Reunion

Again, it's been a while and the starting from scratch is overwhelming me...

My 20th High School Reunion was awesome. I spent the better part of 3 days with people I hadn't seen for most of the past 20 years and was left wondering how we all grew up and apart. Many of them I had known since early elementary school, some from junior high. Our school district had 4 elementaries, 1 jr. high school, and 1 high school. There were 144 in my graduating class. We were tight, to say the least.

The festivities started on Friday evening at the homecoming football game, which was kind of a wash due to the rain and the cold, but the first place I saw old friends - John, Tom, Susie and Brian, friends from elementary school. We stayed until half-time only because Joyce wanted to see the homecoming queen crowned and since she did the bulk of the work on the reunion, we let her decide. But as soon as we could tear her away we went to Hunter's Pub and met up with another 20 or so classmates who were already in town. We chatted and drank and met spouses and closed the bar down. True to form, I was not done yet and headed to Triple XXX with about 9 others for Biscuits and Gravy and a few more laughs. While there, we made a score by sighting the "sideways lady". One of my hometown's few homeless, but most certainly the most famous. At 1:30, I called my mom, who is a trooper (!) to come get me and take me home with her.

Saturday, I went to the family picnic at Happy Hollow Park and dragged Noodle and my niece, Sydney along. It was fun to see everyone with their children, though most were younger than Mac. Visited a bit more, with Kathy and her husband, Shari, Kelly, Christine, Marc and his wife, but still not enough time.

From the picnic we went straight to the high school for a tour of the (completely) renovated building. Except for the pool, cafeteria, and one stairwell, it was totally unrecognizable. I had heard this from other former students who had already seen it, but it made me a bit sad to realize that it was no longer the school I went to.

After a few hours to rest, I showered and headed to the banquet room to help set up. I couldn't believe it was almost time! After all of the phone calls and internet stalking, the yearbook-browsing and nametag-making, the time was now. When the room was perfect, Joyce and I headed back to our rooms at the Union to change and meet in Matt's suite for a pre-lube. Several classmates and their spouses were already there, and I met and chatted and drank a Manhattan, and then it was Really, Really Time! We headed up to the dinner and it was over in a blink of an eye.

I saw my old friend, Lisa, who I drifted apart from in high school and had only seen once since graduation... There was Tadas, my first kiss, who remains close to my heart to this day... There was Scott and Kevin, long lost friends... Allen and Katie... And Gretchen. Lost but not forgotten. In the confusion of the evening, I never did get to talk to her. We have so much to share and catch up on and I hate that the night slipped by without my spending more time with her.

In an effort to keep the night from ending, several of us went back to Matt's suite and had a few more drinks, but mostly talked and laughed. Before I knew it, the sun was coming up and we were hungry for breakfast. Back to Triple XXX we went. But at 6:30am, the only ones there were old folks and tired waitresses.

Five years is too long to wait for another chance to meet again. I will propose a date the night before Thanksgiving and see what happens. Hopefully Good Things.