I am really having trouble finding something to read to pull me out of the Harry Potter finale slump. For so many years I've finished a book about Harry's adventures and immediately started looking forward to the next installment, now what? As much as I have problems with the sloppy editing (compared to the previous books in the series) in Deathly Hallows, I still enjoyed reading it so much and I'm so sad that there's no more Harry to look forward to. In an attempt to pick myself up I've gone back to another one of my favorite books, The Historian, and I've heard from a couple of people that The Memory Keepers Daughter is a great read, so maybe with a little time, my heart will heal!
The time is also drawing near for Colby to return after a five week absence which follows a previous nearly two months of hardly seeing each other. To add to that, my parents were here in most of the days he was home leading up to his departure, and now his parents will be here in the days following his return home. I love hanging out with family, and it's fun to play hostess and spend time with our loved ones, but I'm just praying that he'll be home for at least the majority of August so that we can have some quality time together at long last. Especially considering the fact that we have two weddings to attend, for which I have two fabulous dresses already set aside, and the amazingly wonderful Lori is putting together a little shower for us at the end of the month.
I knew that it wasn't going to be easy dealing with all of the time that Colby is gone, and luckily I'm a fairly independent person who very much enjoys the pleasure of my own company, but it does get wearying when weeks and weeks pass with only the phone calls. Even the training provided by a four year long distance relationship doesn't make it any easier to not have him with me in the place that we can both finally call home. Honestly, I don't know how spouses do it when their wives or husbands are gone for 12-18 months or longer. How do you maintain a relationship that way? After four months apart it's strange and complicated enough to see each other again and fall back into a comfortable routine.
To make myself feel better I've tried to come up with a list of the positives about being by myself from time to time. It doesn't make up for the fact that Colby isn't here, but it does make everything feel a little less negative.
1) I don't have to feel guilty about not cooking dinner, and can eat my prepackaged Nutrisystem meals whenever I darn well please!
2) There is a LOT less laundry, and I can do it less frequently since his humongous clothes don't have the hamper overflowing every few days.
3) He likes to untuck the flat sheet from the end of the mattress so his feet don't get flattened. Understandable, I suppose, but I HATE not having my sheets perfectly tucked and in their place. It's nice to only have to tug a little on the sheets to make the bed in the morning instead of having to completely remake it every day.
4) There's no worry that I'll be judged for all of the packages that arrive on our doorstep due to my late night online shopping adventures!
And, um, really that's about it. It's not much, but it's just a few little things that keep my spirits up until he's back and we can get back to our usual routines, untucked sheets and endless laundry cycles included!
I read the last book so quickly that I didn't notice any of the publishing errors! Then everyone got to chatting about it and so I went back - there sure were plenty! The book is so fabulous though that I don't mind one bit!
Posted by: Bre | July 24, 2007 at 09:43 PM
Girl, I'm with you. As much as I enjoy and have gotten used to being alone, it still sucks that I can't just see D every day. We're househunting right now, and it is TOUGH when not only can we not see the houses we're discussing, but we can only discuss them for a few minutes each day because we're so busy planning the wedding and, oh, right, having a relationship.
Posted by: L | July 25, 2007 at 04:41 AM
Oh my gah, what is it with boys who must wreck the bed when they sleep in it? It was about 500 times easier to make the bed when it was just me in it.
Still, I know you'll be glad to have your guy back home. I imagine there's some kind of adjustment period immediately after he returns.
Posted by: Fraulein N | July 25, 2007 at 02:51 PM
Oh my God I would kill him over the sheet thing.
Posted by: maggie | July 25, 2007 at 05:23 PM
Am I the only girl whose sheets are a complete mess upon waking up?
Posted by: Caro | July 25, 2007 at 11:46 PM
Sheets, schmeets. You know you want him in them!!!
You're doing a great job, Ang! Just think, you have the rest of your lives together. SO much better than the days of the LDR and wondering.........
Wahhhhhhhhhhhh! I don't wanna miss the shower!! How can you go on without me????
Posted by: Anonymous G | July 27, 2007 at 06:24 AM
I'm getting set up to do a LIVE internet shower.
Just posted my first video blog
Wish me luck! :)
Posted by: RisibleGirl | July 27, 2007 at 06:43 AM
Ha I like Colby, love to untuck the sheets on my end corner of the bed, love, love the free space to move as I darn please. Hehe And g-d forbid my feet get flattenned you know. ;-)
I hope you get some good quality time with the boy soon! You deserve it!
Hugs!
Posted by: Jass | July 27, 2007 at 09:40 PM
Obviously, I need a human spell/grammar checker before I post again! hehe
=P
Posted by: Jass | July 27, 2007 at 09:42 PM