Trivia Night, Solo

I went to a trivia game solo last night. The host is a friend, and I recognized the faces of other regulars, but none of my teammates were there. I almost didn’t go, but I needed to be around people and I’m glad I went. I really missed the women who are normally there with me, but because they weren’t there, I had time to write.

I have a hard time writing in the evenings, partly because I’m up so early for work that I’m tired by then and partly because my mother is always home in the evenings, and she is always moving and making noise. However, I have no problems writing in a noisy bar at night.

When an individual is making noise when all else is silent, you can hear everything, but in a crowded bar, the cacophony works like white noise, and it energizes me. Those who know me might find this odd, since I’m such an introvert, but it’s true. Plus, I get a chance to people watch, which as any writer can tell you is essential to creating believable characters.

Despite the bar being so far from my house, it has begun to feel like my local. I’ve been here often enough that the bar manager greeted me with a club soda with lime when I walked in the bar and asked if I was having whiskey and mac n cheese this week. I felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the Glenlivet.

He also said, “I haven’t seen you guys for a couple of weeks” and when I checked out he said, “tell the others I miss them”. Now I’m not naïve enough to think he actually missed me or us as much as he misses the money we spend, but it was still nice to hear. Am I being cynical? Probably.

I ended up being a ‘team’ by myself because five minutes before the game was to start only two teams had signed up and the host needs three. Four more teams signed up at the last minute so I could have dropped out but decided to see how I would do. I was in third place going into the final question, but alas I didn’t fare well on the final round and came in fourth. Not bad for someone playing solo against teams.

I missed my teammates though. Not just because we almost always win when we’re together, but because there’s so much laughter and joy when I’m with them. Hopefully next week we’ll be able to field a team.

Be well my friends.