Boston Boys and the Blahs

The trio of sisters known as The Roches recorded a song once called The Largest Elizabeth in the World, and sometimes that's just how I feel. They say this feeling comes along "usually at the point where the boy is oblivious to the girl," but there isn't a particular boy I have in mind, so I don't suspect that's what's going on in this particular situation. Some might just call it the blahs or the blues, but whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it's brought on by the fact that my family is coming to visit me this weekend.

Oh, the family members who are coming are lovely people and I do enjoy them. I'm just not sure I enjoy them two days' worth. Is that enough to make me feel blah-humbuggy? Well, it's enough to cause my emotions to go into overdrive. I feel happy they're coming to see me, upset that I'll have to escort them on a two-day shopping spree (for that's all they like to do), bummed out that my favorite nephew is in Iraq and can't come with them this time and generally uptight 'cause I moved to a new apartment and I don't know if they'll be able to find it...and if they do, will they approve of it?

So, not really a justification for blah, right? Well another little event today was one of the salesmen I deal with on a regular basis came to visit me in the office. He's a really cute salesman from Boston. I know another cute boy from Boston, don't you? Yup, that's right, it's Matt. And I guess I got a little sad 'cause this guy's really cute and Matt's really cute and another guy I know from the general Boston vacinity is really cute and none of them is my boyfriend. In fact, I don't have a Boston boyfriend at all! Sad, right?

Most of the time I'm just fine with this. I'm able to live my life with the happiness of knowing that no one opens a window in my apartment when I want it closed and no one steals the covers from me on cold nights and no one takes out my DVDs of The West Wing to put in a documentary about sharks in the mid-Atlantic region. Having no one around to do any of that stuff is really super! But since the weather is turning a bit chilly, I guess I'm remembering how nice it used to be to cuddle up next to someone and put my head on his shoulder and watch Roseanne. Right now, though, not only is there no shoulder to rest my head on, there's no Roseanne. And don't get me started on buying the collection of DVDs, 'cause I'm already having enough trouble keeping up with The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Nanny releases.

Once, there was a night when I went out to eat with boyfriend du jour and when we finished we huddled under my umbrella in the Fall drizzle and worked our way back to my Hell's Kitchen apartment to sit and watch an evening of The Golden Girls, Empty Nest and Nurses. It was after that he realized he didn't have his glasses with him and he couldn't leave his contacts in all night so a sleepover was something he couldn't really commit to. The feeling of disappointment for me was deep until he asked if I wanted to go back to his place with him. What a lovely night that was!

But now he's gone and I'm feeling blah. Ah well, it's nice to have had a special evening, so when you're going back to an empty nest of your own you can think back on it and smile. Even if the smile doesn't completely obliterate the blah.