Domestic Manifesto of a Mook (title by Eric Stone)

So I had a relatively productive weekend. It was my weekend to have the kids. My time with the boys actually started Wednesday after they got out of school. Their mother had to be out of town for something or another, and didn't need to pull the kids out of school, so they spent their nights over here at my place. My 18 year old niece, Kristi, was gracious enough to come spend Wednesday and Thursday night into Friday morning with me, so the kids had someone here while I worked my overnight job, as well as kick them out of bed and off to school in the mornings.

So even during the school day I had my niece around to keep me company. Even if half the time I was up, she was sleeping on the couch. Then Friday came. I hung out here for a bit, before taking Kristi back to her parents, doing some laundry while I was over there, and then I had the kids for my regularly scheduled weekend once they got out of school. We just hung out Friday night, and then my parents showed up Saturday. They took us all out for lunch, then we came back her and hung out for awhile. Mom and I went over the ideas for which pictures would be hung up where, and what might be needed to get things all purtied up for turning this apartment into more of a home-like environment, rather than a storage shed I just live in and keep my stuff. While we did that, the boys kept their grandpa entertained while playing video games.

Then Sunday morning rolled around. After getting a sufficient amount of coffee in me, I drove mom to the Walmart and the Goodwill to pick up supplies and everything. We went over how to lay everything out. The kitchen is mostly done now, I got new blinds put up on the bedroom windows, including a curtain for the boys' room, the bathroom sink cabinet hinge fixed so it doesn't fall on the floor when I open it, or try to open the drawers next to it. I've gotten started on the family picture wall, but I still have to go through loose photos to put in the big collage-matted frame. I'm putting off the John Wayne wall for now, as I have to move the entertainment center to get to that section, which is a TOTAL pain in the butt. But, it's coming along decently. Even added some botanical flavor to the place. I wonder how long it will take the cat to eat that all to hell?

So we went out to Taco Bell for lunch, then came back to the apartment and Mom and Dad headed for home. A little while later the boys' mother came to pick them up. It was 4:45pm. I had to work at 8:00pm last night. So I had 3 hours basically where it was just me and the cat...who was of course napping after the excitement of too many people in the house for an extended period of time for his liking. And I noticed something...a deafening silence. I had people in my house since Wednesday afternoon, and suddenly nobody. I had never heard silence so pronounced before until that moment. I got very lonely, very quickly. Although I didn't look forward to going to work for a 12 hour shift, I welcomed it to a degree, if for nothing else than to distract myself with the job from that lonely feeling.