2.5 weeks later

The title reminds me of that movie 28 Weeks Later, which was no where near as good as its predecessor 28 Days Later.  Have you seen it?  A zombie apocalypse [or something similar to it, at least].  The main star of the film, Cillian Murphy, is one of my favorite actors.  He was stunning as the Scarecrow in Batman Begins, but my favorite role is Jackson Rippner in Red Eye.  Admittedly not a great movie, but I did like his part in it.  Anyway.  None of this has anything to do with the point of this blog.

I left for the States 2.5 weeks ago, and wasn't really thinking much about getting back home.  But, here I am, and I'm amazed at how much things have changed it just the couple weeks I've been gone.

This was taken in a field near the house, maybe a month ago.  We walk to the field every day so the dogs can run and play, then head back up the path to go home.  When I left, the grass/weeds were only as high as my waist or so...now there are parts that are easily as tall as I am, and it all completely covers the dogs.  They used to kind of jump over everything when they chased each other through, but now, I have to watch the tops of the stalks in order to figure out where they are.  However, every once in a while, Ninja [who can easily jump at least 8 feet] will come bounding over the top of the grass, funny little ears flapping in the wind like wings.  It cracks me up.

The path we follow is equally as grown over.  Hard to navigate at times, I feel as though I should carry an old sword to chop through the undergrowth.  In all honesty, I've contemplated carrying a weed whacker through to help the worst parts back, but it seems like a lot of work...I don't like work.  I can still spot some familiar landmarks, such as my bench, a couple oddly placed clearings, and the most sinister looking gates I've ever seen.  Not this gate; another set that is mysterious and forbidding and completely creeps me out.  Kind of wish the forest would swallow it up so I wouldn't have to see it so often.

The dogs were ecstatic to see me, wiggling their little butts so much I thought they would fall off.  Ninja even kept his chin on my shoulder the entire drive home, licking my cheek whenever I turned my face.  When we got home, there was a lot of unloading/unpacking/resetting up their stuff, but as soon as I sat down, they were both instantly right beside me.  I know they thoroughly enjoyed spending time with their best puppy friends for so long, but it's also nice to feel so loved and welcome.  Dogs are pretty good at that, ya?

The house was exactly the same.  Every single thing right where I left it, windows shut, yard overgrown, rooms cold and lifeless.  That's when it hit me; I'm home.  I have left behind the vacation world of always having other people around, always having something to do, things to see.  Now I am back in my own house, which is quiet and lonely and empty, waiting for my husband to come home and breath some life into it.  I wish so badly I could go back to my family; of all the things that had to stay the same until 2.5 weeks later, it had to be the loneliness.

It's actually a little easier today.  It helped to sleep in my own bed with the pups cuddled up next to me. All the windows and doors are open, which means I'll have to chase out the bugs later on, but it's perfect for right now.  The thunderstorms that haunted us yesterday kept us inside in the dark, which made everything a tad worse.  And I only have to think "2 more months" to help cheer me up.  I'm over halfway to the hubby coming back; I can do this.  Although, I'll admit, I put extra tags on the dogs' collars just so they make more noise when they move about.