Oversight

As time goes by I might think of people I forgot to mention at the reunion, but I can't imagine how I forgot this one!!! (I'm going to blame Lisa and that damn Kamikaze.)

I don't really recall seeing him on Friday night, but right when I arrived out on the deck on Sat I hear my name.  "Joanie, you need a name tag!"  "Glen, if you know my name, why do I need one??"

Mr. Glen Novak was also in attendance.  Saw him then for a minute, and then later when we were all sitting around the poker table he would pass by, singing or dancing.  Many times that evening I found myself saying "Some things never change." and it wasn't meant in a positive way.  This time it is.  Glen, don't ever change!

The Deck at Dodgie's

If you know me, you know that I am not a fan of Dodgie's.  Not the person, he's a nice guy, the bar itself.  It's just not my style, and I usually don't hang out there.  I've never been back as far as the deck, so I didn't realize what a nice area that is!  Great place to spend the evening hanging out at the reunion.  We sat in the way back, and I placed myself (no....not totally where I could see Greg Jarvis... that was just a bonus.....) where I could see the door, and pretty much everyone and everything that was going on.  I love to people watch, and I'm sure I could tell something interesting if I knew WHO these people were!

I pretty much stuck with the same group of people, mingled a bit, got to see Sarah Sweeny,(Apparently I am her favorite facebooker, although she didn't ask for my autograph.....)  Kevin Honz, and Wayne Eng, who I don't think were there the night before.  I had more meaningful conversations with the people I did see, and to me that's always a bonus.  Then later in the evening while standing on the deck I heard my name, looked up, and there was MARIE!  If there was one person I hoped to see, she was it.  Thanks for coming down girl!  You made my night.  Now if I had only brought a scrabble board.....  Plus, I can't forget the conversation with Wendy Dalbec.  I am SO glad you came!

I rarely get to see my cousin, Sue Lenihan, and was so glad she and her husband Brian were able to make it up for the day, and that we were able to have a chunk of time to spend together and catch up!

This is probably going to seem rude, and I'm debating writing it, but it is a sad fact.  "That group of people" are still that group of people.  They have their clique and they don't break it to even smile and nod at anyone outside of it.  I didn't need their validation then, although I remember them as friendlier, and I certainly don't now.  I just find it funny that they still don't get it.  In all fairness I suppose I'm just as bad, I certainly didn't head on over to chat with any of them, and I do know them.  (Side note to Kelli.......this would be your "other" group of friends lol)  Example:  Somewhere later in the evening I went to the "ladies".  There was a small line, and one of them walked in.  No smile, no hello, just a crab ass look on her face and a loud "Hurry the hell up and pee." to the person in the stall.  I turned my back to her, because it just wasn't worth the time it took to think up the words, but I did think, "One word while I'm in there sister.........one word." 

It would have been interesting because although I didn't drink most of the evening, that would have been about ten minutes after having a kamikaze that Lisa Drahota handed me.  It was blue, and yummy, and WHAT the heck is in those things??

After Lynn and Greg ( So nice to finally meet him!)  left we headed inside and I sat in the back area at the poker table.  Visited with a lot of people coming and going, but again I had the best time with that little group of folks who I already know well. (Deb, Kelly, Harvey, Dave) The Lisa's joined us, and I got to listen to some interesting Republican discussions between Lisa Nelson and Mike Soyring, not an argument, they are both Republican, and it was educational. Harvey Vincent was between them shooting me looks, and then he moved his chair over between me and Mike. "Well Jo.." he began with a twinkle in his eye. I immediately cut him off with a whisper. "Do NOT out the liberal." :)  Then we all headed over to Perkins, and I got home at 3:40 this morning.      
                                           
The best part of Perkins wasn't the drunks falling asleep in the booth next to us, it was the 23 year old who hung out with us at Dodgie's and came along for the ride to Perkins.  I'm fairly certain in his inebriated state he thought he was going to get lucky with some very fine "older" ladies...... not that they led him on or anything.....poor Russell.  I couldn't believe it when I saw him walking in the door.  "They kidnapped Russel!"  I really want to know how that story ended! 

Oh, and I did get to see the Beecharmer.  ♥  You rock!

So.......... all in all I'm glad I went, although there were long gaps of time during it where I was wondering why on earth I was there.  If nothing else, I got to see Greg Jarvis....... ;)

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.

In Memory Of

I have so many things to blog about the last few days and the weekend isn't over yet!  I'm going to take the toughest one first and get it out of the way, because that's how I roll. :)

In my last blog I talked about how difficult it would be for me to attend a class reunion knowing that Wally would not be there, especially without the rest of that group of friends.  The not knowing how I would handle it, and not knowing how the reunion committee was going to handle it probably were the biggest things on my mind. 

Instead of blah blah blahing about all of it, just let me say THANK YOU.

The committee set up a table, kind of off to the side (Oh you know the group I was with sat right next to it.........but I put my back to it) so you could go and look, and it was a part of everything, but very tasteful and respectful.  There were pictures, and a beautiful poem (thanks Ronda) and candles lighting the entire table.  It was very thoughtfully done, and very much appreciated. 

I didn't actually face it until almost the end of the night.  Periodically I would sneak a look around at the other pics, and of course of his, and it was o.k.  In a strange way comforting to be able to see his face, while knowing for sure that in spirit he was there too.  I knew I needed to go up there, read the poem, and pay my respects to all of those that we have lost, because there comes a time when you just have to face things.

I was actually standing near, contemplating this, and who I was going to rope in to going with me, when Ronda appeared and asked if I had read the poem she wrote for our classmates who have passed on.  She was concerned about what I thought about the memory area, if it was o.k., etc.  I said that I hadn't read the poem, and hadn't even really looked at the table yet, but was working up to it.  She just took my hand and said lets go, so we did. 

Sometimes people come along just at the right time, and I've never thought that was coincidence.  Thanks Ronda, I owe you one, and again, you did a beautiful job!

Reunited

Well it's that time.  Apparently I've been out of high school for twenty-five years.  That means it has been twenty-five years since I was a nanny in Madison, and twenty-five years since I obtained my Child Care Diploma.  Hard to believe since I'm only......... 35............ ;) 

I am really not a reunion kind of gal.  I see the folks I want, and with the invention of Facebook I can speak to pals around the globe on a daily basis if I choose.  I love it (fb) because you get a glimmer of what people are up to, and how their REAL life rolls.  Not the "look at me and my beautiful life" you are typically going to get from a reunion setting.  Lets add on top of that the fact that NONE of "my group" are going.  Not a soul.  Thanks guys. 

Every day brings news that more people I know are not coming to the reunion.  It's really very disappointing, but I get it.  I stayed away from our twenty year because the ten year was just so lame, plus it's also difficult on a very personal level, and I'm still not sure how well I'm going to deal with that, but I have to try.  If I stay home I don't have to face the fact that Wally will not be there.  If I go there's no way someone isn't going to bring him up to me, and if there is any kind of memorial for those who have passed on........well.....that would be a good time for me to be in the bathroom.

So I am going with a couple of gals from junior high, Lynn and Lisa, who were both on their own too, and Officer Dave, who is in town for the occasion.  He also happened to surprise me at the office today, which was fabulous!  I haven't seen him since high school, and I get a text at one o'clock saying "Let me in, the humidity is killing me!"  I thought he was joking, but there he was!

The dress I bought for the occasion arrived yesterday.........it, was not fabulous.  Fail of epic proportion!  Lynn and I are going shopping tomorrow. :)  I have an old stand by that I could toss on, but I thought it would be fun to have something new.  I could write a blog about the failed dress, but I have the reunion to write about and the goovers are sleeping over tonight.  There's just not enough time!  I took my first vacation days from my new job so that I could cram everything in.

I guess this weekend is going to be more about meeting new people (my class had over 400 graduating so I did not know everyone) and getting re-acquainted with some old acquaintances, and probably doing a lot more listening than talking.  That way if there's anything crazy to blog I wont miss it!  I really want to bring a scrabble board to sit and play with Marie face to face.  Maybe teaming up with Lynn we could beat her.........