Still Alive

I don’t like revealing too much personal information online, even among friends, because you never know who else is watching. But, as I will be home almost continually over the next few days, I no longer need to worry as much.

My family has been on vacation for the past three weeks, and I’ve been a bachelor. Someone needed to keep the cats, the dog, the garden, and the plants alive, so that’s been me. And not to complain (much), but between that and cooking for myself, it’s been a busy three weeks.

The good news is that, once I get myself braced for it, I kinda enjoy cooking. And cooking for one is not as constant a chore as cooking for five. I make one batch of something and I’m good for three or four meals. I don’t mind leftovers (especially if it means I don’t have to think of something new to cook).

The real joy of cooking, I think, is that it pays off in multiple ways. I like working with my hands, which much of it is. I get a sense of accomplishment when I see it all come together, and then I get to enjoy eating it after that. It’s a win-win-win!

But it took a little time to get into the groove. I’ll admit for the first several days I completely fell apart and vegged. I ate leftovers from the freezer, sat on the couch, and watched Babylon 5 reruns. The animals got fed, the garden got watered. And that’s about all. But by the first weekend I got over that, thank heaven.

I don’t like “bach-ing” it any more. I’ve become a family man. I need my family. The pets don’t quite fill the void, though the cats tried to make enough noise to make up for the kids. Yes, I had a little more flexibility, but I’d have traded it for my family and my routine. I’ve come to appreciate my family more.

Fortunately I’ve had friends and family to help keep me sane and to check on me so often to make sure I’m still eating, showering, breathing. It’s helped. Thanks, everyone!

But I’m definitely looking forward to getting back to “normal”, though normal includes a family reunion and a family vacation before school starts up again, so it may still be a bit crazy for awhile. But at least I’ll have my crazy family with me. That makes up for a lot.