Reunion’s over, plus a day of rest which was much needed. WOW! It was way more than I imagined. Smarty Pants and my sister were the BEST back up a girl could ever ask for. Friday night we had SO much fun. When we arrived at the bar it was almost like taking a walk through my memory. The place was crowded and everywhere I looked was someone I knew a long time ago. My girls settled themselves at the bar and not only did they have their own fun all night long, but they gave me moral support and a drink whenever I needed one!
There are so many stories about these people. I’m stymied about what to write.
The girl who lived across the street from us was there. We played every game possible with her. We rode bikes together, and made mud cakes, and suntanned on her roof wearing baby oil. She has two babies of her own now and I hope they get to live across the street from someone like her.
My best friend from Kindergarten through 6th grade was there. She was the girl I first chased boys with and who I ALWAYS wanted to spend the night. We had secret clubs (that everyone knew about) and secret spiral notebooks which we passed around to all our friends with questions on every page like “Who do you like? And Who would you kiss?” She was my first friend that moved away. I have missed her for 15 years and we have finally just reconnected.
The guys that tried to teach me how to use a computer in third grade were there. That was funny! It was back when everything you did was a “code”. I don’t remember actually learning anything, but they tried! They are still my friends and I love them, I ended up spending most of the evening with them. Including breakfast at 2am. (yes, I stayed out REALLY late in Denver again!) We weren’t super close in high school, but now they are the friends I would most like to spend more time with.
And the first guy to ever break my heart was there. We were in 7th grade, thirteen years old! My friend Marcia liked him and gave me the job of finding out if he liked her. Turns out, he liked me! That was one of the first friends I lost because of a boy. We “went out” for a couple of months. I actually have no idea how long. Sadly, it made a much bigger impression in my memory.
I was a cheerleader and we were at a track meet. One of my friends from Elementary school went to a different Jr. High and she was there. I was so excited for her to meet my boyfriend, but when he showed up he broke up with me. Devastated doesn’t begin to describe it! It’s so funny to me now. Thirteen years old and I thought I could die over this boy who I passed notes to and kissed in the hallway. He’s earned himself a place in my memory only reserved for “the firsts”.
He grew up to be a great guy. He’s married with two little boys. I teased him a lot that night, I think he took it well.
There were plenty of others. The guy who set my house on fire. The two guys who flew through the screen door on their bikes. The girls who were my best friends with way too many memories to even write about. The friends I learned to drive with. The friend whose car I hit the day after I got my license. These people didn’t necessarily know the “best me”, because that’s me now, but they were my firsts and I loved seeing them all!
Saturday, was much more reserved. One bit of advice for those of you who haven’t seen your reunion yet, don’t take your spouse. He didn’t have any fun and was ready to leave way before I was. He got his way, and we snuck out without saying goodbye to anyone. I regret leaving, but then again, he’s the guy who loves me now for who I turned out to be. I just wish he could have appreciated meeting the people who helped me become who I am now.
To the Thornton High class of ‘89! Thanks for the memories!! I hope we don't wait another 10 years to see each other again.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Most Likely to Bring Back up Friends to her Reunion
My 20 year high school reunion is coming up this weekend. I created a little checklist.
- Nice outfit and GREAT shoes CHECK
- Washed that Gray right out of my hair CHECK
- Speed dial to my therapist CHECK
- Laid ground work on Facebook CHECK
- Back up friends to offer support and encouragement CHECK
- Sister to hold my hand CHECK
How come boys don’t worry about their reunion the same way girls do? DH had his twenty a few years back (yep, he robbed the cradle with me!) and he just threw on something out of the closet last minute and went. I don’t think he even bought a new shirt. Not that I’ve been stressing over any of it, but it definitely requires some shopping! And a cut and color. And new shoes. It’s mostly about the shoes...
I am seriously taking my sister and Smarty Pants as backup for Friday night. I’m sorry but I don’t get out all that often and I need to have reassurance I’m going to have fun. After all, I haven’t seen any of these people since my 10! A night out in Denver, with a hotel room is just not something you squander without some serious consideration.
But really, I can’t wait to see my old girlfriends, we were really tight in high school. We called ourselves the PITS ~ Pam, Ingrid, Tiffany and Suz. I just found out Tiffany’s not going to make it this year. I’m sad about that, without her we’re just the PTS which sounds like some sort of disorder “If you think you may have PTS talk to your doctor immediately!”
I also found out my HS boyfriend’s not going. I dated the same guy all three years. Well, off and on, we broke up a lot. He didn’t come to the 10 and he’s not coming to the 20 either. It’s not that I really have any sort of need to reconnect. He’s a Facebook friend now, it just would have been nice to see him after all this time.
Back then I was Susie and was most known for the fact that I was, “The Most Popular girl’s… best friend”. You know the girl no one really notices because she’s standing right next to the most beautiful, friendly, fabulous girl… yep, that was me!
Right up until my senior year. Then I went out on a limb and auditioned for the senior play. The play was called “The Girl in the Mirror”, and I got the part as “The Girl”. After that, I got voted “Most Theatrical”. I know it’s not “Most Popular” or “Most likely to succeed”, but it’s a MOST something right!?
I wonder why we didn’t try harder to come up with better most likely’s…
Most likely to become a vagrant
Most likely to sleep with a college professor
Most likely to skip college for a career as a pole dancer
Most likely to get a felony conviction
Now that would have been fun to follow up on.
At our 10, our class president, my friend Pam (I seriously did hang out with the Important People!), had each of the “most whatever’s” stand up and tell everyone what they were doing now. I was in sales at the time, I mean how apropos. “Most theatrical” is now acting like you NEED to buy this very important whatchamacallit.
This year I hope I don’t have to stand up. What would I say now, “I was voted Most Theatrical, now I’m a stay home mom. I use my theater training daily to persuade my kids to brush their teeth and eat their vegetables. I’m also a writer, basically I make shit up, and no I don’t actually get paid for it yet.”
Hey! I actually like that title WAY better… Most Likely to Make Shit Up! Yep that’s me!
Monday, July 13, 2009
DEET?? Who needs DEET!
There are only three good things about this last weekend of tent camping. I survived, I skied and laughed really hard at Smarty Pants trying to ski and I got a ROCKIN’ tan.
We went up to Blue Mesa for the weekend. We have been doing this tent weekend for a lot of years. I married an outdoorsman. I knew when I married him I would have to take these kinds of “vacations”. In fact when he asked me to marry him, we were out in the woods.
When he says “Lets go camping.” I hear, “Bring the vodka cause you’re going to want to forget most of what’s happening.”
We took Smarty pants, her three girls, and her niece, and got to the lake late Thursday afternoon. That’s when the real fun started. As we were putting together two tents, and two Easy-Ups (which by the way, aren’t all that easy) we noticed there were a few more mosquitoes than last year. Wow! Better spray the kids. We got out the family spray, which doesn’t smell too bad and gave everyone a good dousing.
Within a couple of minutes we realized the spray seemed to be more of an attractant. The little bastards were multiplying. That’s when we decided to start a fire to smoke them out!
Building a fire is one of man’s greatest pleasures. That’s why I thought it was EXTREMELY funny when Smarty Pants took over for DH and built the most incredible MAN fire I have ever seen. And she did it by rubbing two sticks together. No fire starter for her, NO WAY! She succeeded in smoking out our little friends and we roasted Smores and enjoyed our evening.
The next afternoon Dr. Love showed up in his rolling house, and around 5:00 the Invasion began again. There were so many mosquitoes swarming above our heads it would have even scared Alfred Hitchcock. The kids were being eaten alive.
At one point my 6-year-old came down from the camper with SP’s youngest. They had both been bitten about 10 times in the FACE!
5 minutes later, mine looked like she’s taken up a new career with Don King. One of her eyes was practically swollen shut! SP’s little one looked like Joseph Merrick! If Dr. Love hadn’t been there with the voice of reason, I would have FREAKED out and taken them directly to the emergency room, insisting they give us a bed for the night (hey, why not get something out of it).
BUT NO! He gave them both some Benedryl and they were on their way, playing with one good eye and a mutated forehead. Although, they are now both so traumatized they burst into tears at even the slightest buzzing sound.
I am not sure how many people are aware of this but they have taken DEET out of most bug repellents. Apparently it kills brain cells in lab rats so they’ve put out warnings and scared parents out of using it. Funny thing though, BUG REPELLENT DOESN’T WORK WITHOUT IT!! We stuck with the fire as the best solution and on Day 3 realized we had a bug net that attached around one of the Easy-Ups.
Besides the freakish bug attacks everyday, I can’t sleep in a tent. I swear each night felt like it was longer than the last. And the fact that DH doesn’t have that problem, and snores completely content in his happy-camping-dreamland makes me want to smother him with a sleepingbag.
By day four, I’m done. I rolled out of the tent around 7 AM poured myself a cup of camp coffee, which includes the chewy stuff, and a shot of vodka and started praying for the moment we’d be rolling out of there. We made it home Sunday around 7 PM. I was so relieved to take a shower and pee in an indoor toilet I almost cried.
As Dr. Love so eloquently put it, “camping just isn’t my cup of tea.”
Oh… and the Rockin’ Tan I was so excited about… turns out, it was just dirt.
We went up to Blue Mesa for the weekend. We have been doing this tent weekend for a lot of years. I married an outdoorsman. I knew when I married him I would have to take these kinds of “vacations”. In fact when he asked me to marry him, we were out in the woods.
When he says “Lets go camping.” I hear, “Bring the vodka cause you’re going to want to forget most of what’s happening.”
We took Smarty pants, her three girls, and her niece, and got to the lake late Thursday afternoon. That’s when the real fun started. As we were putting together two tents, and two Easy-Ups (which by the way, aren’t all that easy) we noticed there were a few more mosquitoes than last year. Wow! Better spray the kids. We got out the family spray, which doesn’t smell too bad and gave everyone a good dousing.
Within a couple of minutes we realized the spray seemed to be more of an attractant. The little bastards were multiplying. That’s when we decided to start a fire to smoke them out!
Building a fire is one of man’s greatest pleasures. That’s why I thought it was EXTREMELY funny when Smarty Pants took over for DH and built the most incredible MAN fire I have ever seen. And she did it by rubbing two sticks together. No fire starter for her, NO WAY! She succeeded in smoking out our little friends and we roasted Smores and enjoyed our evening.
The next afternoon Dr. Love showed up in his rolling house, and around 5:00 the Invasion began again. There were so many mosquitoes swarming above our heads it would have even scared Alfred Hitchcock. The kids were being eaten alive.
At one point my 6-year-old came down from the camper with SP’s youngest. They had both been bitten about 10 times in the FACE!
5 minutes later, mine looked like she’s taken up a new career with Don King. One of her eyes was practically swollen shut! SP’s little one looked like Joseph Merrick! If Dr. Love hadn’t been there with the voice of reason, I would have FREAKED out and taken them directly to the emergency room, insisting they give us a bed for the night (hey, why not get something out of it).
BUT NO! He gave them both some Benedryl and they were on their way, playing with one good eye and a mutated forehead. Although, they are now both so traumatized they burst into tears at even the slightest buzzing sound.
I am not sure how many people are aware of this but they have taken DEET out of most bug repellents. Apparently it kills brain cells in lab rats so they’ve put out warnings and scared parents out of using it. Funny thing though, BUG REPELLENT DOESN’T WORK WITHOUT IT!! We stuck with the fire as the best solution and on Day 3 realized we had a bug net that attached around one of the Easy-Ups.
Besides the freakish bug attacks everyday, I can’t sleep in a tent. I swear each night felt like it was longer than the last. And the fact that DH doesn’t have that problem, and snores completely content in his happy-camping-dreamland makes me want to smother him with a sleepingbag.
By day four, I’m done. I rolled out of the tent around 7 AM poured myself a cup of camp coffee, which includes the chewy stuff, and a shot of vodka and started praying for the moment we’d be rolling out of there. We made it home Sunday around 7 PM. I was so relieved to take a shower and pee in an indoor toilet I almost cried.
As Dr. Love so eloquently put it, “camping just isn’t my cup of tea.”
Oh… and the Rockin’ Tan I was so excited about… turns out, it was just dirt.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Politics and Police
It will be easy to keep writing this Blog if nights like last night keep happening. I was keeping my nephews and decided to invite BFF, Smarty Pants and her hubby, Dr. Love over for dinner. We made homemade pizzas and let the kids play outside. For the most part they were really good, teaching each other how to ride a skateboard and ridding anything with wheels down our really steep driveway.
At some point the kids decided to have a screaming contest. My ten-year-old nephew always wins. He screams this blood curdling, horror show, woman in the shower being stabbed multiple times scream, that he is indeed quite proud of. Which in this case, not only warranted me hollering at him out the window to KNOCK IT OFF, but also must have alerted the neighbors to the “domestic abuse” situation brewing at the Sanstra’s!
About this same time, a political discussion arose in the kitchen among the adults. Anyone who knows us knows we are on polar sides politically with the men in our lives. In fact nearly every friend I have, cancels out the votes of her husband. This leads to some very… um… active discussions.
SO… while officer Michelle is approaching our house because of the domestic abuse call they have received she hears arguing ensuing inside the hacienda! She calls for backup.
At the same moment the doorbell rings several of our kids run in through the backdoor hollering, “THE COPS ARE HERE! THE COPS ARE HERE!”
Dr. Love heads to the front door with me following close behind. Man-Eating Dog is also on his heals. Dr. Love sees the policewoman at the door and not wanting to make the situation worse by having Man-Eating DOG stirring up more trouble, (not sure yet if he's a cop eating dog too!)only opens the door a crack. Not to make ourselves look ANYMORE incriminating, he doesn’t know where the light switches are, so the porch and hallway are completely dark.
Officer: “We’ve had a report of a woman screaming at this residence, can I come in?”
Dr. Love: “Seriously, um… I have a big dog here.”
Officer: “You’re gonna need to let me in, and can you turn on some lights?”
I arrive at the door, grab M.E.D and drag him out back at the same time flipping on the lights. When I get back to the door, all 7 kids and 4 adults are now in attendance in the front hall, with a very BIG, unhappy looking policewoman.
Officer: “We’ve had a call about possible domestic abuse at this house and then I pull up and hear arguing.”
Me: “Oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed, the kids were screaming outside.”
Officer: “No ma’am this was reported as a woman screaming.”
Me: “Well we are really loud, but we were just having a political conversation. I’m Susanne and I live here.” I put my hand out to shake her hand.
Smarty Pants introduces herself too and tries to shake her hand as well, the officer points at her.
Officer: “It was you.”
Smarty Pants: “Really? I mean I don’t think I was screaming.”
Officer: “No it was definitely you!”
SP: “Well I am Italian.”I am trying not to laugh. The officer tells us with her very authoritative hand motion to SHUT THE HELL UP, and talks into her shoulder radio.
Officer: “This is 244 reporting, cancel back up. Repeat- no need for back up.”
Me: “Seriously, we were just having a political discussion. They are republicans (gesturing to the guys) and we’re democrats.
Officer: “I’m on their side.” She say’s as she steps closer to Dr. Love.
Dr. Love reads the situation quickly, I mean he’s had all that medical training and he’s quick to react, right? He takes this Golden Opportunity to voice his opinion again on the subject we had been discussing.
Me (to Dr. Love): “Seriously, you’re going to start on me again? We’ve already had the cops called on us.”
Dr. Love: “Yeah, but she’s on my side.”
The officer eventually left to attend to an injury accident and we all laughed about the situation for hours after.
To the neighbor who called 911 – Thank you! It’s good to know if I was being stabbed to death in the shower scene of a horror show, someone would alert the police!
To my nephew - Dude, hit puberty already!
And To my Friends - NEVER A DULL MOMENT! LOVE YA!!
At some point the kids decided to have a screaming contest. My ten-year-old nephew always wins. He screams this blood curdling, horror show, woman in the shower being stabbed multiple times scream, that he is indeed quite proud of. Which in this case, not only warranted me hollering at him out the window to KNOCK IT OFF, but also must have alerted the neighbors to the “domestic abuse” situation brewing at the Sanstra’s!
About this same time, a political discussion arose in the kitchen among the adults. Anyone who knows us knows we are on polar sides politically with the men in our lives. In fact nearly every friend I have, cancels out the votes of her husband. This leads to some very… um… active discussions.
SO… while officer Michelle is approaching our house because of the domestic abuse call they have received she hears arguing ensuing inside the hacienda! She calls for backup.
At the same moment the doorbell rings several of our kids run in through the backdoor hollering, “THE COPS ARE HERE! THE COPS ARE HERE!”
Dr. Love heads to the front door with me following close behind. Man-Eating Dog is also on his heals. Dr. Love sees the policewoman at the door and not wanting to make the situation worse by having Man-Eating DOG stirring up more trouble, (not sure yet if he's a cop eating dog too!)only opens the door a crack. Not to make ourselves look ANYMORE incriminating, he doesn’t know where the light switches are, so the porch and hallway are completely dark.
Officer: “We’ve had a report of a woman screaming at this residence, can I come in?”
Dr. Love: “Seriously, um… I have a big dog here.”
Officer: “You’re gonna need to let me in, and can you turn on some lights?”
I arrive at the door, grab M.E.D and drag him out back at the same time flipping on the lights. When I get back to the door, all 7 kids and 4 adults are now in attendance in the front hall, with a very BIG, unhappy looking policewoman.
Officer: “We’ve had a call about possible domestic abuse at this house and then I pull up and hear arguing.”
Me: “Oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed, the kids were screaming outside.”
Officer: “No ma’am this was reported as a woman screaming.”
Me: “Well we are really loud, but we were just having a political conversation. I’m Susanne and I live here.” I put my hand out to shake her hand.
Smarty Pants introduces herself too and tries to shake her hand as well, the officer points at her.
Officer: “It was you.”
Smarty Pants: “Really? I mean I don’t think I was screaming.”
Officer: “No it was definitely you!”
SP: “Well I am Italian.”I am trying not to laugh. The officer tells us with her very authoritative hand motion to SHUT THE HELL UP, and talks into her shoulder radio.
Officer: “This is 244 reporting, cancel back up. Repeat- no need for back up.”
Me: “Seriously, we were just having a political discussion. They are republicans (gesturing to the guys) and we’re democrats.
Officer: “I’m on their side.” She say’s as she steps closer to Dr. Love.
Dr. Love reads the situation quickly, I mean he’s had all that medical training and he’s quick to react, right? He takes this Golden Opportunity to voice his opinion again on the subject we had been discussing.
Me (to Dr. Love): “Seriously, you’re going to start on me again? We’ve already had the cops called on us.”
Dr. Love: “Yeah, but she’s on my side.”
The officer eventually left to attend to an injury accident and we all laughed about the situation for hours after.
To the neighbor who called 911 – Thank you! It’s good to know if I was being stabbed to death in the shower scene of a horror show, someone would alert the police!
To my nephew - Dude, hit puberty already!
And To my Friends - NEVER A DULL MOMENT! LOVE YA!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)