Twighlight Zone

I don't really know how to describe going to a 25 year reunion that none of your close high school friends attend.  You are in a room full of people (minus Dave Larson, Lynn Henning, Kelly, and Deb Gilroy) who are totally familiar to you, but you don't really know. 

I'm sitting here killing time until Lynn and Greg pick me up for the final festivities, and I'm honestly wondering why I'm even going.  There's a beecharmer that I might get to see, but I just found out that the head of the Middle Aged Republicans club wont be there.  I'm about at the end of my small talk tether, so I'm hoping something entertaining will happen.  (Please God don't let it be me.....)

So, for those of you needing a reunion re-cap.......... 

The festivities started last night (for me) at Keyport.  It was regular happy hour with my girls, plus Dave, Lisa, and Lynn.  I did a fabulous dismount out of the big truck with my slippery shoes, which no one really saw. :)  I heard  "Are you o.k. over there?" from the other side of the truck.  "Yep, had a little struggle on the dismount, but I stuck the landing!"  Damn slippery shoes.  From that point on I accepted a helping hand out of the truck.

Lots of talking and laughter, and I would have been content to have stayed right there with just those folks for the rest of the evening.  I haven't seen Lisa Drahota since high school, and watching her chatting away while she did her make-up at the table was great!  With the added bonus of borrowing some anti frizz gunk for my hair.  Doesn't matter how much time passes, when you get a group of women together it's always the same.

We headed over to Barkers Island at about seven.  It could not have been more humid in the hallway area where most of the people were gathered.  Dave looked at me and said "Did I ever tell you I don't like crowds?"  My response.  "Did I ever tell you I don't like people?  This should be good."  With that we headed to the bar. :)  Lets see, who did I talk to?  Oh, what's his name anyway?  Dean, that's it.  Dean Hoff.  Then spent a bit of time chatting with Marc Campbell and Nancy Erickson.  Hugged some people that I couldn't pick out of a line up, fuzzy recollections from the pic on their name tags.  

We went into the room where the reception was held and it was a little cooler.  Tina Stokes was at our table, and the Hall sisters, Becky and Shelly.  It was nice to visit with all of them again, as I haven't since high school.  Had fun looking around the room with Lynn trying to figure out just who these people were.  Especially challenging since I didn't know half of them at all in high school.  I did figure out Greg Young, and then finally Billy O'Brien.  When I talked to Greg I asked about his wife Jill (Prochazka) because I knew she had to be there.  "She's here somewhere, you know Jill." as he makes a sign for talking.  "Yep, I sure do." I laughed as I walked away.  I did run into her later. 

Shannon (Flaherty) Olson was running around all night.  She was in charge of the Barkers side of things.( Very nice job Shan)  Jackie Glockner and Melissa Milan did a trivia contest for prizes.  I couldn't hear half of it, but Dave won a mug for something.  Got up with Tina to get something to eat and had a minor mishap at the veggie table.  Something hit my foot, but I don't think anyone saw........  Lost my seat while I was gone to one of Dave's fan club members, he is always surrounded by women. :)   That gave me a chance to really sit and visit with Tina though, and have some talk that wasn't just chit chat.

Other people drifted through........ Melanie Hesselgrave, Wendy Dalbec  (lookin good girl!), Some people danced, the music was mostly 80's, and so-so.  Will no one ever learn to keep the music quieter at these things?  You spend the entire time shouting at each other, and most of us were hoarse by the end of the night. (I really like music, that isn't a total "old and crotchety" statement.)

At some point during all this I had a few Jack and cokes.  We went outside to put stuff in the truck and to cool off, and I might have stood on the running board and did a "King of the World" move in the wind.  MIGHT have...... there was some tipsy babbling that Kelly got the brunt of, (Lynn had left already) and that's about it.

Dan Rahala came up and talked to us, and I had to look at his name tag.  "I DO KNOW WHO YOU ARE!"  I laughed.  I had been trying to place him all night.  Ronda Dalgren came over and we looked at the Memorial stuff, and then it was over.  Some of us wandered out into the outdoor patio area and it was perfect.  Lisa Drahota, me, Dave, Pat Higgins, Lisa Nelson, and Carl Rusch sat at a table visiting, joking, oh then Ronda Granquist joined us, talking, and just relaxing.  That lasted about fifteen minutes til the storm hit.  That was probably my favorite part of the night.

Forced back inside into the bar area where I squeezed by Greg Jarvis ( whom I had an enormous crush on in high school) "Why are you all coming back in?" he says to me. (That's when the high school me takes over...... OMG IS HE TALKING TO ME??!!)  "It's starting to rain." I replied with a smile.  Yeah....that's all I had.  Some things never change. 

Visited with people from Dave's crowd of friends.  I would love to tell you their names, but without dragging out a yearbook I can't.  Angie DeRosia was one, and Julie Goodiel stopped over.  Crissy Lange buzzed by, and I did see Laura Greely right before I left.  I thought she must have just arrived, but apparently she'd been there the entire time. 

We left in an absolute downpour, so when I arrived home at 1:15 I was soaked to the skin, and barely able to talk.  All in all I would consider it time well spent.  I have higher hopes, but lower expectations for tonight.