Last night was date night for my wife and I. Cheap babysitting at our regular daycare available from 5pm to midnight. My wife and I went out to dinner and had great wine, sumptuous food, and best of all, there was nobody screaming throughout. I was happily asleep by 10pm, and then this morning, my son slept a whole hour late. We're having a fairly good time together. Well, if you don't mind being interrupted every 30 seconds with things being broken or crashing to the floor (or both). My calm inner self, so carefully crafted by last night's cocktails and crab cakes, has vanished. In it's place, just 20 minutes in, is an irritable mind already aching for nap time--already craving more time away. I miss peace that lasts long enough for my own thoughts to gather naturally, meander, and come up with other thoughts borne out of quiet contemplation. That kind of introspective creativity doesn't happen much around here anymore because there's just so little quiet. ...