Home Alone

In the 32 years that Frank and I have been married we have rarely been apart. There's been the occasional business trip here and there, when my Mom stopped traveling I would go visit her in Miami twice a year which was usually a 4 day trip sometime in the Spring and then sometime in the Fall. She left us 4 years ago so that stopped. Frank's Mom has now stopped traveling, not that traveling was much fun for her before; she doesn't fly so she visited us once a year on a grueling bus ride from Miami which is 24 hours, she once took the train which is a tad more comfortable but still 24 hours. So when planning his trip and trying to figure out when, he thought Labor Day weekend might work out well. We didn't have any plans and he would fly down Wednesday evening, work from home on Thursday, spend time with her by using Friday as a PTO and then the weekend, fly back Monday. This way it was only one day off which would leave us with quite a few days off left for the remainder of the year. Fine with me as we had no plans. I went to work on Thursday so it was pretty much business as usual. Friday we closed early for the holiday weekend and knowing that we would I made a hairdresser appointment which got me home at my usual time.

But it was Friday. The beginning of the weekend when we usually either go out to dinner or cook some fun food somewhere around 8 and now here I was all by my lonesome. Hmmm, what to do? Certainly not going out and I'm not crazy about cooking for one but one has to eat, so my first dinner for one.

Avocado Pasta

Watched King Kong with Naomi Watts all the while in awe of how pretty she is and how good an actress to keep me interested in this stupidity.



Saturday got up early, I am now conditioned to do this no matter what and regardless of what time I go to bed, ran into an old friend while walking with Max, had breakfast, waited until 8:45 and went to the grocery store, took my time; went to the other side of the shopping center to the art/framing store and finally dropped off my Jorge Bayo watercolors for framing,

came home, put the groceries away and decided to do all those things that need to be done but never do get done because Frank is in the house:

1. Went through the overflowing paper files, ripped up all the unnecessary stuff (most of it) and threw it out.

2. Attacked the window seat in the landing where I keep the photo albums, greeting cards. Threw out all those Christmas greeting cards with pictures of people's kids who are really just acquaintances but I felt bad and kept them, the photo box somebody gave me which I have never used and won't be using after all these years, the digital changing frame, ditto as the photo box, the digital photo key chain, ditto again. Couldn't bring myself to go through the box of cards because most of them are from my Mom, Dad, Aunt and husband so that stayed.

3. Went through the closets and got rid of all that stuff that is finally dawning on me I AM NOT GOING TO WEAR, finally throwing away that sweater my father gave me just before he died which is full of moth holes and I'm never going to wear because I have realized it will not bring him back.

4. Went through the window seat in the guest room and got rid of all the extra sheet sets that shouldn't be there and worn towels.

Chased the wild turkeys and deer out of the backyard!

5. Cleaned out the baskets in the library. The knitting basket---really? Who am I kidding here? The unfinished scarf that has been sitting on the needles untouched for God only knows how many years and heaven forbid I remember what the stitching pattern is. The skeins of yarn which I can't even remember when I bought them, the myriad of needles in different sizes that were bought for one particular long ago project, the embroidery yarns and round...the crochet needle...I don't remember how to crochet. The "memorabilia" baskets full of maps, brochures, city guides just in case I need them when I go back...huh?  (OK, I admit, I did keep some maps which are works of art in my view. My secret wish is to have been a cartographer).

6. Grilled eggplant for next week's lunches.

Dinner for one part two

Cheeseburger Cheeseburger

7. Caught up with and old friend on the phone who I haven't spoken to in almost ten years for two hours.

Sunday, got up early again and went for an extra long walk with the Maxer. Read the entire Sunday Times. Gave myself a mani-pedi.

Made a raspberry semifreddo

Roasted some peppers for next week's lunches,

cooked some chicken tenderloins for next week's lunches,

started marinating part of tomorrow's aioli platter.

Dinner for one part three

Swordfish with braised leeks and tomato

All the while  kareoaking to Sam Smith, listening to Tchaicovsky, Liszt, Andrea Bocelli, the entire Dave Brubeck collection, Bobby Darin and all of Dean Martin.

Spoke to Frank more than I do when he's here and can't wait til tomorrow morning when we pick him up.

Hate being home alone......But wait a minute.....I'm not.

Never mind.