Wrasslin', Table Tops, and Darts. Yo.

[Whoa, Long December by the Counting Crows just came on the iPod. Definite movie moment.]

I gotta be honest, I was a little apprehensive about doing a The Group blog. In some ways the distance from then to now spans lightyears over an empty vacuum of space. In other ways I have healing wounds that still ache when the cold rolls in and clings to my bones. Every one of us are well into our own adventures (some of us skipped town completely [cough]) and we've picked those with which we keep in frequent communication and those we keep communication infrequent. Is it too soon? I wonder, I wonder.

[Now it's Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers. That must be for you, Andy.]

I've caved because I like the idea that even those partial memories of all of the fun and drama we shared -- from so many varying perspectives -- can live in one place with the possibility to live on in other spaces, growing with more and more grandeur as the stories get told and retold as details get added and subtracted, depending on the teller (Would you like to withdraw? Which account is this coming from, again? Checking?)

[Quiet by John Mayer. Contemplative.]

Those wrestling matches were so rigged! Nena put up a valiant effort, even though she had to fight one of the two ninjas in the group.

[Star Spangled Banner performed by Jimi Hendrix. You can tell I'm taking my sweet ass time writing this out, huh?]

That picture really takes me back. Look at the sexy boys! Rarr! Alex was really workin' the camera, too. I was quite decidedly heroin-chic and the Andy-Man/boy (let's face it, we were so very young) was channeling the handsome stud and I think Mark was playing up the innocent school boy. Don't you feel just a little dirty and ashamed when you look into Mark's eyes? Something inside of me wants to yell out, "No, wait! You don't understand! I thought he was an adult! Please don't throw me in jail and put me on the sex-offender list!" Way to go Mark.

We split into obliquely obvious gender groups. When did we fish Nena's vest and bowtie out her closet? Or, was it mine? I know the shirts Andy and Alex are wearing belong(ed) to Nena. This wasn't after the Hillcrest Theatre Dept. awards ceremony, was it? My hair is too long. Anyway, the designated boys played darts. I felt bad, because a) we sucked, b) were bored with the regular throwing styles and so created ridiculous backward bending, across the face throws which only made us worse. Except I think Andy and I might have scored a bull's eye a couple of times, c) our destruction of Wayne's dart-tips left a guilty pit in my stomach which lead to his x-mas present of new darts. Which I think we destroyed. Sigh. It was fun, though!

After the pictures, I think we played that drama-geek board game (which was awesome) and (again!) we were very obviously paired-up to play. The whole affair was a bit awkward, though exciting for me; my apprehension at getting close was in direct conflict with the idea of this strange new person.

[Trigger Happy Jack by Poe. Don't worry Nena, it's just a coincidence.]

When Nena and I conspired to get our friend groups together, I don't think I imagined it would work out as well as it had. Hey! That's when I met Suz! I think.. I didn't meet her at the Thriller showcase thingy, did I? I might have.. Gar! See, I don't want my posts to be like this all the time. Anyway, I'll try not to let that happen. Crazy times.