some face time." When he has done that, he will appear with the daybook and want me to add his evening's autodidact work. That's what I call it when he sets himself work to do that is educational in nature. Once that is over, and before we brush our teeth together, I plan to vacuum the kitchen and run the wet mop over the spills. He will shower, we'll do our evening routine and I will read aloud to him for a few minutes before he recites his ritual good night.

Once I bring the dogs back in and lock up, I will begin my ritual to get to sleep. I put on some romantic music and find something to read. I am always reading something. I usually have several things on the go. Bedtime reading usually includes some kind of non-fiction book that I am reading to inform myself of something or other. Not tonight. In fact, I am also tired of articles in magazines with titles such as Chic on the Cheap.

A few minutes ago, I put away a book onto a shelf that had some Canadian books on it. Ah Ha! Tonight's reading will be The Night We Stole The Mountie's Car. It probably will take me two or three nights to re-read it, but if it gets reread in one night, at least I know I will be laughing. Not a bad way to end the day. And I won't be disturbing anyone if I shake the bed or roar outloud.