Burn The House Down

So I've been alone at home for the past few weeks. Well, not alone, my grandmother's still here.
Leaving me alone in a house for longer than a few hours essentially means that you'll come home to a smoldering pile of rubble and the majority of your city's fire department. But alone in the sense that there's really no one walking in at 7:30 in the evening and demanding that I do my chores. I don't have to fetch a glass of juice for anyone but myself, I don't have to worry about keeping the living room tidy, nothing. I just have to turn on the alarm at night and supervise the occasional repair man, and in return, I get to do exactly what I want to during the day.

Since my parents left, there have been some modifications to my daily routine. It used to be that I'd get home, go out and get some exercise, get some studying done and then, once my parents got home, be at their constant beck and call. It's not that they gave me much to do, of course - carry their laptop bags up, get them a glass of water, that sort of thing - but there's something incredibly relaxing about looking at the clock, realising that it's 7:30 in the evening and being able to continue to do what I'm doing completely unconcerned. There's no gate that's going to open, no rush to go downstairs and open the door for anyone. Once we finish dinner, I'm essentially free. I can sit in my room and watch cartoons until bedtime and no one says anything. I don't have to help Mom clean up the TV room in the evening because there's no one at home right now who cares about the state the TV room is in. It's absolutely fantastic.

Really, though, it's the little things that give me most satisfaction. I can play my music without wearing my headphones without worrying about bothering anyone. I can sing in the shower without traumatizing anyone in the vicinity. I can sit and mess about on the computer all evening without anyone telling me that they need the machine for work. I know it seems strange, but there's something incredibly liberating about being able to play "Back in Black" without having to plug my ears.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows, though. I do rather miss having my parents here, and - Oh, who am I kidding? It's been great! I'm 16 and have even fewer responsibilities than the rest of my grade! It's every kid's dream! It is, however, a little difficult to remember to lock all the doors at night, and I miss quite terribly movie night with my parents - back when they were paying for dinner and the money was draining from their bank accounts rather than mine...

On balance, though, it's not bad. I've had my fun, in spite of the people showing up at 10am on Sunday morning and demanding that you tell them about the bore well at home. All good things, however, must come to an end, and my parents will be back home pretty soon. Now, before that happens, I need to see what our dining room looks like when decorated festively with three different colours of yarn. I'll have to get back to you on this one.