I have always had the ability to bounce right out of bed and get going. It’s annoying, I know, but hold on a second before you start sharpening the pitchforks
and lighting the torches. What I’m finding, as I get older, is that the body will still spring up and go about its business but the brain now requires at least twenty minutes of warm-up before it’s firing on all cylinders. It’s kind of like starting a diesel engine in the winter in that regard.
Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about. This morning I woke up around ten-thirty, as I usually do. Science Girl gets up around seven most days, so it wasn’t surprising at all that her side of the bed was empty. Lucy stays in the room until I get up; as soon as she hears my waking-up noises (turning over, moaning at the prospect of not sleeping any more, etc.), she jumps up on the bed and says good morning. I finally convinced her that it’s not appropriate to French kiss me, especially first thing in the AM, so now she just puts a paw on my chest and sniffs my eyes. Apparently they smell different when I’m asleep.
Outta bed, put on slippers, take a leak, head downstairs. So far, a normal morning. When I hit the kitchen and put on the kettle, though, I was struck by the curious absence of Science Girl. She’s usually reading the newspaper at the kitchen table when I come down, but not today. Hmmm. I thought she might be out gardening, since we’ve been having such lovely weather and all. I fixed myself a bowl of Weetabix (Prince Charles’ fave breakfast, doncha know) and fired up the ‘puter to see what was going on in the world. One bowl of cereal, half a pot of tea and ten minutes of surfing later, I realized that SG was still unaccounted for. This was odd, and no mistake. I grabbed my teacup and went out back to see if she was in the garden.
Nothing there but cherry blossoms and some hostas that are finally coming up. No sign of SG.
I checked front yard, the basement, and the laundry room. Nothing. Given that there was no note on the computer keyboard, I was at a loss as to what had happened. And then it hit me:
Maybe she’d run away.
Now, before anyone starts jumping to any wild conclusions here, let me break the suspense and tell you that she was, in fact, at the doctors. She’d told me yesterday that she’d made an appointment but either neglected to tell me when it was or I’d just forgotten. It was nothing more than that.
What makes the story even worth telling is the idea that Science Girl would run away. Not that she couldn’t, mind you. I’m not trying to suggest that she would be unable to function without me. It just seems pretty unlikely that she’d run off and leave the house, which is in her name, rather than, say, kicking me out on my ass. And, y’know, I’m reasonably certain that she kinda likes me. The fact that she hasn’t stabbed me in my sleep after almost six years together is a testament to that. Every morning that I wake up unperforated is a pleasant surprise. I am grateful (and oh so lucky) that she allows me to share life with her. In the “living together” sense, not the “I’ve decided to let you live” sense. Although, come to think of it, that too.
On an entirely unrelated note, there will be Radio Lethargico tonight, at the usual time.