All Quiet on the Eastern Front

It's been a nice evening. The weather was perfect for sitting outside on the porch. Chardonnay in hand, I caught up with a friend. Though the mosquitoes are unforgiving, it's worth the battle to take in the fresh air (minus the lingering bug spray) and enjoy the movement of the city street.

The house is quiet. All of my roomies are gone- involved in their own plans. I enjoy it. I wonder how long I will be living in the group home atmosphere. My heart often longs for solitude and a place to call my own, or at least one to call "ours" without referencing more than two people.

I bid my friend farewell and piddled in the kitchen. Dinner called and I had to answer. I listened to the music as loud as I liked. There was no one else to worry or bother. No one else to worry or bother me either.

The clothes are drying and my suitcase remains empty still. I am leaving for Chicago tomorrow afternoon. There's a conference that my team (from work) and I are attending that will go until Friday evening. I am excited to explore Chicago a bit and hope there is some free time to do so. The conference is from 9-5 during the day, which means our evenings are free. On Thursday night, we'll attend the Blue Man Group. We've already bought the tickets and I am anticipating a memorable performance. From the limited exposure I've seen (on television), it looks like an exceptional show.

I fly home in time to still get a weekend. My flight arrives in DC before midnight on Friday. I'm looking forward to some down time the rest of the weekend.

Next week looks pretty slow at work. We're wrapping up some details on our conference planning before things start jumping again. At the end of the week, I'm looking forward to heading to NC to spend some time at home. I haven't been home since Christmas and am WAY past due. A long weekend with my family will do me some good.

The suitcase is calling. I must answer. Chicago beckons louder.