Saturday, January 07, 2006
Back To Reality
by venitha
Amidst many tears, many hugs, many thanks, and many assurances of love, we saw our family off bright and early this morning at Changi airport. Actually, it was not bright, not in anyone's emotions and not in the sky. The sun didn't rise on this dreary day until Jim and I sat glumly side by side on the MRT on our way back from the airport. The sky wasn't literally bright until we arrived home to our silent and abandoned apartment just as the plane was taking off. We drew the bedroom shades against both the caustic morning light and the harsh reality of our family's departure and went back to bed for several hours.
We emerged from a long morning nap to make even longer lists of things to do and to start the gazillion loads of laundry which will undoubtedly still be working their listless way through our less-than-large and less-than-speedy washing machine long after our family is safely ensconced in their own beds in their own homes in Colorado. Jim and I sat at our suddenly very large dining room table next to an appropriately wilted vase of orchids and ate steaming bowls of oatmeal. Our scavenger hunt through the refridgerator turned up an inappropriate breakfast: leftover pineapple rice and pad thai. Did we really eat up all those eggs? Do you mind if I have the last packet of hot chocolate?
Jim is anxious to get to cleaning up: I think I'll go straighten up the love shack. Thus the rooftop bedroom cum office cum storage room has been dubbed. I suspect that what he's really anxious for is basking in any remaining closeness to our adored niece and nephew, who so recently slept in the love shack's twin beds. And he also quite wisely wants to keep himself very busy today, to distract himself from reality.
This is usually my role in vacation aftermath, and Jim has learned, in nearly ten years of marriage, the danger of lazing around while I am busy: my raging temper. Unfortunately and fortunately, he has also learned, in just the last year, the danger of lazing around while I am blue: accompaning me into the abyss. Today, however, I have no temper, and the ground beneath my feet is firm. I'm content to let the signs of the last two glorious weeks persist, to linger in reflection over my hot chocolate, to nap intermittently in sympathetic jetlag. I'm looking forward to the "go through pictures" task in our long list; we'll combine it tonight with our leftover Thai food to create the world's best Saturday night dinner-and-a-movie date.
venitha
We emerged from a long morning nap to make even longer lists of things to do and to start the gazillion loads of laundry which will undoubtedly still be working their listless way through our less-than-large and less-than-speedy washing machine long after our family is safely ensconced in their own beds in their own homes in Colorado. Jim and I sat at our suddenly very large dining room table next to an appropriately wilted vase of orchids and ate steaming bowls of oatmeal. Our scavenger hunt through the refridgerator turned up an inappropriate breakfast: leftover pineapple rice and pad thai. Did we really eat up all those eggs? Do you mind if I have the last packet of hot chocolate?
Jim is anxious to get to cleaning up: I think I'll go straighten up the love shack. Thus the rooftop bedroom cum office cum storage room has been dubbed. I suspect that what he's really anxious for is basking in any remaining closeness to our adored niece and nephew, who so recently slept in the love shack's twin beds. And he also quite wisely wants to keep himself very busy today, to distract himself from reality.
This is usually my role in vacation aftermath, and Jim has learned, in nearly ten years of marriage, the danger of lazing around while I am busy: my raging temper. Unfortunately and fortunately, he has also learned, in just the last year, the danger of lazing around while I am blue: accompaning me into the abyss. Today, however, I have no temper, and the ground beneath my feet is firm. I'm content to let the signs of the last two glorious weeks persist, to linger in reflection over my hot chocolate, to nap intermittently in sympathetic jetlag. I'm looking forward to the "go through pictures" task in our long list; we'll combine it tonight with our leftover Thai food to create the world's best Saturday night dinner-and-a-movie date.
venitha
