Chachi

I always convince myself that, If I could just get some quiet time, I could really write. Without those pesky run on sentences. Or random thoughts [What's with all these ants?!], I would write beautiful, flowery prose that would awe and inspire people throughout the world.

Well, now I have my wish. I have my quiet time. And I am going crazy.

Chachi is at a conference this week. For creative people. IN CHICAGO.

Meanwhile, back at the chicken farm ---or around the corner, as it were---It's too dark. It's too quiet. It's too...stressful.

I am bound to my evening routine: home - dinner [watching Stargate SG-1 reruns, natch], maybe a snack. Then we move on to Reading Time with Nooze, where it becomes apparent that Momma Renn should not read out loud. It seems that I am wont to paraphrase, embellish - and prone to the random stutter. This tendency is exacerbated if a Magic Schoolbus book is involved. Namely the Cursed Dinosaur book. [Hey! They lived many years ago. There may well have been a Bobosaurus Rex!]

Then we move on to pure Noozie time - which is Momma speak for snuggling, cuddling and just loving on our beloved five year old - known both as Nooze and Booger J. Monkey around these parts. Then, all to quickly, it's time for Nooze to go to bed.

When Nooze falls asleep, Chachi and I do what all old married couples do. We goof off. We have been married long enough to know that candlelit dinners are fine - if you have just survived another hurricane. Long walks on the beach just give us leg cramps. Looking deeply into each others eyes simply means someone has lost a contact lens - or is in need of more allergy drops.

Standard goof off fare consists of movies and the occasional board game. When it comes to movies, we have 2 basic rules - First and foremost: The person who fell asleep during the last movie may choose the next one. This ensures that both of us have a fair shake. It also ensures that, if a movie isn't engaging within the first 15 minutes, it gets turned off. Who wants to fall asleep to their own lame choice? The second rule is simple - if one of us will be home more (vacation, personal day or holiday), that person gets to stack the queue.

When it comes to board games, well, we get a little creative. Some of our favorites are Battle of the Sexes - where I am so the Queen of Liquor and Fishin', Mexican Train Dominos, Phase 10, and Fact or Crap. We are so well tuned with our geek nature that we have Game Night with friends once a month.

We watch hockey, football, basketball. I watch ESPN and read the magazine. I know the difference between KeyShaun and LeBraun - even if I can't spell either name. I watch PTI - and like it. None of this would have been possible without Chachi.

Chachi cooks with bizarre, random ingredients and makes awesome dinners. I clean up after him.

Chachi buys most of my clothes...simply because I hate to shop. He is creative, musical, gifted. He is teaching Nooze how to read - and hear - music.

He hates snakes just as much as I do. [Yet we live past the other side of nowhere - in a field next to the Great Woods...Huh.]

For the next few nights, I will be adrift without my beloved schedule. We will gnosh on leftovers and drink tepid water. Stargate SG-1 will be meaningless. Lights will stay on. The dogs will take over, the tv will stay on all night; I will sleep on both sides of the bed.

I am thrilled that he has this opportunity. I hope that he's having a great time. Back East, at La Casa de Chachi 'n' Renn, things are simply out of sorts. I just miss him like crazy.

He left less than 24 hours ago.