Who Knew There Were So Many Fringe Benefits to Separation & Divorce?

Mostly, when people talk about divorce and separation, they talk about the darker side of it, they talk about the emotional wrenching that it puts you through, the stress of figuring out custody, finances, dividing property etc.  They don't often talk about some of those benefits, like when you're getting ready to leave for a solo weekend away, and because you've been sick you've done absolutely nothing around the house, but feel sorry for yourself.  So when two of your closest friends phone you up to ask you go out for drinks, and you say no, because you need to pack, and you need to clean up, but they insist on coming over and helping you tame the jungle that has taken over your living space. 

That's what happened to me yesterday.  I was getting ready to leave for Austria, today, and last night two of my very good friends, Mandy & Johanna, wanted to go out for dinner and drinks.   Since I couldn't join them, they came over to mine, we ate the last of the pulled pork BBQ, fixed a salad, mixed some drinks, played around, put on our HazMat suits and together attacked the apartment.

In their generosity, perhaps influenced by a few rum and cokes, they offered to help me pack.  Mandy wanted to pack my bikini, thinking it would give me inspiration to wear it while writing, holed up in the farmhouse I'm staying at, so instead I set them to folding my laundry, while I packed. With a few drinks and good company, folding laundry and packing has never been so entertaining. 

And when that was over, we went into the kids bedroom for some more good times.  I was tempted to just shut the door on the chaos, but as I don't particularly care for the kids to come home to the natural disaster formerly known as their bedroom, they helped me pull it together, and in just under an hour, I was standing aghast. THEY HAVE A FLOOR IN HERE?  How did I not know my children had this much floor space?  Oh, yes, because it has been since Christmas since I've actually seen their floor, and now, it resembles a children's bedroom again, not the aftermath of Mount Vesuvius.

Now, I can leave for Austria for my solo weekend, and relax, knowing that when I get home, I won't have to quarantine the apartment.  So, I'm off for the weekend, and when I return, I'll update you on my solo weekend, and introduce you to the guest bloggers who will be taking over while I'm in Italy.