The Quiet House

So Wifey left yesterday for Orlando, and a physical therapist she hopes will finally heal her painful back. It worked once before -- maybe. 7 years ago, during a flare of pain I've teken to calling back intifadehs, she saw this same woman, and came back better. But -- it may have just been coincidental that the intifadeh was ending anyway. Either way, I'm hoping it works. When Wifey's home, she always likes to have at least one tv on. I'm the opposite -- I DISLIKE background noise -- particularly as I get older. The silence is, to me, so lovely, and increasingly hard to find in our world of clutter and constant stimuli. So I awoke early, and gave the strange rescue dog breakfast. When the sun rises, I'll take her for a walk around the 'hood, as we are enjoying our first "cool front" of the season. The temps are still in the 70s, but the humidity has taken leave. Wifey called last night -- proud of herself for renting a car and finding her way to her friend's house. I really have spoiled her: whenever we go away, I deal with all of those things, and Wifey gets to just admire the view. She called from the rental counter -- not sure whether to reject the rip off daily rental insurance they try to sell. She made it with to dinner with her friend Elizabeth, and Elizabeth, by necessity much more independent, actually caravanned to the hotel, so Wifey wouldn't get stressed by getting lost. Wifey's evaluation and twice daily treatments start today. She's lamented being away so long, and last Saturday my know it all mother in law, during a visit to the MJH, told me I "SHOULD drive to Orlando to visit" while Wifey was there. It's funny -- when someone tells me I SHOULD do something, I tend to passionately oppose it. I explained to my mother in law that, as the poets say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and then I told Wifey no fewer than 20 times to make sure her mother calls her CELL phone while Wifey is away. If anything can work to disrupt the exquisite silence of an empty house, it's my mother in law's less than subtle voice. So I shall embrace some solitude for the next less than fortnight. I really hope Wifey gets better -- we're at a stage in our lives where the world is truly our oyster -- and it's the height of sadness to be unable to savor that. But meanwhile, the silence calls, and I silently answer.