When you live with someone, it is rare that you have the entire house to yourself for an extended period of time. On the weekend you spend time together, and during the week, there's work, dinner, quality time and then "bed". However, every now and then, you'll get this 3 or 4 hour stretch that you have to fill alone, and since its been so long since you've had that chance, it CAN be a struggle. Last night was girls night for my lady and her friend, so from 6 to 10pm yesterday, it was just me and the apartment alone together. Here's how it went

6:00-6:05pm: Since my fantasy football draft was at 6:30, I figured I'd celebrate this momentous event by purchasing a six pack of Guinness. The guy at the liquor store, who normally only sees me buy wine, looked at me and asked me what the occasion was. I explained to him that I had a fantasy football draft AND I was home alone. He laughed and said, "And you only want ONE six pack?"

6:10: I walk into the apartment, turn the computer on, change clothes, and then come back to put the Guinness in the fridge. I open the fridge, and notice that my lady has prepped some salmon for me, and all I have to do is stick in the oven for 20-30 minutes and its ready. On the counter I see rice that needs to be heated up, and asparagus that needs to slathered in olive oil and cooked for 5 minutes. Dinner is within my grasp, and its all made possible by my lady. Good times and a gold star for her. Too bad my focus is still on the fantasy football draft, and there's no time to eat

6:20: I try to bring up the live draft screen and my computer is moving hopelessly slow, but I don't panic.

6:25: My computer is still "thinking" and the draft screen has yet to come up, and now I'm panicking a bit. I could set my draft to pick players for me, but I'm a hands on type of fellow. Plus, I'm putting off dinner, and I have purchased Guinness already, this MUST happen.

6:28: My computer is STILL thinking, so I go to another window and try to open the draft screen from there. Still nothing. At this point, I notice I have a reminder for me to download the latest version of Internet Explorer, and I decide that was the reason the draft screen wasn't coming up. So I closed all other windows, began the downloading process, and I waited for results

6:30: The draft started without me

6:35: Internet Explorer finished downloading, I went to yahoo, clicked on the draft screen, and still nothing. It was at this point that I was glad I was home alone, because I put together a string of profanity that would make Richard Pryor proud. It was clear that there would be no draft for me on this day. I felt like my whole night was ruined. On the Plan B.

6:40-7:00: I put the salmon in the oven, made the asparagus with olive oil and heated up the rice. When I had idle moments, I'd try again to pull up the draft screen, but my numerous attempts proved to be futile. More curses were uttered, objects were thrown, my temper continued to flare. The only thing that temporary made me laugh was seeing this video on VH-1. A 14 year old (now deceased) Aaliyah, and R Kelly together? Does it get any creepier?

7:00: I wash the dishes, check the draft screen 4 more times (nothing) and then I decide to sit down and watch the LA Lakers/Sacramento Kings playoff game from 2002, which was on NBA tv. My lady makes fun of me because I watch old games, despite knowing the ending. I never get sick of watching the NBA, but to watch players like Kobe, Shaq and Chris Webber in their prime just kicks it up a notch. It was as if the game was being played live. Plus it calmed me down after the draft fiasco.

7:30pm: A friend of mine sent me an article to read and critique, and I did so. Hopefully the world will be able to see this article real soon, because it was quite interesting and she is talented. Reading her article also made me realize that I miss covering the NBA, and I cannot wait until the season starts in October.

8:00: I check the draft screen one more time, and still nothing. Then I click on the "draft results" screen, and I notice that my entire team has been picked for me thanks to the auto draft function. Without getting too inside baseball for you non fantasy football players, you can pre-rank your players, and the auto draft is based on that. Bottom line? The very thing I did NOT want, happened anyway. This is when I grabbed the Guinness.

8:30: Since my back had been bothering me all day from my mile swim earlier that day, I decided to take a bath, but this wasn't just any bath. I pulled my laptop in the bathroom and cued up Eric Roberson's new cd (go buy it), grabbed the same Guinness I had been babysitting since 8, and I sat my angry, sore ass in the tub. The cd is great, the beer was greater and the warm bath water was the greatest. And I did all this without electrocuting myself or harming my laptop.

9:00pm: I took a shower. I take baths not to get clean, but to ease my back and my muscles. I think its impossible to get clean when you're sitting in your own filth. Its just not practical. I know this may sound odd, but it was necessary. Plus it gave me time to finish my beer and listen to more of the cd.

9:30pm: I looked at my phone and noticed I had a missed call from my lady. I called her back, and she informed me that she'd be home in about 30 minutes, thus ending my party for one. I ironed my clothes, made my lunch then sat down at my laptop. I turned on more Eric Roberson, watched ESPN with the volume down, drank bottled water, and waited for my lady to come thru the door.

10pm: She came in, smiled and kissed me.

Its quite possible no one cares except me, and I'm fine with that. But when I was single every night was like this, and it was no big deal. In fact sometimes, it was just flat out boring. Now I had solo time, and someone was coming home to me, which is pretty f**king cool in my unbiased opinion. Although a man in the tub drinking Guinness is awfully close to being an oxymoron..wine next time.

Trust - Roy Hargrove