Things are noticeably quieter around here at the moment. BHK is out of town for a few days on work business, which means the usual household rhythm has shifted a bit. For now, it is just Pearl and me keeping an eye on things.

Pearl spent most of the first evening camped out in the den, looking a little mopey. I suspect she was missing BHK. Cats are funny like that – they pretend not to care until suddenly they very much do. Today she bounced back, though, and we had a pretty solid round of playtime. Since I already manage the important logistics – meals delivered on schedule and litter box operations – the core infrastructure of Pearl’s lifestyle has remained fully operational. Still, she clearly notices we are down one of her primary humans.

I started the morning over at the Y for a swim and a bit of gym time, which felt like a good way to get the day rolling. After that it was a fairly relaxed stretch at home. I ran a few loads of laundry, cleared out the dishes, and did the usual light straightening. The cleaning crew is coming tomorrow, so there is a certain minimum standard that must be maintained. One cannot let the place devolve into chaos while on “bachelor time.”

In between those minor chores, the afternoon unfolded in a pleasantly low-key way. I put some music on, spent a while wandering around Minecraft on the PlayStation, and generally let the day move at its own pace. Dinner was as simple as it gets – reheated some leftover stir fry and called it good.

All in all, a quiet but perfectly serviceable solo shift here in Salem. That said, while the solo calm is nice for a day or two, the house definitely feels better when BHK is here. Looking forward to her return on Friday. I miss her quite a lot.