This afternoon I finally venture out to the beach under dark blue/black skies and a wind that blew loose sand over hard making the beach look like the set for Lawrence of Arabia.  Still, I managed to get my run in to assuage my guilt for the debauchery sure to ensue tonight at the reunion.

After a quick shower I walk a half-block up to a daiquiri bar restaurant for a small lunch.  Sitting next to me at the bar are two twenty-something guys hitting their first daiquiri of the day (it’s 2:00pm).  The one next to me is kind of chatty and we bullshit while I wait for my steak fajita.  Before their daiquiri glasses are dry they order what appear to be super-sized Long Island Ice Teas, and just so the Long Islands don’t get lonely on the bar they get a couple of drinks called Mind Erasers—I can only imagine.  Before I’m finished with my fajita they’ve polished off the drinks and order a couple of beers.  Chasers I guess.  I comment to the one young man that they can sure put it away, and he says this is their second go around, that after they’re done at the daiquiri bar it’s off to the beach for awhile, then sleep til 7 or 8 and start again.  I laugh and shake my head and say that if I tried that it would kill me.  He laughs and says that’s just what his dad says.  Ouch.  I tell him I have to save my drinking for my high school reunion that evening and he says, and I quote, “Oh yeah, you gonna get mad-rockin’ drunk tonight, eh?”  “Yes,” I lie, you know it, “Mad rockin’ drunk, absolutely!”

This is the first night of two-nights for the reunion, a cocktail reception in a local restaurant’s wine cellar.  Tomorrow is more cocktails but with dinner thrown in.  I arrive at the designated time and things are already pretty well underway.  The guy in front of me in line was in my 6^th grade homeroom at Phillippi Shores Elementary, and the surreal vibe sends me to the bar for the first of my two-drink quota (I’m driving, but it’s a long evening).  Other people I haven’t seen for literally 30 years come by, we chat, more people come by, we chat.  Soon everyone realizes that manners are out the door as far as trying to be nonchalant while looking at name tags which have our high school photos.  After the liquor has been flowing for a little while you just walk up to people and practically grab their name tags.  I know you! becomes the phrase of the night, along with the other, less desirable Nope, don’t remember you.  Ouch. 

Soon after I arrive I spot her across the room and she hasn’t changed at all.  I’m amazed when she looks over, smiles wide, walks over and gives me a big hug.  Her name is Tara, and no, she’s not an ex, just somebody I considered a good friend.  We sat next to each other in Ms. Davis’ art class (my favorite class) senior year and had a really good time together.  The thing about Tara was she was one of the most popular kids in school, everyone seemed to like her, and she was always ready with a smile that really brightened any room she was in, but she never looked down on me because I was a surfer and smoked dope and didn’t hang out with the people she hung out with.  I liked that.  

Tara was with her husband, a truly nice guy in his own right, and we talked about kids and travel and life in general.  While talking to Tara and her husband another friend came by that we both knew, Cindy.  Cindy remembered me, but I wasn’t sure she remembered that back in junior high we kind of liked each other for awhile and even sort of went out a time or two.  Neither of us mentioned this fact, but later that evening Tara came up to me practically bursting.  Cindy told me ou were the first boy she ever kissed!   Well, I guess she did remember.  Cindy and I had a good laugh over it later in the evening.  She and Tara even sent Cindy’s husband a iphone photo of Cindy and I and telling him my role in his wife’s sexual evolution.  My only question to Cindy was Is your husband a large, quick-tempered man?  She laughed and said he would get a kick out of it.

I really had a much better time than I anticipated.  I talked to tons of people, many of whom I would not have in high school.  All in all it was a fantastic evening.  The only glitch, dear readers, was my encounter with a member of the band.  I kind of remembered this woman, and she knew a friend of mine in the band who didn’t come to the reunion, and I talked with her and her friend for a few minutes, showing photos of our kids and catching up on jobs and other life things.  And then she looked me straight in the eye and asked How are the churches in Sacramento?  For some reason I thought she was talking about the large Mormon Temple in Folsom that opened a couple years ago to much fanfare, so I asked her if that was what she meant.  She said I mean how are the churches in the area?   Okay, I’m thinking, you gotta be clearer honey, and she could see the confusion on my face.  Paul, have you accepted Jesus Christ our savior into your life?  Oh.  Okay.  Now I understand.  So I looked her straight into the eye and said I’m an atheist, so no.  She looked at me with the cocked head of a confused dog and an expression of sheer befuddlement.  But Paul, I just want to make sure you go up to that good heavenly place, she said as she ever so subtly gazed skyward while simultaneously pointing up with her thumb. I informed her I don’t believe in that place and that basically one should just try to live their life as best they can which is what I’ve always tried to do.  She just stood there for a moment, staring silently while presumably receiving her instructions from the almighty, and then she turned and walked off without so much as a kiss my foot or have an apple. 

Wow, I thought, that was weird.  Now where’s my computer?  And stay tuned for Round Two.