| 10/17/08 02:48 AM |
#172
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Ann Tolar (Cheshire)
Howdy Bengal Buds –
I had not meant to stay away so long, but I am still (and likely forever) packing up this house so I can move on the 1st. It looks like I am preparing to join a fraternity in here…I have so many liquor bottle boxes surrounding me, I think I may be coming down with a mild case of cirrhosis – or at the very least, a mild hangover. I hope my pastor does not decide to drop by…I am a Baptist, and this just would not do. He would think that one night in Raleigh would have sent me backsliding halfway to hell. Hey, that reminds me of a joke…What is the difference between a Baptist and a Methodist? The Methodist will talk to you in the liquor store ;-)
Speaking of booze…that brings me back to my personal Top 10 Highlights of our glorious reunion…
5 – Observing my friends drinking alcohol without worrying if one or all of us were about to be arrested. I recall Myrtle Beach weekend after graduation…before my little crew of roomies even left Fuquay, we made a booze stop at an unnamed location of an unmanned older brother of an unnamed friend…allegedly. We filled our trunk with (and I am NOT embellishing or making this up) more peach schnapps, Everclear, and cheap tequila than you’d find at an upscale massage parlor in a Calcutta ghetto. Someone else (also unnamed) rounded off the haul with a generous supply of Southern Comfort, which I am sure is made from Vicks 44 and old shoe leather. If that is Southern Comfort, I say we all head to Canada. Anyway, men drinking beer – good beer – like the highbrow stuff they sell posh little pubs. I swear, I saw not even ONE can of Old Milwaukee. And the women drinking wine – not Boones Farm Strawberry, but actual-had a cork in it at one time-wine. Now, don’t get me wrong…I am not endorsing drinking. Personally, I don’t drink at all anymore. That’s not a judgment…I have too many planks in my eyes to worry about anyone else’s splinters…it is simply a choice. Anyway, I was just amazed that we were all old enough and financially comfortable enough to not be slamming Bartles and James and Pabst Blue Ribbon behind the McDonalds just waiting for Rome Norris to catch us and call our parents. (Now, Serena, you can explain that one to the ladies at work.. Your step dad scared me to death! I was more afraid of him than I was my OWN daddy! :-0 )
4 - The slide show. I LOVED seeing all of our great – and especially our goofy – pictures. Now, having said that, I must insist on knowing who sent in the picture of me dancing in Grease while standing over Scott Knight. Well, you can’t really call it dancing – I DON’T DANCE! I have so little rhythm that clapping strains my comfort zone and people offer their condolences over my epilepsy when I leave the dance floor. In that picture, I was so close to a psychotic break that I should have been mainlining Lithium and Valium backstage. I was terrified that I’d either 1) fall on poor Scott, which would have very likely left him sterile, traumatized, and nursing a broken pelvis. 2) I’d fall off the stage exposing my nether regions complete with granny panties to the entire front row which would have no doubt been filled with every boy I had ever had a crush on AND their hysterically laughing girlfriends. Or 3) That I would expose myself while attempting to avoid items 1 and 2 thus allowing Scott (who I DID have a huge crush on) to see straight up my dress and, of course, see the big old granny panties. And the sick thing is that the only reason I broke out the big drawers was because I was afraid Scott would see up my dress and if that happened, it was not like I could have on a thong or anything – that would just be wrong on so many levels I can’t even get my mind to wander there. See it is like a chicken and egg thing…a cyclical deal…which came first…the granny drawers or the fear of the granny drawers? The fact that I was no doubt out of my mind then for even thinking such thoughts or the fact that I’ve had a true break with reality and am actually admitting these thoughts 20 years later? Maybe I need to get a hold of some of that Lithium now…
Anyway (she says coming out of the rabbit hole she so bizarrely and inexplicably crawled into) I loved seeing all the pictures flash before my eyes. It was so hysterically entertaining and downright interesting to watch you all on the screen as little people and then look at you now all married and babyfied. I especially loved the ones of Ward and Sean getting down with their bad selves as The World Ends Tuesday, Jason Wall vogue-ing it up for the camera in his track uniform, the ever so attractive (cough, snort, hiccup) swimwear being modeled by Arnie, Bo, Kent, and others, Lisa Bullock Prince’s ALWAYS perfect hair (unbelievably, she’s prettier today than she was then…I gotta get her recipe…ba dum dum), the boys playing poker which I think should certainly be titled “Dawgs Playing Poker”, Arnie sitting beside a sign that reads “Spectacles” – snort – that’s a keeper for sure, and the one of Ginger and Lorie as well as the one with Biscuit and Lisa Hayden…gosh, they just melt my heart…I LOVE those!!
3 – The people who have not changed a bit!! I mean, Jenni Powell Keith could have walked up to me in the middle of a filled to capacity European soccer stadium and I’d have known who she was. Melissa Farmer Byrd and Kelley Brown Newsome could have just run in off the track field, changed into all their party finery, and convinced me I was in a time warp. Angela Allen Sanders and Sharon Worth-a-ham Boyce looked exactly the same with the big hair and the big smiles and the beautiful personalities they’ve always had, and Belinda Thornton, Jerome Ragland, and Kerry Meador Ferrell still look just as young and happy and full of life as they did in the yearbook. But (for me) by far the most amazing-I’m really in 1988 all over again-you have not changed a bit-I’d know you were I drunk in a dark alley- person was Donald Murdaugh. Donald, I don’t know what you’re doing, but DANG!!! Actually, I am, at this point, pretty convinced that Donald had himself cryogenically frozen after graduation and he just defrosted himself on Saturday morning. He has NO lines, NO wrinkles, NO gray hair, NO scars, knicks, cuts, age spots, bad teeth, receding hairs, hairs where there shouldn’t be hairs, or bodily flaws that I can see. He’s his own identical twin who just happened to be born 20 years after he was. It was amazing – it was like looking in a backwards, age regressing mirror. Same huge smile, same sweet disposition, same everything. It was wonderful to see him (as it would have been had he looked totally different) and it was delightfully surreal! I could not take my eyes off him…he’s probably taken out a restraining order against me at this point because I was freaking him out with all the staring. No worries, though, Donald. I admit to being certifiable (I mean, come on, I just talked about my underwear on a public forum) but I’m not dangerous…just mesmerized!
Okay, only 2 more to do – and I’ll do them later.
I did want to thank everyone for all the nice comments about Reid and me singing (trust me, it was mostly Reid…he can do amazing things with harmony that I can’t even begin to fathom.) He’s the yen to my yang, he’s the veggies in my soup, sniff, sniff, he’s the wind beneath my wings. Actually, Reid has had a huge influence on my life. Part of the reason that I am a Christian today is because of the time and effort Reid put into me years ago. He was and is a wonderful human being and friend.
Also, I really appreciate all the comments about my writing here. I hope that no one thinks I am trying to show off or anything like that. I just love to write and I am hugely excited to be back in touch with all of you. They say old friends are the best friends, and the past few months have certainly proven that to me. The thing about old friends is they know who you were, they know the mistakes you made, and they know what you’re capable of. But in spite of all that, they still like you :-)
Lorie – a BIG think you to you for unearthing me from my rock. You were creative, industrious, and persistent…and I’m glad you did not give up on finding me. You can detect me anytime!
Adele – I don’t recall seeing you. Do I have temporary amnesia again? Or did we just miss each other?
Kelley – I am so sorry we did not have more time together. But next time, we’ll have to reserve ourselves a table, kick our feet up, listen to you play the accordion, and stare at Donald together while we catch up.
Reid Howard and Arnie – now see, I never thought I was funny in high school. I thought y’all were funny. That’s likely why there was so much laughing – I was laughing at you, you were laughing at me laughing at you, others were looking at us wondering why we were laughing, and then they started laughing at all the laughing. It was no doubt quite funny – snort – I’d have laughed.
Leigh – I am so glad you remember the fish lips thing. I can still see us laying there on what was basically the kitchen table (remember that fold down jobby we slept on?), listening non-stop to Prince (trying desperately to figure out the dirty lyrics to 1999) and laughing hysterically about all manner of things. Those remain some of the best weekends of my life, and you were a great friend to me. And I’ll never forget that tumble you took down the slopes when we went skiing with MYF…the way they had you covered up, we were all scared that you were really hurt, but you sat up laughing because that little boy had asked his daddy if you were dead. See – you just gotta love a person who can laugh when they’re dead ;-)
Jenni – I too was highly upset that I did not win a door prize. Next time we’ll have to rig that sucker good so you and I can get a little something, something. Can you arrange for there to be two prizes from Anne’s Diamond center? I mean, I like all of you, y’all are pretty cool – but diamonds – now we’re talking friends. And no…I did not see the ring Keith won. Can you mail it to me so I can have a look at it? I’ll send it back – no really, I will ... no, seriously :-)
Okay – I’m done, and I’m going to bed where I shall no doubt dream about frozen underpants, diamond encrusted wine coolers, and Reid Howard and Arnie laughing at me as I try to dance.
I hope this finds everyone well, happy, safe (do we know if Reid and Royd got home safely?) and blessed.
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