Day 2 - 1 personal day

I ritually prepared myself for my forced 16 day retreat (that is, 16 days without a partner) by killing 3 spiders. Large spiders. Spiders, half as big as dimes, who when they fall from the ceiling, made a discernible sound ("pap"). I've never before seen a spider fall down...it must have been that extra gloss-high coat that tripped them up.

Anyway, I suppose killing the spiders was a test...of my strength. Of my ability to stop focusing on the sickening crawliness of a spider that must be squashed...of changing focus from the fact that I am alone here and not on vacation (with 4 puking animals ) for the next two weeks...and focus on the gift that is time uncoupled from coupledom. Who will I be? Will I surprise myself?

Now that I'm alone, what do I know, so far?

• I love unbaked oatmeal cookies and espresso.
• If you feed the cats first thing in the morning, they'll mostly leave you alone.
• The dog, bless his old heart, will sleep all day, if given enough treats, pee breaks and a short, steep walk down the hill to get the mail or the paper.
  
• It takes me a day or so to get settled into my writing voice.
• Television holds almost no appeal, except right before bed.
• I don't miss talking to anyone --yet.
• I prefer being in my office because I've got the light just right in there.
  
• The house has devolved into messiness fairly quickly (I'm going to try to right that ship this evening.).
• Writing, when done after this much silence, is a benediction.

I wish I didn't have to go to work tomorrow or at least not for all 10 hours of it. Oh well, money and all that...