Day 192: 20 Years Later...

Update: 205.2 lbs, 50 lb Goal Reached Day 124. 7 lbs to 60 lb goal.

20 years ago I had just graduated high school, and wasn't quite sure what I'd be doing in life 20 years later. I had no idea life would be as great as it is in these current days -- a wonderful wife and 4 amazing kids later, I just had no idea.But last night was a night for reflecting back a bit as we had the first of our 2-night Class of '87 McNary 20 year reunion.

I didn't make the 5 or the 10 year reunions we had leading up to last night. Both times before something else came up, and it just made more sense to keep my original plans. I contemplated pulling a hat trick and not going last night as well, but ultimately decided to go. Plus, we were going down with Casey and Laura, and Chris and Suzzane, so we at least knew we'd have fun with them. I've also heard that the older you get at the reunions, the more fun and less pretentious they are, since most people are just living life, and not so much worried about impressing one another.



Anyway, I don't really have much to report back on. Last night was the Informal Gathering night of the weekend, held down at The Big Kahuna, so we gathered at La Casa De Dunn, and carpooled down together. I had golfed earlier in the day and left my wet shoes in the rig, and when we got in, it was basically like hot steamed shoes....really awful, and a great way to start out the evening. I felt like a goof when I put them in a plastic bag and asked the Dunn folks if I could leave them in their little garden so we could survive the drive down. Time for some new golf shoes. On the way down, I told Chris we should tell everyone we invented Post It notes...but I'm not sure if my reference totally got across.

For most of the night, my lovely wife and I stood in more or less the same spot greeting old friends and schoolmates - waving, shaking hands, or hugging depending on the level of friendship and/or the level of alcoholic consumption they may have had by the time they found us. I was actually surprised at how many people I recognized and how many names I remembered, which has actually been a nightmare of mine coming into the reunion. I've been worried that my brain would fail, and I'd just look like a bigger butthead than I already am on my own. We hung out for a couple of hours, and then headed back to relieve the kids of their babysitting duties.

On the way back Chris and I chatted about how funny it was that for a good portion of the evening the two crowds we had in high school kind of self-segregated themselves between the two floors of the bar. It wasn't completely a black and white drawn line, but big chunks of each group kept to themselves in two different areas for sure. And speaking of big chunks, it's nice to see that the years have been good to so many people, and that I wasn't the only one who's enjoyed the fruits (meats, vegetables, breads and cheeses too) of their labors along the way. On the one and only real reference to my calorie cutback for this post, it was kind of sad to think that even though I've dropped 53 lbs since February, to most of these people I'll have just gained 15-20 lbs since high school. Ha! "Hey, Lopez has put on a few, hasn't he? Gotten a little chubby." Most will really have no idea.

20 years later, life it good. I never really find myself pining for the good old days, and love every day I get to spend with my family, here in our little home in the 'burbs. Anyway...official dinner tonight, and unless something super exciting happens, I may not report back again on it. But if I bust out a closing scene dance sequence tonight, I'll be sure to post the video.

Hasta!