Marty’s photo of the day #4369: My wife, Deb, and I have been apart for more than two weeks before, but it was always because I was on a college speaking tour. This time, for the first time, we are apart for two weeks, because she is the one on a speaking tour.

I haven’t been home alone that long since the Minneapolis apartment I had shortly before meeting Deb. I’m adjusting just fine and already some of my super-efficient bachelor tricks are coming back to me.

For example: When Deb is gone, I always sleep on her side of the bed―because it smells like her. Come Sunday, I will do laundry, as that is laundry day at our house. Then it occurred to me: “Since our dog, Nellie, sleeps on top of the covers, my side of the bed is still perfectly clean. So if I switch to my side on Sunday, I can skip washing the bedding and dealing with fucking fitted sheets!”

So that’s what I plan to do. The only potential problem is that Nellie is all about routines, and once she has spotted a routine she sticks to it. She’s been very much enjoying having my half of the bed all week (which is exactly one inch more than she usually has when Deb is here). So she’ll have to adjust and take Deb’s side. It might take a cookie or two to convince her that switching sides is just the start of another routine.