Solo

For most of the years between 1994 and 2005 I lived by myself – in Albany, Columbus, Sarasota, St. Paul, and Macomb (except for living with Grandma and Grandpa Beck and hanging out some at Stephanie and Vincent’s Columbus apartment). For the last three years of that, I lived with one or two turtles. Three summers ago Vincent and all of the animals (including the dog) and I spent a month together (see “Junes past”), then I spent a month with just the animals and me.

The middle two weeks of July we are replicating that. I am used to traveling by myself (and even staying at Mom’s house by myself last month – but I was mainly at the hospital and at rehab), but I haven’t stayed at home by myself since summer 2005. I’ve eventually stayed up awfully late and ate an awful lot of trail mix, peanuts, Weight Watchers bars, and Weight Watchers TV dinners. I’ve also let the house go somewhat (I’m straightening/cleaning somewhat today before Vincent returns – the house is already a little in disorder because of the painting in the dining room and things moved around for that). I remember one reason I started off on my TV addiction was that it’s awful tempting to turn the TV on when you’re eating at home by yourself (blogging while you eat is a new option). I’ve also gotten some blogging done (a new addiction) and a decent amount of work on my American Sociological Association paper/presentation (some late at work, some at home). I’ve stayed at work pretty late the last few days also, working on work and the paper and church stuff (as well as getting up late and getting to work late).

With no one else home (except for Tuesday when I had lunch with Jamie – which was risky for the dog), I’ve come home at a late lunchtime every afternoon to walk the dog – meaning that I’ve almost always walked the dog three times a day – usually for a total of at least three miles (even while it’s started to get awfully warm).

Friday night I came home and walked the dog and cleaned some, then went back out a see a movie (see “Standard Operating Procedure”) and then did two unusual things: watched a set by Jefferson TARC Bus (pictured above) at Dutch’s (where Stephanie and I had been once – a flurry of Prince songs capped off by a rockin’ early 1980s medley of “When Doves Cry,” Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight,” Cameo’s “Word Up,” and Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)”) and then drove home to the lower-middle-class Clifton Heights neighborhood that our church is interested in a woman who had been walking home the 4-5 miles from the Baptist East Hospital ER (because, she said, her Mom who recently had a stroke must have left the phone off the hook by mistake).

Today I was back in old St. Matthews to use one of two St. Matthews businesses I used to frequent when I lived in Phoenix Hill – the laundromat across from Rainbow Foods (pictured above bottom) where I go when I need to wash something big in an industrial-size washing machine (the other place I used to go around here was Target).

I won’t say the week has been super relaxing, and I’ve missed Stephanie and even Vincent – though I’ve had the animals (plus eggs) to keep me company. But I have gotten some important work done on my paper – work I was counting on doing this week – and so that has worked out. Today before Vincent arrives I may rendezvous with Kentucky Seminole Club folks.