One Of Those 'Once Upon A Time' Times.

Once upon a time my ex husband walked out.

In one week, not too many days after I discovered I was a single mother, he cleared out and overdrew our joint bank account, the living room curtain pole fell off the wall, the vacuum cleaner and TV blew up/died and the washing machine leaked.

I found my self sweeping carpet with a broom, washing school uniform by hand in the bath, with no privacy and no TV.

Now I am trying to backtrack and recall whether this was the harbinger of good things or bad.

Him leaving was obviously a 'good thing', not that it felt that way too often at the time. Its a well known fact that the times where you cannot afford for anything to go wrong are also the times when absolutely everything does its utmost to go as far tits up as possible.

Yesterday by best MSN chat friend (ie the one who is indoors all day, just like me) cleared off for a two-week tryst en France. Good for her! This would not be such an issue for me except that Husband leaves, lunchtime tomorrow, on yet another flaming training course and will be rattling around in some grand hotel halfway up the country for the next ten days. I get him back the weekend after next.

Okay, so there I was, gearing up for three school days and a whole half term (plus Valentines day) without too much in the way of adult communication. ('Too much' meaning any, at all.)

Now the TV has decided I am allowed to hear but not see whats on - the picture has died. The kids will go bonkers, but not as doolally as me once they're in bed and the silence creeps in. I feel some divinely foisted pottering coming on.

Its going to be like solitary confinement, except with mouths to feed and wars to adjudicate.

At least I'm near the sea, so perhaps a long walk. I just can't think where the nearest short pier might be.