My house was the hub today, just like I always wanted it to be. I had visitors all day. You would have thought it was my birthday, and not Tammy’s. But no, it was just my day to be the center of the universe. Or at least the hub.

Okay, now that my fantasy is out of the way, here’s the real story. Tammy called first thing this morning and woke me up with the cheery news that she and Suzanne were on their way here. It was actually after 9:00 am, so I had no excuse to be sleeping, and I don’t really mind getting phone calls after 9:00, even if they wake me up. But that doesn’t change the fact that they were on their way and I wasn’t even shaved, much less dressed.

So what did I do? Well, first I got out of bed. That’s pretty much a given, and everything else leads from there. Then I scrubbed down the bathroom, because ewwww. I’m a single guy who lives alone and isn’t used to being at the hub of all existence. My visitors are seldom and few.

As it turned out, it didn’t matter, because they didn’t come in the house after all. Tammy came to the door and I gave her the birthday present I’d wrapped, and the two tapes that were the real reason she went out of her way to drop by. She had fussy kids (along with her mother-in-law) in the car, so she didn’t stay. But still, that’s good, right? I had more visitors before breakfast than I usually get in a whole day.

The rest of my day was going along about as you’d expect when it’s raining outside and I’m swamped with work inside. Then this afternoon Eric called and said that he was dropping by. I was dressed and everything, so I made sure he stayed for a while. We had one of those wide-ranging discussions we’ve had since he was old enough to talk, about politics and sports and school and things that really matter.

This is the way I like it, you know. I pretend to relish being a hermit, but I really like it when I’m at the hub.