Times like these..

It's strange to open my calendar each day and realize just how close I am to the end of the semester. Though it hardly matters much in the scheme of things, it signals the departure of two of our flatemates: Jay will be heading back to U-Mass in December and Haley will be graduating.

Because of that and because we've all been running around trying to plan a Christmas going away party, I keep thinking about how strange it will be - one year from now - to have to leave all of this behind.

When it comes down to it, I don't think I'll miss the pubs, the Derry streets, or the European travel nearly as much as I'll miss our sticky, wooden kitchen table.

Not because I'm a particular fan of minimalist apartment garb but because it's that simple wooden table that it the nucleus of my favorite nights in Derry.

Nights, for instance, like last night.

Exhausted after a day in Belfast with Habitat, I came home prepared to do reading for my upcoming paper. As I entered the kitchen, I found that it was exactly as I like it on an early evening: lights dimmed, music humming from Jay's Ipod, flatmates pulled up to the table reading magazines or working on work. Jay and I caught up on our days, chatted with Kerry before she headed to class, and promised to postpone opening a bottle of wine until Kerry returned later that evening.

For hours, then, Jay and I just busied ourselves around the kitchen. Cooking. Reading. Chatting about life.

OK, that's a little bit of a lie.

We were really just pretrending to Cook. Read. Chat about life.

In reality, we were checking the window, anticipating the arrival of Ben and his girlfriend Tami.

An arrival, I must confess, that dominated our flat chat for the weekend.

"When are they gettting back?" We would shout down the hall.

"I texted him. NOTHING! When are they returning?"

"Dammit! Are they here yet?"

"Jesus Jones Ben Coat. WHERE IS HE?" (OK, that was me.)

It's not that we can't live without Ben - although the flat was dreadfully quiet without him - it's that we've all been dying to meet the person on the other end of Ben's permanently attached cell phone. A person whom the innocent passerby would have no choice but to assume was named, "Sweetie."

Would she be sweet? Or mean? Funny? Or boring? Would she find us ridiculous? Look down upon our nightly routines?

We could hardly contain our anticipation.

Then, just as I headed out the door to attack the vending machine, their cab pulled up and I helped Tami and Ben get settled in.

Back in the kitchen, Jay and I could hardly contain ourselves.

"When are they coming out?" We would whisper.

"What do you think?"

"Jesus, what's taking so long?"

My curiousity was further delayed when Jay, Ben and Tami decided to go to the grocery store.

Good grief, I thought when I found myself alone in the kitchen.

Luckily, Kerry returned soon and we entertained ourselves with a much-needed girltalk session, frantic text messages to Jay to monitor the situation, and the occastional philosophical debate about whether, "If you have to open the wine, save me a glass," really meant we could pop open the wine or if it, indeed, was a sad message from Jay not to touch it.

(Yes, indeed, the lives of my flatmates and I are reduced to waiting around to check out another's significant other. What about it?)

Dying of thirst and curiousity, our only salvation was a final text from Jay:

Don't worry. I brought you both a surprise.

Surprise indeed. Twenty minutes after moaning aloud about the pains of waiting for Jay, Kerry and I found ourselves sitting behind a delicious spread of breads, cheeses, olives and hummus while we sipped our wine. Even better, Tami was hard at work cooking mashed potatoes and chili.

(Kerry and I offered both Tami and Jay marriage proposals and offers of fantastic cottage living if they would just cook for us for the rest of our lives...)

Sure, I felt a little lazy as they all whipped around the kitchen serving us. But we had been patient, hadn't we?

A bottle of wine and a handful of beer bottles later, we all sat around the kitchen table exchanging childhood stories and laughing until the wee hours of the morning.

It was the perfect was to welcome Ben and Tami back (even if she might think Kerry and I are lushes now) and to remind me of just how lucky I am to be here with these fabulous people...