The Great Indoors

Tonight, Travis and Levi are spending the night camping in our backyard. More importantly, I am not. For the first time in 4.5 years, I will be spending an entire night alone in my own home. Champagne, anyone? 

And it wasn’t even my idea! We went camping last weekend, and when Travis put the tent up in the backyard to air it out, Levi suggested we leave it up and camp right here. Travis said, “Yes.” Levi said, “Yay!” And I said, “By ‘we,’ you mean you guys, right?” Assumption confirmed, and now they’re out there, and I’m in here, by myself. 

Here’s the thing (and I’m gonna make this quick because all I want to do is go to bed): Years ago, I had a friend who, several times a year, would fill the fridge with beer and cook her husband this elaborate feast involving chicken wings and nachos and that sort of thing. Once the spread was laid out (in front of the television, naturally) he was to remain in one area of the house until morning, while she occupied another. She called this ritual “Man Away.” 

Spying on Travis and Levi through the kitchen window tonight, I am thinking about my friend and her husband, whose 25-year relationship is no doubt sustained by their willingness to evict one another from time to time. The Menauls are a tight-knit family; we have a lot of fun together, but unless we’re at work, we don’t have very much genuine alone time, especially on our own turf. We all know that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Exhibit A: Travis went for a ski weekend with friends one time and came back so happy he claimed to love our house (despite a multitude of evidence to the contrary), family (this one is understandable), and Casper Babypants (Greatest hits include “Butterfly Driving a Truck” and “Noodles and Butter.” No f’ing way, you guys. His heart was definitely fonder after that weekend.) It behooves us, then, to actively seek ways to absent ourselves from the family unit now and then. Asking the boys to vacate the premises so I can lounge on the couch and read magazines is pretty much out of the question. So, when it happens organically, it’s pretty magical. 

Although in reality, it was actually kind of awkward: After dinner tonight, when I realized it was really going to happen, I kept saying weird things like, “This will be a memory you’ll treasure forever.” I asked if they had everything they needed at least 5 times. (Read: Don’t come back inside, fellas.) But then, while they were eating s’mores (my parting gift to them, as I scrambled to make my final getaway), I heard Travis ask Levi, “Why haven’t we done this before?” I’m not getting my hopes up. Really, I’m not. But I think it sounded like he wants to do it again. Do you think I can bank on 15 more years of this Monday night tradition? 

Don’t answer that. Let a girl dream.