The sun still shines on luddites…

As most of you know I spent this last week revisiting bachelorhood as my lovely wife and son made their way up to the holy land. For 8 whole days I spent my time in Waco as the sum total of the Carneys.

I sadly dropped off my wife and son last Friday to begin not only my first time away from Roy, but also the longest streak my wife and I would spend apart since we got married. On my way back to Waco I was quickly cheered up by the new reality I would find awaiting me when I got back home. I slept in my bed with the fan on high all week and no covers whatsoever. I also was able to allocate half the grocery budget for beer and other essentials. Needles to say I quickly found myself back in 2004.

As part of my wife’s absence I embraced the luddite lifestyle. Well not really, but she did take our now only cell phone and I committed to riding my bike to as many events and places as possible to minimize the use of our cars… being that I did not have to haul around a car seat and the 13 lbs that is the hunk of burning love…Roy. I did so fairly successfully using my car to drive only to places like Jen’s and the Dugan’s pool and when it was advantageous for Craig and I to travel together. This is quite an accomplishment given the week-long inclement weather patterns of central Texas of late.

On Monday, in the spirit of bachelorhood, I accepted the sympathetic “poor alone Josh” invitation to my friends the Fillinghams to enjoy an evening meal. They live by Mountainview Elementary School. As part of my journey towards their house I rode by Hillcrest Baptist Hospital. I came from 30th and Colcord and so pulled up to the hospital from the east side. As I approached I looked into the window on the second floor and a big smile found itself on my face. That was the room Roy Clemens Carney was born in.

I felt a sudden sense of sadness as the mild pain of missing my dear wife and child become acute. I began thinking about March 20th, 2007 and in an unusual moment of literary genius I realized that the situation lent itself to a triple entendre. That day the Son rose on my wife and I in a unique way.

This morning the Carneys arrived at home at about 1:15 A.M. Roy, frustrated by an odd day of travel, chose to exercise his lungs for a few minutes as we laid him down in his crib. Out of sympathy, but really because I was looking for an excuse to do so, I picked up my crying son and begin to bounce him on the exercise ball at 1:30 A.M. Tired, I closed my eyes and began to review a week of bachelorhood. A few minutes later I looked down to see Roy had fallen asleep. I set him down made my way through earlier clean living room now covered by the mess of unpacked travel items. I laid down next to my wife who asked for the comforter because our room was simply too cold. I got up, got the comforter and plopped back down now officially done with the comparative living experience situation.

The last few thoughts that run through my head...

“This, This, This…the grass has never been greener right beneath my feet.”