Empty Nest

K flew the coop at 5:52 this morning. I dropped her off at the National Express bus stop. Then she ventured up to Heathrow to fly to Florida.

Usually, when I get home from work, K is home finishing up a section of her PhD with a news channel on in the background. Some lights are on and the apartment is warm and inviting. But this evening it was dark and cold when I got home. I turned on a couple of lights, turned the TV on, and took a beer out of the fridge. Now I'm contemplating dinner for one and watching a bit of Fox News International (conservative and sensational as hell, but it's American news at least).

I'll be joining K in Florida in about 16 days. We're house-sitting for my mom so she can have a nice, long trip to Sweden and Denmark to see her brother and extended family. When I get there, K will probably be done with her PhD and then we will have two weeks of maximum relaxation in the beautiful Florida sunshine (probably the most perfect climate between October and May). I'm hoping I'll be able to shake this damp, mold-infested air -induced cough I've had since last August.