How did I get so busy?

Back when I was in grad school, I would fantasize about how wonderful it would be to be done. There'd be nothing but time on my hands to read, be crafty, clean . . . but somehow I seem as busy--if not more so--as I was back in those dark days of evening classes and literature searches. (Oh, wait, I still search for literature.)

Image from Flickr

The last few weeks I've barely been home in the evenings, even when you exclude my work trip to Virginia. With Nick gone the last few days I've not only not been home, but it seems like the whole house has entered a time-warp where everything stays exactly the same. I'm not there to clean, but I'm not there to mess either.

In fact, when I discovered that the phone wasn't working last night, I had no idea how long it's been down. That, plus the whole woman-at-home-alone /horror-filmesque-plot-point, made it a rather surreal experience. Luckily Moxie is my cat in the coal mine - if she doesn't act frightened, then there can't possibly be an intruder lurking behind my shower curtain. This was especially important the night I went out without locking the door. So, Nick not only cooks, but he locks up behind me as well.

I did shovel the snow, though. Nick doesn't manage that one very well ;)

The funny thing about having no phone service is that you're really stuck. I couldn't call the phone company about it (obviously) and I couldn't look them up online either. When I did call them this morning they gave the whole "we'll charge you up to whazoo if it's an internal wiring problem" spiel, so here I am, no phone, and stuck trying to figure out the source of the problem before I call them to fix it. Good thing Nick'll be back with the cell phone soon. Being incommunicado while home alone makes one really want to reach out and touch someone. Lucky for Nick he can sleep through most conversations - and does so nightly in front of the t.v.

Speaking of t.v., I love my digital converter box (with the one exception of it making it tougher to Retro TeVo my favorite shows). Seven channels of PBS is fabulous. And the three episodes of Eastenders per week starts up soon - I'm in television heaven. Thank you wasteful, pandering demagogues of Congress!