Tuesday, December 21

6:20 am
Home

Sitting in my kitchen, waiting for coffee to brew.  The silence is wonderful.  Still dark outside but I can see the hint of snow on the terrace.  As nice as the sun was in Australia, I missed this.  Christmas in the City.  Can't wait to go out later today and see my kids.  Maybe we'll go do something Christmasy.

In a few minutes I'm gonna start making breakfast for Cate, give her breakfast in bed my first morning back.  Then I'm gonna make love to her again.  Breakfast in bed of another sorts, ha ha.

God it's good to be home.

It was midnight when I finally stumbled in the door.  Flight from L.A. was uneventful but we got held up on approach at Newark.  Circled for almost a damned hour.  Then by the time we landed, deplaned, got our shit, said Happy Holidays, and got our cars, it was after eleven.  I told my driver to get me here as fast as he damned could.  He did.

Walked in the door and Cate was waiting for me.  Under the mistletoe.  She hung some in the entry, just for the occasion.  She looked so damned beautiful standing there smiling at me, her hair all shiny and her eyes swirling three shades of blue like they do when she's happy.  I just stared at her for a minute before I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her for all I was worth.

I swear we must have stood there liplocked for a good fifteen minutes, just holding each other and reveling in the reunion.  I didn't even mind a damned bit that she was wearing her Eagles Jersey just to mock me, ha ha.  Besides, that's ALL she was wearing, so it was all good.  My wife makes a football jersey look better than anybody else on the planet.  Any jersey.

She had a bottle of wine open and a fire going and Sinatra on the stereo.  I left all my shit at the door and followed her over to the living room and snuggled up with her on the couch.  It felt so damned good -- it's what I missed most, just holding Cate and talking to her and feeling her heart beat against my chest.  Our sex life is fantastic, but it's our love life that keeps me going.

But hey, I'm a guy -- I have needs.  Ha ha.  So does my wife.  So we didn't snuggle for long before we were both naked on the rug in front of the fire, enjoying each other.  It was pure bliss, making love to Cate again after a LONG month apart.  So nice we did it twice, ha ha.

Finally we made it into the bedroom and I just curled up with her and held her while she slept.  I'm still on Aussie time so of course I was wide a-damned-wake, but that was fine.  I wasn't about to move, I was right where I wanted to be.  I actually dozed a little, but not for long.  Laid there with her until about an hour ago when I finally got up and left her snuggled under the sheets.

Watched the news, dragged my bags into the laundry room and put my guitar in the office, got the paper, made some plans for today.  I'm gonna crash in a few hours I'm sure, but I gotta make myself stay awake as long as I can so I might be able to sleep tonight.  We have the Vets thing tomorrow night so I gotta get myself right-side-up as soon as I can.  It's gonna take a few days but I'm fucking determined to be right by Christmas.

And I can't wait until Thursday, when I give Cate her present.  It's gonna rock her world.

Coffee's done, time to go wake up my Sleeping Beauty.  Breakfast can wait.

10:45 pm
Bed

Christ, I'm tired.  Forced myself to stay up all day so I can try to sleep tonight.  Problem is my body's wiped out but my brain won't shut down.  Damned jetlag.

So now I'm lying here in bed, trying to force myself to go to sleep, which obviously ain't working because I'm writing in my book instead.  Cate's out in the living room watching a movie with Jess and Steph, so I can't even amuse myself with her.  Dammit.

Had a great day today.  Once Cate and I finally made it out of bed and got dressed we went to get the kids at Dorothea's place.  Took them out for lunch, a little shopping, ice skating at the Rock.  Well, kids and Cate skated, I didn't.  I stood at the side of the rink pouring coffee down my gullet and freezing my ass off because my blood thinned out in the Aussie summer heat.  But there was nowhere I'd rather be than there watching them.

Wasn't really bothered much by fans either, just a couple here and there.  That's one of the great things about New York, I don't really get bothered.  Celebs are a dime a dozen around here.  Usually when I get approached it's by a tourist.  It also probably didn't hurt that I was "disguised" in a ski cap and had my scarf up to the tip of my nose, ha ha.  Looked like I was ready for an expedition to Antarctica.  One of the few places we haven't -- and WON'T -- play.

After the day out we went back to D's and the kids begged to spend the night at our place.  I really wanted them to but hesitated because I wasn't sure about Cate, or Dorothea for that matter.  Still haven't really talked to either of them about what happened a few weeks back but I sensed a little discomfort between them when the kids were clamoring to come home with Cate and me.  Cate immediately said they were welcome, and Dorothea didn't make a fuss.  That's one of many reasons I love my wife -- she really makes an effort to be involved with the kids, though I know she feels like an outsider sometimes.   I don't thank her enough for that.

So Steph and the boys came back here, we ordered pizza and played video games, then I put Jake and Romeo to bed.  That was the highlight of my day, reading to Jakey and just laying there in the dark with them, talking about their school and Santa Claus and and what Romey wants to name the pet ferret he has his heart set on.  I may have to talk to Cate about getting him one and keeping it here since D has a firm "no rodents" rule at her house.  How can I possibly let that little guy down?

I'm a complete pushover as Santa Claus.  Obviously.  Good thing I don't have to be Hannukah Harry too, ha ha.

Once I got the boys settled in I went and collapsed on the couch with Cate and watched about 20 minutes of whatever God-awful movie it is they're watching, and started to nod off.  Cate told me to go to bed, so not being one to disobey my wife, I did.

And now I can't sleep.

I need her to come to bed too, so she can snuggle up on my chest and I can drift off holding her.  I always sleep better when she's in my arms.  She's my security blanket.  She actually likes it when I spoon up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist, but I don't sleep so well then.  Too convenient a position, ha ha.  Hard to sleep when Superman wants to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Well, CRAP.  Guess I better turn out the light and at least try to doze off.  We have a lot going on tomorrow, last-minute Christmas shopping and the Vets benefit.  I'm gonna be miserable when I wake up -- I always am on jetlag Day Two.  Nothing I can do but push through it.

It's good to be home.