Sorta Empty Nesters

Well, the kids are gone (temporarily). Drew is far gone ... he's been in Argentina since last August (and won't be back 'til next August) with a side trip to Northern Ireland for 2.5 months. We've cobbled together a "system" of communication using e-mail, Skype (when he's in Argentina) and calling card (viva cheap cards for South America). Just haven't figured a way to sip a beer or go to a basketball game via online communications, alas.

(There are two things I miss most: being able to spontaneously call and grab a beer or bite to eat with him or be able to watch the teams he coaches play basketball.)

This week Matt (and Molly) join Drew and Meghan in Buenos Aires. So the mid-kid is out of country as well -- but not out of mind. Barb visibly pales when I start talking NCAA tournament stuff and i find that others strangely aren't available when I drop in at the office or call. Hmmmmmm.

(Poor Roy got stuck for ten minutes the other night when I called to [briefly] commiserate with him over the loss of Southern Illinois -- in the first round and who I picked to win in that first game and thus upsetting my bracketology but who's holding a grudge. Wait a minute, I digress -- and take this too seriously. Anyway, I commiserated with him and then proceeded to bore him stiff with my NCAA talk. Ouch -- sorry, bro!)

And this weekend, young Alec took off for a weekend of fun and frivolity in Little Falls. That's the home of Ms. Angela -- Alec's "companion" last summer and a true friend of Alec and his gang. Tricia -- Alec's very good friend -- was also invited (or Tricia was invited and Alec got to go along -- depends on who you ask first). Tricia's a bit like Barb -- she packed a large bag of snacks, items to work on whilst driving, books, notebooks, etc. Poor Alec was consigned to the back seat, sharing space with two suitcases, a few textbooks, said "car bag" plus his "car bag" and a pretty white cat who is deaf and hopefully not afflicted with motion sickneess.

As a result, Barb and I had this house all to ourselves. Our very own adult (most of the time at least) selves. The novelty was fun. We luxuriated in having the house to ourselves.

But. It's quiet. Very, very quiet.

Now, Alec doesn't make a lot of noise and he's pretty good at keeping himself entertained for hours on end. But he's a roamer ... and a snacker ... and a checker-outer-of-things. So, even though one or two words from him is a lengthy fillibuster -- or the equivalent of a short speech from Robert Byrd (D-WVa) -- you kind of miss that muttered "fine" when you ask him how things are going.

There's not the background noise of the x-box when you walk by his room. There's not the "self-talking" in the bathroom as he prepares for bed and rehashes all that went on in his day -- or should have gone on in his mind. There's not the clatter of cabinet doors, refrigerator, bowl and spoon etc as he makes a bowl of cereal.

It's quiet. Kind of nice. But sort of empty.

In a few hours, Alec will return. In a few days, Matt will return. In a few months, Drew will return. God, time can move so slowly. But it sure moved in quick-step as they grew up.