Rock 'n Rollers Don't Bathe

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Temporary Solo Mission: My 10+ year, live-in, significant other (Nan) has gone away on business for 2 months. I'm going on day 3 since she left. I remember hearing somewhere that one of the reasons ending long term relationships is so difficult is that you literally are losing part of your mind. When we engage in intimate relationships, not only do we bond sexually and emotionally, but we actually start to meld in a practical sense. Through time, one mind starts filling in the gaps for the other. If the relationship is healthy, these "filling ins" are based upon personal preferences. For example: Nan is very sensitive to time. She hates to be late and she hates to wait. I'm a bit looser in this department but Nan's penchant for promptness makes her an excellent planner when it comes to directions and navigation. Needless to say, when going to a party with Nan, I often don't even consider where I'm going until I've practically stepped out the door. But I'm always sure that I'll be there, on time (if not a little early). With Nan gone I'm forced to do my navigating on my own. This will for sure result in some later arrivals and probably a fair amount of getting lost. But sometimes getting lost is a great way to discover new stuff. I'm missing Nan very deeply. As well as a missing a daily dose of her beautiful smile, I'm not so hot on the idea her homemade pancakes being out of my life for the next 2 months. But in the same way learning how to live with her has been a not always easy, but ultimately rewarding, experience I'm trying to look at this time we are apart in a similar light. By turning this sort of anthropological mirror on myself, when she's not around, I might even discover some patterns that have a been the source of some friction while she is around. Clearly an unbiased study of myself will be impossible but here is a short list of things I'll try to observe and report on while she's away for these 2 months.

- exercise and eating habits
- sleeping habits
- where I, physically, spend my time in the apartment
- creative themes and tendencies
- how I spend money
- social life
- personal grooming or style choices