Alone, for a bit

I'm sitting here on the couch. It's 8:30 a.m. And it's quiet. It's oh, so quiet. It's oh, so still. The ticking clock sounds like Metallica. The dog's tail sounds like a drum solo. My breathing sounds like a hard wind.

I'm off today, meaning I'm home without kids, without wife and without anything to do (actually, not true, lots of errands to run, but still, it sure FEELS that way).

I used to have days like these every weekend, even after I got married. They're long gone. I don't think I've had a day like this in months. For an introverted, introspective soul like myself, it's heaven, in a Bryan Adams sort of way.

I wish I had more of them. 

I'll pay for this day later, when I have to work all weekend covering the annual jazz festival (tough work, but someone's gotta do it), and tomorrow will be a long, busy day, and not all of it will be filled with great music. 

But for now, I'll enjoy days like this. I'm grateful for it.

I'm also grateful that I don't have them every weekend any longer.