Compost Studios

The taxi was late. Only seven minutes but enough to give the E-Man the heebie jeebies. He’s been preparing for this trip to Australia for months. It’s been the source of more than one sleepless night. He’s been operating at top speed for the last week. Everything can’t be undone with a late taxi and a missed flight.

He calls the taxi company. They assure him the taxi is on its way. He hugs us goodbye, asks for prayers, and tells the children to be good. Emily starts to cry as he heads out the door. She hangs out the living room window and weeps as she waves.

This is a tough trip in every sense. The E-Man has been asked to do two presentations on topics he’s less than expert on as well as a two-day training seminar on software he’d never used and was unfamiliar with until a few weeks ago. This is like the recurring dream I have where I discover I was enrolled in a class I didn’t know about and now have to take the final exam to avoid failing. Only for the E-Man, it’s not a dream, it’s real life, and he’s been alternately resigned and anxiety-ridden over this trip. We can’t wait for this to be over.

He’ll be traveling for almost 24 hours. There’s a 10-hour time difference and the jet lag will be monstrous. It’s fall here and spring there. Everything feels so unsettled. And he’ll be gone for more than two weeks.

The November nights are so long. I send Em and Andrew upstairs with popcorn to watch the Lizzie McGuire movie I bought earlier today at a consignment shop. They have a three-day weekend this weekend and a FIVE-day weekend next. That’s a lot of time to fill, a lot of free moments to miss their dad. I spent more than a $100 on books so the days won’t be so long. I’m planning some holiday art projects. Maybe we’ll do some baking. Maybe ride our bikes into town. Maybe we’ll ride the Metro and get off somewhere we’ve never been before. Maybe we’ll take the train to Gent.

For now I’m facing the first dark night of many. A good time to light a candle. A good time to whisper a prayer. A good time to dream with my back to the empty space on the other side of the bed.

November 3, 2005