Ok Ok, I know it’s been a while since my last posting. A LOT has gone on in these last few weeks. Most notably, my trip back to Yankton, South Dakota and my 20 year high school reunion. Yes, I said it loud and proud: 20 friggin years ago, I finally walked out the hallowed walls of YHS thinking I was going to have the world by its collective cojones! Through the many years of working in a weekend warrior band (and that alone is another tale to tell) or odd jobs and then finally landing the bartending/manager/stripper hire-er all the way to me in beautiful Sacramento, CA…..what a loooong strange trip it’s been!
First off, let’s discuss the flight. Your fearless and weary hero was picked up by shuttle bus at 4:15AM. Took a little puddle jumper to San Fran in which I board one of THE largest planes I have EVER been on (2 seats, then aisle, then 5 seats, aisle, then 2 seats). Well the writing on the wall should have been the pilot asking for our “kind patience” when we were forced to sit on the tarmac for almost an hour for equipment issues. NEVER a good sign. We finally are on our way to Denver, CO…..I am lucky to get a pillow and watch a little of King Kong on the personal TV the seats were equipped with. With the late departure, and the fact the gate I needed to get to was on the other side of the concourse, I missed my connecting flight into Omaha. The attendant says she will TRY to put me on the next flight. I explain in the most gracious of ways, that it was not my fault that I was late, that their airline held us up and I was SURE she would find in her heart that she would help; she was less than happy. Perhaps it was the tone of my disdain and frustration. Or the fact that there were approximately 20 people behind me that was scheduled to get on that very flight (which we missed by about 15 minutes I am later to be told….oh joy). The United Airlines “stand-by lottery” was in my favor and I am chosen to make the very next flight. When landing in Omaha, I go to see if my luggage was there waiting for me…..and I waited…and looked…and waited some more…….no luggage for me. I go to the United Airline baggage claim. They can’t see where it has been scanned since Frisco and asked if I would like them to Fed Ex it to me when it comes in (it is Thursday afternoon and I would be getting it at the EARLIEST, Monday). I naturally didn’t even PONDER my decision and said “NO! I want my bag NOW before I leave for my week long trip”. I was compensated with a $7 voucher to any of the eateries of my choice in the Sky Lounge (Taco Bell, KFC, or Pizza Hut…be still my aching arteries). After my food, a few cocktails at the bar, playing some of my PSP games, and trying to sleep fetal-position on a chair, I get my bag; 3 hours later. I get to my rental car (which was actually a bright part of my trip….a souped up Dodge Charger that just INSISTED that I went at least 80 mph all the time in it……) and head to Yankton.
Now, as some of you may know, my friend and usual partner in crime, Drew, is living in Sioux City with his beautiful wife and I am pretty sure my daughter and son (ok ok …so MAYBE they are his….or so he says) as well as his Chef du jour / nephew, Jason. We decide to meet at a neutral place so that he can guide me the rest of the way. I was in luck and found a Hardee’s restaurant (one of my first real jobs was slinging burgers at a Hardee’s in Yankton) and was able to enjoy a Mushroom and Swiss burger which was just short of awesome! Getting to the Casa de Drew, I get to meet the many pets as well as see my great kids, Emily and Drew Jr. and am pleased to see that Drew Sr. has Jason trained to get us cocktails at a moment’s notice. Ally is weary and looped on her meds, but pleasant and charming as always. Emily and lil Drew are trying their best to keep my OCD in check by keeping something interesting on the TV in the background of our talk.
After 2 Irish Whiskey’s on the rocks, I am heading to Yankton. One more hour til “home”. Now, I am not going to exactly Yankton. My parents moved to a little (I think they would call it a suburb) town called Tabor. Czech capital of the Midwest I think. Don’t blink my faithful reader, for you may miss the booming town of 100 or so people.
Friday comes with a call on my cell phone. It is Drew. His father passed away. I can’t even fathom the feelings and emotions Drew was going through and said that as soon as I could get out of the festivities tonight, I would be there for him. That afternoon, I go to the Cockatoo to see what the talent was for the weekend and general catching up with people I knew…..which accounted to two people; Mick and Linda R. Mick and I go way back….very close friends who have shared many cocktails, stories and adventures together. Linda, however, was a fellow graduate from ’86. She was not planning on going to any of the festivities. Pishaw I say! “Follow me to the bar” I bellow, and begin to talk with her about why she should go! I order up a Southern Comfort shot with a 7 back and she has a beer. We laugh at the various stories we come up with regarding our legacy in our high school years. I tell her that for the life of me, I can’t recall her talking very much to me or in class or anything, but that I am having a great time catching up on memories we have never made together.
It’s now about 6pm and the evening’s festivities kick off around 9pm. I should get home to get cleaned up. After primping and preening as best as I can, I make my way to the Hugh Glass Bar. I am greeted by Jeff Reynolds. A long lost fellow drummer from the high school band days. He and his wife are well and looking forward to a drink. We enter the bar to find that the A/C is out and pretty close to standing room only. We find a bar in the middle of the fray and order a round of drinks. Usually beer will chill you out well, but my medium cold Heineken is not doing the trick. We notice that we can recognize quite a few faces, but can’t put a name to them. This makes for the occasional odd moment of “hey……you……ummm….what’s up?” followed by the moment or 2 of odd silence/weirdness. Then, it was almost comical about how the conversations would go.
Dialogue of a Reunion
The same things will be spoken by both parties: Hey, how’s it going? You look great! Where are you at now? What are you doing there? Any kids? Great! Good to see ya, Bye!
It was as if I wanted to just write everything on a 3x5 card and hand out to people. Jaded? Possibly. I actually did have a really good time. It was just one of those things that make ya go hmmmmmmmmm………..
One of the first to REALLY recognize me was Dave Gannon . I recall just being so stoked because his blog was so well put together and yell out to him “BEST BLOG ON THE NET GOES TO DAVE GANNON!” He snaps a great picture of the moment:
(thanks to DG for the picture)
I jumped ahead of myself…this happened on Saturday.
But I want to get this published and will finish more of the adventure later.
*currently listening to Foo Fighters – Times Like These
LATE!
~The Bone~
