Monday, December 7, 2009

Can you pick up some groceries on your way to see me?

As I have every Christmas for the last five Christmases, I'll be asking Santa for a boyfriend. Of course, I'd like one year-round, but I always make sure to add one to my Christmas list, just in case.

In addition to year-round, and Christmas, there are couple other times I could really get used to having a boyfriend.

1. Vacation

With Roxie's wedding and the Thanksgiving holiday, I've done a lot of traveling lately. While it would be nice to have a travel companion, I mean, in this case, that it would be nice to have someone to come home (figuratively, though eventually literally) to after a vacation. After a week of family and/or friends, where people are happy to see you almost everywhere you turn, it's rather depressing to arrive at an airport late at night and remember that no one is waiting to see you on the other end. You parked your car at the airport, so you'll be driving yourself home, after you wait at baggage claim all by yourself, surrounded only by your fellow travel-weary plane-mates. Alone. Alone. Alone.

2. Being sick

I had a bit of cold last week, and while the symptoms were actually pretty mild, it pretty much wiped me out. Growing up, I could always count on Mom to take care of me. Now, all I can do is call her and whimper, but then get off my duff and shuffle my own self to the store for supplies (medicine/comfort food). I especially dislike when the cashier doesn't pay attention to my purchases and asks the quintessential small talk question - "How are you today?" I'd like to say "I'm in my sweats buying cold medicine, orange juice, and cookies. How do you think I am?" Fortunately, I usually still have my wits, so I say "I'm fine, thanks." and "How are you?" Then I go home, down a Sudafed or two, and try to sleep it off. It would be really nice to have someone else run to the drugstore, make me soup, or just change the DVDs.

In both cases, it would be incredibly helpful to have someone else to help me stock the fridge. I try to eat my perishables before I leave on vacation, so there isn't a lot waiting for me when I return. When I'm sick, I want to have easy to fix foods on hand, something I don't usually keep around. And in both cases, I'm particularly tired and grocery shopping isn't exactly my favorite chore even when I'm not. So, once again, to be able to count on someone else to assist me with this for a day or two would be lovely.

Of course, it would be great to have someone to look forward to seeing after a long day of work, not just after vacation, or someone else to help cook any day I don't feel like it. (Though one good reason to live and work solo is that I don't catch a lot of germs and haven't really been that sick for a few years now (knock on wood).)

There are just some days that absence is more poignant than others.

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