So, there’s this thing people do with the google — they google their own names [ego surfing]. I am SO guilty of it — I think a lot of academics do it, they might not admit it, but they do. After all, in academia, we don’t have much more than our reputations (social capital is how some refer to it). It is sort of like compulsively checking your investments; is the dow up or down; should I buy more shares of this or that (as if I know anything about finances).
Anyway, I recently received an email out of the blue from a friend from a long time ago in a galaxy far far away . . . .
Apparently he and another friend were wondering what had happened to me and used the good old google to locate me. As a result, I was updated on the haps of several people that I use to hang with back in the early 80s when I was much thinner, sported leg warmers, and drank cheap beer. My, how times have changed. Thank god I don’t wear leg warmers, I’d like to be thinner, but am resigned to being “voluptuous,” and most importantly . . . I DON’T DRINK CHEAP BEER anymore.
Many thanks to Shawn for sending the photo. His comment was, “I don’t remember you being so short.” My first thought was, jeez, I can’t believe I actually let Michael touch me! Michael is the one in the satin jacket — the 80s equivalent of leg warmers for men. The other guy, holding the coors bottle, is Ace. Interesting story about Ace is that he and I went to high school together but didn’t know each other at the time. Well, I knew who he was . . . just about one of the geekiest guys at school. He and a pal used to ride their (so they thought) gnarly BMX bikes around campus a lot. We met up a few years later via Shawn who kept on telling me, oh, you’ve just got to meet ACE. We actually went out a few times . . . but one of us was too strange for the other . . . or vice versa. Keep in mind that I am fairly close to being the female version of Dwight Schrute. [side story: Mister Man and I laughed our asses off over the episode of Dwight on Second Life].
Here’s a photo of Shawn back then . . .
I don’t really like to engage in too much nostalgia, but hangin’ out with Shawn, Andy, Ace, and Michael was pretty fun. Shawn worked at a video game repair shop and we used to go in and play Tron or Space Invaders for hours. I got my first really bad hangover drinking with those guys — off of pepperming schnapps — the true mark of a novice! I met Shawn through Andy who was a classmate in Political Science at CSUF. Here’s a photo of Andy (the one in hat) with Ace (the one in the dress — damn I hated it when guys looked better than me in a dress).
Andy was truly a great friend . . . so much so that he refused to give his blessing to my marriage, although he and Shawn did visit me shortly after the birth of my now adult offspring. I am waiting for Andy to respond to my email — hey! Andy! Write back already!!!
So, what happens when more than 25 years go by? Here’s a photo of my sis Shelly and me:
I’m the one with the Nebraska T-shirt. What happens after 25 years is that, well, in my case, I’m older, fatter (oops, I mean more voluptuous), more forgiving, more laid back, less militant, but still WAY TOO COOL!!
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