Life is Just a Fantasy

The reunion was a blast! Everything went off (mostly) without a hitch. Friday we got a late start (Scott got home late) but I was still able to make it to the bar where everyone was meeting by about 10:45. Here in the cities, they've banned smoking in almost all the bars so it was hard being back in a bar with a ton of smoke! Plus they were playing the 80's music just a little too loudly for my tastes. I know part of that is just that I'm getting old and "can't stand all that racket!" but we were all trying to catch up and you had to yell to be heard. Other than that, it was fun seeing everyone and chatting for a few minutes. We (the women) came to the consensus that the women all aged better than the men. Saturday we loaded everyone up in our van (the girls and my mom whom we brought along for babysitting duty) and took a trip down memory lane (for me and my mom anyway). Pipestone is doing pretty well I think compared to other small rural towns. I think they have really benefitted from the wind power in the area. And they seem to be attracting a few new industries to the area as well. All the houses seemed well kept and there weren't many houses for sale. Saturday evening was the big dinner/social party. My friend Lori had done up this cool power point slideshow with music that featured almost everyone in the class, past and present. Everyone was very impressed. After dinner we all moved to the bar and proceeded to have a ton of fun. As is true with most reunions I suppose, I initially chatted with all sorts of folks but ended up spending the remainder of the evening with the pals I hung out with in school. Some of the women still seem like they were in high school which is to say, they haven't really grown as a person at all. But a few, like Angie, Sharla, Lori and Kerry, seem to have all come into their own as mature (and still cool) women (is it still cool to say "cool"??). Sharla lives near me and we still do a lot together, but if Lori, Angie and Kerry were in the area, I know I'd still be friends with them. I can't say the same for the other ladies. But it was all still a ton of fun and I got back to the hotel around 3:00 am which is the latest I've been up having fun in a long time. And, thankfully, I must have done the alcohol just right because I didn't have a hangover the next morning - just really tired. Kudos to Scott for going with me and not complaining - I know he didn't want to be there but he was at least a trooper.

Yes, it was all fun, but truthfully, I'm glad its over. I'm not good at small talk - it doesn't interest me. I know its shallow but its hard for me to get in depth with someone that I may not see again in another 20 years. I'm also glad that the planning stage is over. Not because I was so overworked with it but because I can stop feeling guilty that Lori was doing all the work. Again, shallow. So, on with real life again. Back to the job of raising little girls, going to work, and getting ready for fall. And now that the reunion has come and gone, and with it my failed "lose 20 lbs" deadline, I should be able to get back to my normal lose-weight routine. I do horribly with deadlines - something in me rebels even when its a deadline I've set for myself. I'm thinking that now that I don't have a deadline, I'll probably start losing weight again. Weird but true.

And this Saturday is Clarebear's first birthday! I can't believe how fast this year has gone and how much she's grown up right under my nose. What a cute little peanut. I need to go shopping for some good presents for her. She's been totally bored with Cate's old cast-offs and of course only wants to play with whatever Cate is currently playing with which leads to lots of high pitched screaming. So it will be good to infuse the house with some new toys. It should keep them both occupied for some time. I think, however, I'm going to have to relegate my formal dining room to a play room. Currently we have a toy box in our living room that is always spilling over into the entire room and I'm constantly trying to keep it contained. I might as well give up and give them an entire room - we don't have a table in there anyway so its just sitting there not getting used. This is our life.