Batching It

My lovely wife is out of town for a few days, down visiting a friend in Florida.  So, I’m back to being a bachelor temporarily, and “batching it” kind of sucks.

The house seems awfully big and empty and quiet without Kish here.  Her absence disrupts our settled rhythms and routines in countless ways.  When I get home from work at night, I find two very hungry and impatient dogs who normally would have eaten several hours earlier.  They demand to be fed immediately and walked so they can give their bladders and intestinal systems some relief.  Without someone to sit down and converse with, my dinner becomes a sporadic, nibbling affair that typically extends over the course of 90 minutes and involves the standing consumption of a cup of cereal as one of the “courses.”

I find myself puttering around at night, straightening up, so the house will look nice when Kish gets home.  When I finally sit down to watch some TV, Penny and Kasey sit and stare at me where they used to stare at her.  Even worse, I find myself talking to them from time to time.  (They don’t answer — yet.)  And I sleep poorly, without the gentle sound of Kish’s breathing to lull me into slumber.

Don’t get me wrong:  I want Kish to have fun, and I’m happy when she takes trips and visits her friends and spends some time in warmer climates.  She deserves it.  But I miss her when she’s gone, and I’ll be happy when she returns and once more warms the house with her presence.