Cathartic Cleaning Day was a success. Got the house back into the nice order Kevin left it…. Did a bunch of laundry and blew up at my mom.

The mom bit wasn’t as gratifying as cleaning the house – but just as necessary and way more overdue. I’m finally just now starting to learn you can breathe a lot easier if you get stuff off your chest.

I was hoping to escape holiday family dramatics this year – but I guess it’s as common as fruitcakes and caroling.

My family dynamic is easy comparatively. I’ve just got two parents here and a bullying uncle I try to avoid. Unlike Kevin who’s got parents, a brother, a sister, inlaws, uncles and cousins who all converge, (more like collide), at the holidays… “Let the Games Commence!”…

I fetched Kevin from the airport last night at around 8:30PM… Weary from air-travel, fighting with Northwest Airlines to recover his luggage (which never made it to Akron for his entire stay), and from negotiating the complicated emotional landscape which is his family.

As much as I hate being split up – I get high on that look that someone who loves you gives you on reuniting.. A look of complete relief and gratitude.

Pi, his cat, was beginning to show signs of becoming completely despondent in the form of coming to me for affection, which in turn was pissing my cat off.

He hasn’t left Kevin’s side since he got home.

I awoke this morning to find Pi buried in the covers next to Kevin with a smile on his face.

Finally.. I’ve got something in common with that little bastard.

Chad returns this afternoon…. rest assured I won’t blog about it.