"I'll be back," he said.

Originally uploaded by Ry

See that guy over there?  The one with the shades and shaved noggin?  That's my fella in case you haven't caught on to that already.  He's returning home tonight after a 4 month job down south.  We didn't get to visit at all (too pricey) so we haven't seen each other once since May. 

We've done this before.  Summer of '04 and '05, so it's really nothing new.  When the fella and I got together, we knew there'd be times like this.  It's how the theater business works.  Sometimes you have to go where the work is (i.e. on tour or out of state). 

In the beginning it was not okay, naturally.  Of course, in the beginning I was totally neurotic and fresh out of college so the poor guy had to put up with a girl who was lost and still trying to figure out why she didn't have any studying to do or tests to take.

I also grew up with quite a temper.  I like to say I'm passionate, which I am, but that's a bull excuse.  The bottom line is, I used go from 0-60 in half a second, over nothing.  To be fair, I warned him of this when we first started dating.  I said "Oh yeah, I'm a blast now, buddy, but don't let me fool you. I am a handful". 

Boy did I prove my point.  No one ever tells you how effed up your brain can get when you finish college and you've been in school since you were 4.  My mind completely fritzed.  I suddenly had no idea what it was that I wanted and had no one to tell me what I was supposed to do.  I had bills, toilet paper to buy and "Oh shit, I don't know how to cook."

I also suddenly had a TON of free time to waste on things like the internet and video games.  

Thankfully we both survived.  In fact,  if it wasn't for him, I'd probably still be the crazy, neurotic and insanely temperamental person I once was.

Alright, I know I'm not fooling everyone, I'm still a little bit of all those things, but it's calmed down, I swear.  SHUTUP!

He has taught me patience (as much as I can muster) and what it is to love unconditionally.  I think he might have actually invented the term.   I have put him through such hell and back that he's either the biggest pushover this side of the Mississippi or he actually loves me. 

Okay, I could go on forever and ever with this ode to the fella, but here's why his coming home will benefit you guys....he may be a knight in shining armor sometimes but he's still a man and therefore, he is RIDICULOUS.  I am certain I'll have some fun stories to share with you as we settle back into having to share a space.   We're a 7 year old couple (come September) and we're not trying to fool ourselves.  It's only a matter of time before things go back to normal.