The Bachelor Diaries - Vol I

This week is Bachelor Week at la casa de Rutledge as Amy ventured back to Kentucky -- with three kids in tow -- to spend some time with the Smith, Blackburn and Sturm crews. Yesterday Amy managed 3 children, a stroller, luggage and carry-on's through airports and made it to Paducah just fine. My hat is off to her for braving that trip! All early reports indicate the boys have latched on to their cousins Gavin & Mason and Tess has clung to cousin Brooke -- what a match that crew should be for the week.

Meanwhile here in NC, I am holding down the fort with the dog & cats, deciding if I really do in fact relish the peace and quiet or if the lack of noise from little ones running around is too eerie. I think it's safe to say that the empty nest is refreshing for now but will be lonesome by the time the family returns.

So I'm left to decide what to do with all this time not spent shuttling, bathing, refereeing, reading to, disciplining, cooking for, playing with, and cleaning up after children. My buddy Chris asked for my to-do list so he could give me grief when I didn't do half of it. This is very likely to be the case. Odds of those touch-up paint or deck sealing jobs actually getting done are about 1 in 100. But a guy can dream -- it's only been 24 hours!

For now I have made the most inexpensive grocery run this family has seen in months, slept until the alarm clock went off, and taken the dog on more walks than he normally gets in a week. Tucker may change the locks on the doors so he stays #1 on the totem pole.

Cheers!