All By My Lone

Since Dougie was little, (okay, he's still little, but when he was little-er), instead of saying "all by myself", he's said "all by my lone." Well, that's what I get to say this weekend, as Layne is out of town again.

I say that like it happens all of the time, which it doesn't. Maybe 4 or 5 times a year, Layne goes out of town for one reason or another. He might be a spy. He might be having an affair. Okay. Really he's just out partying with other ear-geeks. (You see why I'm not worried?)

I'm a little liberated by my husbandless state. I don't have to fix dinner. (Kids, pour a bowl of cereal.) I don't have to do my hair. I don't have to share the bed. (Okay, maybe that one's not so liberating.) But, I can go to bed whenever I want to.

The problem is that when Layne goes away, time slows down. I checked the kids out of school and took them to see High School Musical 3 this afternoon. (Yes, I was THAT mom.) We've seen the movie, done our fun stuff, and it's not even 5 o'clock yet! What am I going to do with the rest of the night, let alone the whole weekend?

There are a million things I could take the kids to do tomorrow, but none of them sound very fun without Layne. So, instead of going to the zoo, going swimming, going shopping or on a hike, I'll probably sleep in and walk around feeling lonely all day.

I consider myself to be a pretty independent woman. I put gas in my own car. I hung my own blinds. I mow, edge and blow the lawn all by myself. But, when it comes right down to it, I need Layne around just to make things feel right. And to kill the snakes. . .