1998

A few weekends ago Brandon and I went to Arizona for my...drum roll.... ten year high school reunion. Wow. I feel really old and don't like admitting that I have been out of high school for that long but was glad I made the effort to go. Brandon was the champ of the century and went to all the reunion events, without ever complaining or giving me the vibe that he wanted to leave. I think he later said that it was more boring than he expected; I don't doubt that it was a tad miserable for him but it was nice to have him there with me. I enjoyed showing him off and introducing him to people that I have known for so long.

The official reunion events were rather dull, I don't want to say too much because I know someone put a lot of effort into them. Needless to say, I was grateful I made an effort to see all the people I really cared about in more intimate settings where we could really catch up and enjoy one another.

While I didn't take too many pictures, here are a few: These are most of my good friends at a pre-party. Look what a fabulous looking crew we are!

All the girls! I got to know many of them through JV softball. We were such misfits and I think we had way more fun than most other high school athletes because of it. Our poor coach cried on several occasions because we were too busy doing cartwheels in the outfield or complaining about running too much to actually get very good. Some of my best memories of high school come from that team.

It is amazing because even though I haven't spoken to many those people in years, being with them was refreshing and way funner than I expected. It made me wish I lived nearer to them. There are several other people I got to reconnect with that I didn't manage to photograph and I think those people know who they are. I was in awe at all the amazing things my friends have accomplished and was certainly inspired by the people they have become. Hopefully now that relationships have been reestablished we'll remain in better contact as the years continue to fly by...

Here's a pic of Beth and I...we go way back. Hi sweetie! ;) There were several years where we were joined at the hip. It all started in Mr. Sensibar's history class where our incessant giggles permitted us to get away with way too much. Then there was an infamous geometry notebook that we passed back and forth all year and filled with our juicy gossip. I wonder where that thing is. At the end of our sophomore year, we threw a "Bethonal" end of the year pool party (Get it, Beth and Al (everyone in Tucson calls me Al), but it a sophomore chemistry class format? We thought we were so clever.). From then on, people referred to us as Bethonal, like we were one person. We loved it. From then on, times just got better...we went on a joint date to the Junior Prom, worked as hostesses at the Outback Steakhouse together, and even studied abroad in Mexico together for a short spell. Now we talk on the phone about once a month and the love is still there. It was great to see her; it had been way too long.

Luckily high school was a good experience for me. I obviously met great people, formed lasting relationships, and managed to squeeze in quite a few good times. All of that makes it a bit easier to admit that I am old and growing more and more un-hip each day. Of course, truly enjoying where I am in my own life probably makes the biggest difference, but that's quite a different story. xoxo!!