Welcome Home

We're back to reality here at Casa Wags in no time at all. In fact, I unlocked the door after our six hour drive home Sunday and hurried to answer the ringing phone. Miss Bit's friend was on the line requesting a play date. Off she went just like that. T. Bone helped unload the van and then escaped as soon as possible to set up his PS3. We brought the system with us to the north woods, but it never made it out of the bag. He's making up for it now. The loon's eerie call across the black as ink lake has been replaced by the constant droning whir of the washing machine. To dos have everything to do with back to school (in two days) not vacation needs and wants. I'm having coffee this morning in the company of my cats, who will not let me out of sight, instead of thirsty thimble-sized hummingbirds. I missed my Keurig the first morning of vacation, but now I miss my brother's jet fuel cup of coffee. There are no bald eagles soaring through the sky, but Miss Bit did find a blue jay feather in the yard yesterday. The vase of wildflowers Miss Bit and I picked on a morning walk is replaced by a stunning bouquet of roses my cousin sent for my birthday. They were waiting on my doorstep to welcome me home. The badminton net is set up in the middle of the yard...not in the middle of the sand bar. Last night Jess and I caught up on the patio into the night, but there were no stars to dazzle us, no milky way to meet our gaze. I don't even think there were any mosquitoes. I stocked up the refrig and the pantry, but I'm not cooking up any soul food suppers, Mexican fiestas, steak dinners or pizza parties. Yesterday we finally went out for lunch at 3:00 and I put the roast that was to be dinner in the freezer. I'm not making desicions about what kind of cocktail to make for the gloaming, the benefits of the triple word versus the double letter space in Scrabble, or whether to tube on the Viper or the Wow, but rather which furnace to buy and where to get the best car wash after a long road trip. I have taken one picture...I haven't read a single page. I'm not living in my bathing suit all day long and going to bed smelling like the lake. There's no sand in my very own sheets (thankfully). My tan has already begun to fade. And despite all that I miss about vacation, it is good to be home. Being away, makes me appreciate coming home.