Wifi connection: $7.99, Being Amused: Priceless

I got to the airport and settled into a seat at my gate with two-and-a-half-hours before my flight. Yes, $7.99 for 24 hours of wifi access is a little steep, but I decided to splurge so I could fulfill my NaBloPoMo duties before the scheduled 11:00 PM Blogger outage tonight. The guy next to me was about to get his laptop out and asked me about the price for the wifi. When I told him it was $7.99, he pulled out a newspaper to pass the time instead of his laptop. To each their own. I'm getting caught up on my internet time, because it was limited at my mom's house. I enjoy starting to get back into my groove before I get home.

I can't wait to get home. I haven't seen my favorite husband for almost ten whole days. We were like ships passing in the night, except that we were airplanes passing in the afternoon. Chad was in New York City again last week for work. He was flying back to Austin Friday afternoon as I was flying out to Raleigh. My sister asked if we waved at each other mid-air. No.

There is an old saying that "absence makes the heart grow fonder," to which I respond: baloney! Absence makes the heart all kinds of cranky. The longer Chad and I are apart, the less shared experiences we have. We start trying to relay our days' experiences to each other and it's a bit boring. I feel like so much of life is a "you had to be there" situation. Add to this emotionally-disconnected feeling a few dropped calls or sketchy phone coverage and I start feeling very lonely and cranky. It's as if the absence makes my heart start to forget all the quirky, fabulous and good-chemistry reasons that add up to make me love Chad so much. In fact, I've told Chad in a half-joking tone that I don't like him when he's not around. It's not so much that I honestly don't like him when he's away from me, as it is that I start to forget his personality and many charming qualities when he is not physically present.

Whenever Chad and I reunite after a long absence from each other, I always need a few hours to get used to him again. I have to look at him and simply be around him for a bit before I can let my guard down. If you have pets, it's a similar situation to when one pet goes to the vet and the other pets stay home. The pet who gets home from the vet gets a full sniff-inspection from the homebodies. Sometimes the vet-goer is hissed at/barked at, or regarded with suspicion because they picked up a new slightly different scent. The pets have to get used to each other again. After a few hours it's all good again.

Of course if you have pets, you may also have experienced the post-trip pouting. Marigold and Kenji shun Chad and I when we get home from a trip. They walk around sniffing our luggage, but not letting us pet them. They semi-ignore us for a few hours. Usually by the time we wake up the next morning, our little cuddle-buddies have forgiven us, and we wake up with a face full of warm, furry purr-machines.

Just a few more hours and I'm back to my pouty cats, my unfamiliar husband, my car, my house and my bed! Yay!