Similar but Different

I ended my Reunion weekend with a small glass of good whiskey and Addison sound asleep in my arms after I finished giving her dream feed when I got home. I was a pretty happy camper. I just spent a fast 72 hours of travel, friendship, drink and food with my classmates and was now back home with my family.
Some I hadn't seen in 10 years, other's I hadn't seen in nearly 20.
I had not been back to my hometown of Denison in 10 years. Since Mom and Dad moved away when I was in college I don't get a chance to go there. It's not really a destination/resort kind of place and I missed the 15 year reunion.
I have to give Steph major props. The reuinon took place over our anniversary weekend. I won't say she was happy about it - especially because it happened to be our 10th but she knows how close I am to my friends. I am planning to make it up to her with a nice trip and something shiny. Man, I love her.
Frank and I flew out together from Baltimore. We stayed with Mom and Dad Thursday night while Tim flew out from Denver the same night and stayed with his parents who happen to live about 10 minutes away. We connected Friday morning with Tim's dad driving him over to us. Steph reminded me that it started out like we were young again when we had to have our parents drop us off before we could drive.
We headed out for the first segment of our road trip - up to Blair, NE to pick up Troy Greder. Troy and I went to college on wrestling scholarships in Blair at Dana College. He stayed there after I left for UNI and went to Nationals for Dana the next 3 years. He took me up to the school so we could see his wife who was working there and to show me around some of the changes that have gone on since I left. It was like I was being hit with a million memories of my year there as we walked around the new sports center and wrestling room. We drove through the small campus due to time and the rain. The new Main was there (the Old Main burned down the year before I went) but most everything else was the same.
Segment 2 of the trip was to Denison down the very familiar stretch of road - Highway 29. The four of us were talking up a storm and catching up a bit on what we'd been doing since we last talked. Luckily we keep in pretty good contact so there was less catching up and a bit more "Remember When..." stories.
Pulling into Denison I was hit with a few changes off the bat. The bull statue had been moved from out by the trailer park to the (I found out later) Fairgrounds and the IBP plant is now Tysons. Driving through a few more stark changes. The Hardee's we all either ate or worked at and served as the general meeting place was now what looked like a run down mexican place. There are a lot of Latino stores, shops and people. Some stores had dual language names and signs. Apparently Denison is about 50% latino. That's a big change from 10-20 years ago. Some of the stores are there still but a lot were gone. Reynolds moved to the old JC Penny store and The Vault was torn down and a new Crawford County Bank was built. They also built a new Jr High out by the High School. There were some new businesses but it also looked like a lot had closed. A big stab to the heart is that the house I grew up in and served as the central gathering place for my friends (largely due to the fact that I my parents wouldn't buy me a moped as a kid to get around so they all had to come to my house - a fact they continue to give me grief about to this day) was painted. Not was it just painted a different color but it was painted PINK!!! It looked like someone spilled a large bottle of Pepto-Bismol on it. The back yard that was open to the neighborhood to play Ghosts In The Graveyard was fenced in. It was very sad. Driving around town I was reminded that there are some very beautiful Victorian homes there that are very well kept. Greder even had done some painting on some that looked amazing with all thier details.
Familiarity began for me when we pulled up in front of Frank's house. The only difference was that they enclosed their porch and there wasn't the big station wagon his dad used to drive sitting out front. Inside was much the same even though Pam made Jim move the deer head from the living room to the basement at some point in the past few years. Jim and Pam were very gracious hosts to us. They said it was good to have all us kids back in their house. She corrected herself to say that we weren't really kids anymore as we are almost 40 now. I told her that I don't think it will matter how old we get, when we come back and get together we'll always be kids.
Jim and Pam were having friends over for dinner and Liz, Dana and Lisa were also coming over. The guys went shopping and I cooked dinner for all of us. Jim did grill the pork chops - I don't like to grill on other people's grills so that worked out well, Greder played bartender, Frank cut the cheese and Tim held the garbage bag open for me once so all pitched in.
Then it was off to the Pub for the evenings festivities. Walking in the place and seeing a ton of people I grew up with, partied with and hadn't seen in years was pretty cool. While we all didn't always hang out together or even get along all the time, we all were there catching up and reconnecting. There were people I hadn't seen since graduation and some I'd seen just a few months ago. A lot of them came up to me to congratulate me on the show. I had put it out on Facebook and it seemed like everyone had watched it. I really love doing that show and it was nice for people to comment favorably on it. With such a small town and knowing everyone in my school let alone in my class, I have been influence by each and every one of them in some way. I hope the show takes off, that they can be proud of me and can say another Denison Boy done good.
We closed down the bar and headed back to Frank's with a small group of about a dozen. There were a few of us that saw the sun rise before hitting the sack. Morning came early.
Saturday was for hanging out at Liz's, the class picnic in Deloit, a short nap, dinner at Liz's and then to the bowling alley. The time at Liz's was again a small group for the day. Mainly seven of us that have kept in touch over the years. Liz, Dana, Lisa, Me, Frank, Tim, and Troy. Others had spouses and family around so they had other plans for the day. I'm not sure there was a subject we didn't cover sitting around the table in Liz's parent's garden/yard. Laughter was a constant, pictures were taken and friendships strengthened. It's still amazing to me that we can pick up right where we left off. I think it was Lisa who said we can still finsih each other's sentences and jokes. We are some funny people - just ask us.
We headed out to the bowling alley where the evening gathering was to take place. Some people from Friday didn't show but new ones were there. I got a chance to catch up with Bother Bri, Johnny and Ahrenholtz along with a few others that night. I was also witness to Tim's neon bowling shoes he rented and Lisa's two balls two strikes bowling adventure. The bowling alley loked much smaller than what I remember. They had done some remodeling and it was nice. Another nice thing that I didn't expect was that all the bars - includeing the bowling alley- were non-smoking. It was a nice change not to have to take a shower before going to be to try to get the stale smoke smell out of my clothes and hair.
When that finished a lot of the crowd went over to another bar. Since we'd seen the sun rise that morning not many of us wanted to head to another bar. We did however want to go to the Fridge. No, not a refrigerator, it was basically a hill in the country where we used to go hang out. It's a small town, country thing. It had been raining so only one car could make it up the road. It happened to be the car I was in so only Dana, Lisa and I made it. We had a beer out there and then headed back to Liz's to meet up with everyone else. More laughs, ribbing and even some singing went on. No, we didn't see the sunrise that evening. It was a good thing. The next morning Frank's parents hosted breakfast for all of us. I'm not sure when I've laughed for almost an entire weekend before but my cheeks got quite the workout. When it was time to say good bye and head out for KC and the trip home I was ready. I had a great time with my friends but I missed my family. We posed for the group photo, hugs all around and hit the road. Memories of the weekend, previous gatherings and plans to connect in the future were the discussions between Frank, Tim, Troy and I on the way back. It was interspersed with texts from Liz, Lisa and Dana as they met another classmate 8 1/2 months pregnant (Angie) for lunch and made their way across Iowa back to thier homes. I love my friends. I know a lot of people don't stay in touch with people from their High School. I do and I have a special group of friends that have been through each others successes and failures, marriages, divorces, births, deaths, arguments, debates, college, kids, worries and laughter - always with the laughter.
Til next time - Palimino!