Off the grid

Craig is enroute to his field site in southwestern Texas, so it's just us girls at the Byron homestead. My dear friend Nina is staying with me to help with Julia and Grace. She is affectionately known as "my otha motha", and I can't imagine how I would manage this time without her.

Shortly before Craig's departure he informed me that he would be completely out of contact for the duration of his fieldwork. Smart man. He only had to deal with me being weepy for a couple of days. You see, this will be longest stretch that Craig and I have not communicated since we met (even when he was in Vietnam seven years ago we managed to talk once a week). There's no other way to cut it; this is going to be very difficult for me.

Craig and I have been together long enough to have evolved a rhythm of dependence. He takes care of all things dirty (garbage, kitty litter, Grace's potty) as well as all things manly (that is, anything to do with house maintenance or the basement). In seven years, I have become completely incompetent in these areas, happily leaning on Craig to perform all of these tasks (he gets a pretty good deal though since I handle pretty much everything else in our lives).

I think I'll manage (though I may complain about it a bit). I have already had to take over one manly task. Two nights ago our pipes froze (when temps dropped into the teens), so yesterday, I trekked to Lowe's to buy pipe insulating foam and spent the afternoon on a ladder in the basement covering our pipes. I'm happy to report that my labor kept our pipes open (last night the temps hovered around 20 degrees).

Maybe I'm not so dependent after all.