Keeper

I hear it's common for writers (and intellectuals) to want to spend time alone. I also hear we are insomniacs. I find this to be true - in the dark, quiet hours of the night, when the rest of the world has finally shut the **** up, I can think and concentrate without ridiculous interruptions.

I love my fiance - very much so! But I do not want to spend every waking moment with him. I am just this way. I love my dog, and my favorite books, but I do not want to play frisbee all day or re-read the same book over and over. I want new things, and alone time.

My fiance is part of Rausamea. To put it very bluntly - it is a bunch of people that wrap PCP pipe in thick foam and then beat the daylights out of each other in mock medieval battles. They have realms, crests, knightings, huge battles, realms fight other realms... it's very involved. (But essentially, daylights + beating.)

Of course I worry about him when he does these things. He's accident and large-surgery prone. Someone could hit him in the head, or he could get thrown/trampled in a charge (YES, that is a real danger). But I know he enjoys it. I think it helps him get that natural man-ness out, the need to beat up on something. It's also really good exercise for him, he sometimes wears a REAL SHIRT of CHAINMAIL, plus carrying the shield, swinging the sword...

But I really like when he goes, because I have the house all to myself. He won't walk around randomly singing Club Villain at the top of his lungs. (Or WORSE, Orphan Tears.) I have some nice relaxation time to myself, and better - time to write.

He went to a spur-of-the-moment fight on Thursday (he normally fights Wednesdays). He was kind about it - asking me if it was alright.

When he came home, he said he had a story to tell me, and it went something like this:

"The guy I rode with said, 'Man, it's getting late. I really better get home to my wife.' Then another guy said, 'Yeah, my wife is gonna kill me for being out so late.' A third man chimed in and said, 'My girlfriend gets pretty angry when I'm out too late. (sigh) I better go, too.'"

I (my fiance) looked at the other three men and said, "When I left the house, my fiancee said, 'Bye! Have a good time!' She likes her alone time and is glad when I'm out of the house."

Almost simultaneously, the three other guys turned extremely serious and in unison said, "KEEP HER."

This story (especially because it is a hobojillion percent true) makes me laugh, and laugh.

And laugh.