Now, Breathe!
Ah, it's good to be back in the Alley.
The last few weeks have been a veritable whirlwind from which I still feel a bit dizzy.
The Fogies Return
Yangstar, Nabster, and I returned to our roots and spent an afternoon in Berkeley. After hitting the driving range at Tilden, we grabbed salsafied burritos at La Burrita, hunted Cal gear at all the typical spots (Bancroft Clothing, ASUC, Joy's), took in a few beers at the Bear's Lair (3 dollar Hef's ... wowzas), and caught Kingdom of Heavens at Emerybay (Braveheart/LOTR lite, nada especial). What struck me about this fine day was how circumstantial and tenuous it was. I was on my way back to Danville, Nabs couldn't get his contingency softball game together, and Yangstar got out of his Berkeley extension class early. Had these rare moons not aligned, the fogies would not have been able to experience a textbook day from their student years.
While we sat in the sun that afternoon, surrounded by academia and the buzz of graduation, I was reminded of how excited and exploratory we were as university students. Our schedules were largely localized to campus events and friends and hanging out was our primary calling. We forged the long standing friendships not due to frequency but out of effort. We are friends today not out of coincidence or convenience, but rather because of those great Cal years when we dedicated ourselves to sharing our lives with each other. Alas, amidst the hustle and bustle of our scrambling schedules, convenience seems to drive the day. There's a nugget in there somewhere, let's hope we all find it.
Viva Cindiana!
The '98 Loveboaters gathered at Vegas to help usher fellow LBer Cindiana into holy matrimony w/ her now-hubby Jeff. They had a beautiful ceremony at the Bellagio and I was grateful to be there on their special day. It was also made for a great LB reunion - in addition to Tots and myself, Chen Popo, Jenshine, Vivvles, Chaz, Fee, Blackie, Annie, Hey Bert, Irene (w/ beau) and counselor Julie made it out to hang out in the scorching Vegas sun. Peng and Lex - we definitely expect to see you guys next time! While we couldn't get into Pure (curse you Carlos!), we did chat it up at Monte Carlo, pop in the wave pool (good work, Chaz - Head of Procurement), go fancy at Diego's at MGM (fanciest guac I've even seen) and work the line at the Bellagio Cafe. And, of course, it wouldn't be LB if we didn't take a bajillion pictures from a bajillion cameras :). My personal highlights -- Chaz' pimp walk w/ pimp bong, my getting twirled by the General. lasting 6 seconds on the mechanical bull, and listening to Cindiana's dad's speech at the wedding (hearing how she was always the happiest to see him and the first to greet him at the door made everyone tear up - myself included). Great, great, wonderful stuff.
Brawlin N'Awlins
So I finally had a chance to discover the land of Creole, Cajun, Voodoo, and daily street parties that put other towns' new year's to shame. A bunch of guys came together this past weekend to celebrate my friend's, and incidentally, boss') bachelor party. I was happy to find all the positive things I heard about New Orleans correct (friendly people, rowdy fun, fantastic jambalaya and gumbo) and that the negative things I had heard not apparent at all (ultra dirty streets, nastiness everywhere). We had two phatty condos next to each other on Frenchmen Street and we trekked down Decatur and Bourbon from Friday straight through Sunday. We must have met every bachelorette party in the city this weekend and accosted every gal wearing a bridal veil to take a pic with the poor bachelor (he wore the shirt Dave M. had gotten him - -it had a picture of a happy married couple and the words "Big Mistake" emblazoned beneath it. Genius!). Some of my fave moments of the weekend - Beignets (Louisiana Kristy Kreme + tons o powdered sugar), 4AM Gyros (best I've had!), having the best gumbo at a local bar, watching Dave drink up practically ever test tube shot available at Crazy Catz :), enjoying the tale of the Broadlane brawl next door, and getting beat by a Chess Grandmaster in what must have been 9 steps. Good times gentlemen, good times.
The last few weeks have been a veritable whirlwind from which I still feel a bit dizzy.
The Fogies Return
Yangstar, Nabster, and I returned to our roots and spent an afternoon in Berkeley. After hitting the driving range at Tilden, we grabbed salsafied burritos at La Burrita, hunted Cal gear at all the typical spots (Bancroft Clothing, ASUC, Joy's), took in a few beers at the Bear's Lair (3 dollar Hef's ... wowzas), and caught Kingdom of Heavens at Emerybay (Braveheart/LOTR lite, nada especial). What struck me about this fine day was how circumstantial and tenuous it was. I was on my way back to Danville, Nabs couldn't get his contingency softball game together, and Yangstar got out of his Berkeley extension class early. Had these rare moons not aligned, the fogies would not have been able to experience a textbook day from their student years.
While we sat in the sun that afternoon, surrounded by academia and the buzz of graduation, I was reminded of how excited and exploratory we were as university students. Our schedules were largely localized to campus events and friends and hanging out was our primary calling. We forged the long standing friendships not due to frequency but out of effort. We are friends today not out of coincidence or convenience, but rather because of those great Cal years when we dedicated ourselves to sharing our lives with each other. Alas, amidst the hustle and bustle of our scrambling schedules, convenience seems to drive the day. There's a nugget in there somewhere, let's hope we all find it.
Viva Cindiana!
The '98 Loveboaters gathered at Vegas to help usher fellow LBer Cindiana into holy matrimony w/ her now-hubby Jeff. They had a beautiful ceremony at the Bellagio and I was grateful to be there on their special day. It was also made for a great LB reunion - in addition to Tots and myself, Chen Popo, Jenshine, Vivvles, Chaz, Fee, Blackie, Annie, Hey Bert, Irene (w/ beau) and counselor Julie made it out to hang out in the scorching Vegas sun. Peng and Lex - we definitely expect to see you guys next time! While we couldn't get into Pure (curse you Carlos!), we did chat it up at Monte Carlo, pop in the wave pool (good work, Chaz - Head of Procurement), go fancy at Diego's at MGM (fanciest guac I've even seen) and work the line at the Bellagio Cafe. And, of course, it wouldn't be LB if we didn't take a bajillion pictures from a bajillion cameras :). My personal highlights -- Chaz' pimp walk w/ pimp bong, my getting twirled by the General. lasting 6 seconds on the mechanical bull, and listening to Cindiana's dad's speech at the wedding (hearing how she was always the happiest to see him and the first to greet him at the door made everyone tear up - myself included). Great, great, wonderful stuff.
Brawlin N'Awlins
So I finally had a chance to discover the land of Creole, Cajun, Voodoo, and daily street parties that put other towns' new year's to shame. A bunch of guys came together this past weekend to celebrate my friend's, and incidentally, boss') bachelor party. I was happy to find all the positive things I heard about New Orleans correct (friendly people, rowdy fun, fantastic jambalaya and gumbo) and that the negative things I had heard not apparent at all (ultra dirty streets, nastiness everywhere). We had two phatty condos next to each other on Frenchmen Street and we trekked down Decatur and Bourbon from Friday straight through Sunday. We must have met every bachelorette party in the city this weekend and accosted every gal wearing a bridal veil to take a pic with the poor bachelor (he wore the shirt Dave M. had gotten him - -it had a picture of a happy married couple and the words "Big Mistake" emblazoned beneath it. Genius!). Some of my fave moments of the weekend - Beignets (Louisiana Kristy Kreme + tons o powdered sugar), 4AM Gyros (best I've had!), having the best gumbo at a local bar, watching Dave drink up practically ever test tube shot available at Crazy Catz :), enjoying the tale of the Broadlane brawl next door, and getting beat by a Chess Grandmaster in what must have been 9 steps. Good times gentlemen, good times.
posted by dodger | 2:11 AM
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