The Cat’s Away…

…and the mice are playing, although the sensation takes some getting used to.

Sarah has flown off to Chicago for the La Leche League 50th Anniversary Conference and taken Eloïse with her. Hrmph; she’s only two and she’s getting to see a city I haven’t been to.

Well, I didn’t want to go. I’m all for breastfeeding, especially where babies are concerned (bitty, anyone?), but a conference dedicated to the subject is a bit much for me. I mean, I like ice-cream, too, but I don’t feel the need to immerse myself in the subject or socialise with other eaters. As long as my missus is free to breastfeed our children for as long as they need it, that’s good enough for me. On the other hand, I applaud Sarah’s ongoing interest in the subject.

After a week in Chicago, she’ll be spending a further two weeks with her folks. For three whole weeks, I’m a bachelor once more.

So, the Sonos is in party mode (which means it’s playing the same music in all zones throughout the house) and I’m taking advantage of the freedom and quietude to relax and get some programming done.

A couple of days ago, I went out with Garth for a meal at Los Pilones, followed by a visit to the cinema to see Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Death Proof.

The meal was good, as always, although also invariably not as good as the Mexican food we enjoyed back in California.

The film was fun, too, if lacking much in the way of a story. As always with Tarantino, it’s more the sharp dialogue than the story that attempts to hold your attention and it’s been a long while since Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, so the characteristically unrealistic, snappy, larger-than-life dialogue is wearing thin on me now. All of his characters sound like they grew up as part of the same nuclear family.

Nevertheless, it was fun and a rare visit to the cinema for me. The last time I went was in December 2005. Some people are virtually incredulous of this when I tell them, and they seem to regard going to the cinema is an essential element of modern living. I find this to be a peculiar view.

The Tour de France, too, is good for killing endless hours, especially today’s Pyrenean mountain stage, which is being broadcast in its entirety and will last a good six hours. Thank heavens for MythTV. I must remember to leave the house occasionally.

I sometimes think that my family is what anchors me to the earth. When they’re not here, I descend into reclusion and lose my ties with the outside world (not that I have many). The days start to fly by, with no events or even minor interruptions to punctuate them and perturb the perception of a vast plain of time.

That said, Jules is coming over Wednesday evening and staying the night. I haven’t seen him in ages, so it will be fun to catch up. I’m sure I can find some other reasons to leave the house, too, and not just for lunch at Casa e Cucina.

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