Quite the Absence

I just want you all to know that my title speaks for more than one thing. It does refer in part to my long absence from the wonderful world of blogging...in fact I am writing this for one person and one person only *significant cough--you know who you are* but the absence refers also to family.

Kim left tonight and she'll be gone for quite some time. She goes straight from Boot Camp for the Navy to her training for the Navy with no break in between (in fact, we're not even certain if she'll be coming home for Christmas) and her absence will be for a huge length of time.

And while we're on the subject of absences let's not forget to mention that starting August 10th Dad starts his job as a truck driver, and then he won't be home for 2 months. Also quite an absence.

Then, in August Pam will put her mission papers in and will presumably there after be leaving for a year and half. So very conceivably by Christmas time or earlier it'll just be dear ol' mom and I at home. (Thank heavens we like each other eh?)

Absences are funny things- they almost invariably cause you to look at the people who are absent with more fondness and good humor. You forget the things about them that you can't stand and remember only all the good (although Thom hasn't been gone so long that I forget that he woke me up by putting ice down my shirt and flipping over my bed...)

I was actually contemplating leaving home for a while but first of all, well free room and board. Who wants to say no to THAT while they are going to college? Also I think that being all alone would give mom a shock (probably a good one, but we won't dwell on that right now, we'll think that she still needs me around--makes me feel better about mooching off of the food and room right?) I mean she's had so many people around the house for the last 30 or so years. What would she do? (Besides be able to take more leisure time for herself....)

Actually I'm rather looking forward to it. I mean, can't you all just see it now? I come home from a long day of school and she from a long day of work. We make dinner in the kitchen, eat together, clean our dishes while laughingly splashing each other with water then we go off our different ways for an hour or so while I do homework and she gets things done she needs to do (you can already tell this is a dream since it only takes me an hour to do homework) and then we sit down in our impeccably clean house (since it's only going to be the two of us it will stay impeccably clean) and watch a movie together. Occasionally the movie watching will be graced by Ben and Jerry's. Hmmm, isn't it sweet? I mean in all likelihood this won't happen- but doesn't it paint a nice picture?

You know, back when I was little I was afraid of the future and what it would bring. Now I find myself anxious, curious, and most of all--excited!