Sorry, Out of Area

Remember when cell phones used to tell you something along the lines, "Sorry, you are out of area. You cannot make that phone call."? This week, that was me that was out of area. My cell phone was left in my ride home from the airport due to Shawners' bed having to be made immediately for a very tired little boy to crawl straight into bed at 3am after getting home from the airport, and my cell phone was forgotten in all the hubbub. Once I realized where my cell phone was, now thirty minutes away, I left it there, partially wanting to save the gas from having to go pick it up and partially not wanting to be inundated with catching up with the week of my life missed here but fully lived being out of town on vacation. I decided to wait until my son had to be taken down there any way. Only, I later discovered, he didn't have to go down there this week. So my phone was left there any way. Yesterday, when I finally made some effort to go get it there was nobody at the house it was at. Today, I will finally get my cell phone.

In the meantime, I have enjoyed every minute of my cell phoneless moments. From unpacking all six suitcases - thank you, wonderful grandparents, for all the Christmas presents, from talking on my kids' phone to my sister for three hours - something that would in general be interrupted by umpteen million texts I would inevitably get off the phone to reply to, and/or call back, to running a whole list of errands - including stocking the fridge I emptied out of all the old food, replacing it with delicious fresh fruit, vegetables, mozzarella, and herb roasted turkey breast.

My kids' cell phone, which I have been using to maintain a little contact with the world aka Brando, is like fingernails on a chalkboard to text, "gH-ghI-_T-gH-ghI-pqrS_ghI-pqrS_P-pqrS-D." Remember those days? Therefore, I have not been tempted to text, but have been able to use it for emergencies.

My best friend left me a letter on my door wondering if I am okay, sweetest letter ever. And, today, when I get my phone I will be catching up with all the life that I missed, now, not just from vacation, but from four days of being incognito, catching up with my house, my fridge, my boys - who, incidentally, have been on movie overload and the silence of no wrestling is golden. I will call my best friend and plan to have coffee with her, I will call my good friend and see if we can work out New Year's plan, I will text my girls' night girls and see what their plans are for New Year's and if one of them is excited about her trip to Colorado this weekend and when exactly she is going and coming back. I will come back to life.

In the meantime, the break from constant contact, upkeep, and social norms was thoroughly enjoyed. Sometimes, juggling all the balls I have in the air, along with the things that keep me sane (my amazing, beautiful girlfriends) gets tiring. And it's okay for me to take a break.