Not Such a Stranger

Posted on February 4, 2008 in Routine

Yes, it has been some time. The materials for writing seemed to dry up, so I played The Sims, did volunteer work, and learned Latin. Tonight I harassed my wife into a late bedtime. The ritual goes like this. Late in the evening, I ask her the time which invariably is after 11. “Time for bed,” I say. And she keeps reading blogs without the slightest recognition of the hour. I repeat myself to the point of irritation — for myself if not for her — and watch as she slowly stops her typing then goes to the bathroom for the beginning of the pre-nocturnal postures such as the brushing of the teeth which she adopts, seemingly to irritate me still more, me who usually flops on the bed, waits a bit, and then rises to pursue some forgotten chore. Water runs in the bathroom for several minutes until, finally, she goes to bed, pulling a red night mask over her eyes.

Having seen her to bed, I’ll make the promise not to be such a stranger.