Remember when you were a kid, how great it was to play hooky from school once in a while? Of course it was never fun being home sick if you were really sick, but sometimes if you were just a little under the weather, your mom might let you stay home. Or if you got a snow day (for those of us living in snowy climates), that was the best EVER... listening to the radio hoping you'd hear your school's name in the list of school closings, you'd cheer out loud when you heard it. Even when I was a working adult in the corporate world, I'd take the occasional "mental health day" where I'd phone in sick even when I wasn't, just to give myself an unexpected day of fun or relaxation or just some much needed breathing room from my normal routine.
I'm playing a bit of hooky this week from my daily life. Georges is away on a business trip. All the kids are now out of the house on school holidays or trips. It's just me and the crazy cat here until Sunday.
I don't know what to do with myself.
It's not that I don't have dozens of things I could be doing. I have a closet I want to clean out and reorganize. I have clients clamoring for work I've promised them. I have a book of my own to write. And I have plenty of friends to catch up with here in town. For instance, I had a very nice afternoon today, despite the overly cold and now rainy weather here, where I first met Linda for lunch and for a visit to the Picpus Cemetery (more on that tomorrow) and then I later met Kyliemac for a hot chocolate at Starbucks near St. Michel. Starbucks isn't my favorite as it's too commercialized for my tastes but on a cold rainy day, I'll take it. It felt so great to get some time with some of my girlfriends and I plan to see other friends over the next few days as well.
Now I'm home, and everyone is finally gone. The last kid left this morning. With the time change, it turns dark much earlier. The rain is pouring down; I can hear it tap-tap-tapping on the skylight above my head as I echo my own tap-tap-tap on my keyboard.
I spent years being alone and most of the time, liking it quite a lot. Now... I feel strange. Something (someone) is definitely missing and there is a big hole there for the moment. Fortunately it's only for a few days and we have phone and SMS to keep in touch until then.
But it's strange, and rather interesting, how uncomfortable I feel being alone and knowing it's not just for a few hours (in which case I would relish the alone time) but for several more days. It's 6:45 pm and I have already put my warm cozy jammies on, having changed into comfortable dry clothing as soon as I got home off the overcrowded rush hour metro. I have a scrumptious glass of pineau des charentes close at hand to warm me up... because my central loving husband is out of town and we have no fireplace, so good liquor is the next best thing.
Just one more way in which I am still adjusting to married/family life. This time, I'm getting used to the occasional time apart; not loving it, but tolerating it. And mostly just counting the minutes until he walks in the door and I can run into his arms again.
Playing hooky isn't as much fun as I thought it would be.
