Let's start more or less at the beginning... well ok, not 34 years ago because that would be just way too long to sit and read in one take. Saturday morning I get up and prep for a 5 hour drive downstate, to meet up with some chums from my High School, and some of their spouses along as well. It was an informal Class Reunion, but we represented three or four years of graduates. I hadn't seen any of these people since back in the day, and some I never knew at all. I moved from Michigan to Ohio right before my Senior year, and so didn't get to graduate with all my friends. I did, however, make new friends at the new school, and walked with them. But after High School, then on to University, then moving around the country (mostly to the West Coast), then finally moving back to Northern Lower Michigan... well I simply lost touch with the old gang.
A few months ago, my dearest High School flame found me on FaceBook, and we renewed a wonderful friendship (isn't it great when Technology actually is a force for the good?). She, and her best buddy (from back in the day, and now) organized a get together, just for giggle and grins. And yes, there was plenty of both at the Event!
So I cruise down to my old stomping grounds, and park myself at Mom's. It's always great to see her, and I love her dearly. My former flame, Faye (not gonna say old... wouldn't be prudent) picks me up, and we're off to a nice, not so little, Pizzeria. People start arriving a bit early, and we gather in the bar to meet and greet, establish old friendships and forge new ones. Our party has a back room, and we swell the ranks to about two dozen people! Probably more, but I really didn't count heads as I was having too much fun! I got to meet some new friends that I didn't know from back then, and of course, we all had a bit of sport to go along with our deep dish pizza and beer.
Faye was a charming, and beautiful "Hostess With the Mostest", along with fellow royalty Casey and Leslie. I got to be a social butterfly, and talk with a few peeps I remembered, plus meet some FB buddies in the flesh. Fellow StarFleet Commander Jerry, and I, felt it our obligatory duty to tag team on the Royalty in Residence, and keep them in line (yeah.... riiiight).
Alas, however, even Cinderella's Ball had to come to a close, and so did ours. It was still rather early, so Faye and I trundle off to go find a couple of geocaches, in the dark! She had never Geocached, and I've been involved in it for about 9 years now. Sooooo... Mr. Expert Geocacher takes the newbie out, and promptly cannot find either of the caches nearby?! It just figures, huh? But Faye was a gracious sport about it, and seemed to genuinely enjoy our time together. As did I. Soon enough we also need to make a night of it, and so we say our goodbyes, with promises that it won't be another three plus decades before we see each other again.
The next morning, I'm up at the crack of about 10 am or so, and back on the road to home, yea! A beautiful adventure with a really great group of people! Who knew we'd all end up being such a great group back then? Ahh... sweet memories help to fill the five hour trip back upstate where the deer and the antelope play, and where my lovely wife lays waiting.
I toddle in about 3pm, with just barely enough time to shower and shave, change clothes, then back in the car and off to a Red Cross meeting! Barb volunteers to drive (clever girl knew I wasn't going to!), and the meeting was also a fun event. When we get together to schedule who's going to be on call four our county, we tend to make it a social gathering as well. This night featured a Turkey dinner, with all the trimmings! Oh, and a few bottles of wine, just to help the scheduling go down a bit easier. But *finally* we head back to home, well fed, but I'm oh so tired after the last 48 hours! Ahh... now I can finally crash hard, and well deservedly... Up to about 2am when we get a call from (yup, it just had to be) the Red Cross! We're on call, and there's a house fire. So I grudgingly get up, get dressed, and out the door we go. We arrive at the scene to find a trailer, a family, and a couple of Fire Departments. Happily, the family was all safe, and no one was injured. We provide assistance for the family, and get them a hotel for a couple of days, and some also provide for food, and clothing. Which means that, we really, finally, do get home at 6am! And yes, this time it's for real, I do crash, and dream very peacefully.
So... what a weekend, eh? Filled with lots of renewal, laughter, love... and yes some tragedy. But it was all about Life, and what we do with it. This coming weekend, I think I'll grill some steaks, and read a book.
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