Celebrate good times... (come on!)

Starting October 18th, I get to sleep at home in my own bed with my husband for an entire month straight. Exactly one month, mind you. We've got somewhere else to be on 11/18, but for the next 30 days we are here. We can try and compare the local barbacoa joint, the local valley folklore joint, and the local diner for weekend breakfast/brunch. We can meet up with local friends for meals that have been in the works for months, if not years. We can eat home-cooked meals made of local ingredients from the weekend farmer's market, freezer stash that's been on the list to prepare for quite some time, and little accents from the local snotty gourmet store. I'm ecstatic.

I announced this over dinner, of which I was quite proud. In celebration of my last worknight without a job or plans to go out, I prepared a bacon-browned, quartered cornish game hen, roasted over herbed sauerkraut in wine with a side of green beans (cooked in bacon grease, onions and garlic).

Between bites and happy noises of culinary delight, E was quick to point out that it was not like a month at home was a return to normalcy. Rather, he pointed out, it was a rarity to be cherished and celebrated (preferably with more good food!).

Because I'm a data fiend, I have records, and I checked. Sure enough, the last time I had 4 weeks at home without a night away was June of 2005 (16 months ago). Before that was November 2004 and before that was (forgot about thanksgiving) February 2004. 2004, aka 1L, was quite the year of domestic tranquility, it would appear.

Here's to hoping that the return to work brings similar tranquility to the return to school in 2004. I think we've both earned it.