This weekend was full of old friends and places and some new friends as well. Natasha and I drove down to IU to visit with our friends Bird and Sarah. We had been looking forward to this trip all week. Bton is a wonderful place in the summer, or is through our rose tinted memories. Juxtaposed to our normal frenetic lives in the city, the remembrances of our lazy summers in Bloomington seemed so welcome. We really did not want to leave once we got there.
The two summers I spent there, after my junior and senior years were wonderful. Life was easier. True that last summer I was really living hand to mouth, but the jobs had a lot less responsibility and I miss my activities there. The long drives through the country with my music blaring and windows down, my mind wandering. The contra dancing on Wednesday nights, being twirled by strangers in a stuffy gym. Drive-ins. A porch and swing. Sure it was hot and humid as hell, but they were good summers. Anyhow, as you can see, nostalgia was on our minds, or at least mine, on our drive down.
Our 24 hour tour was very successful, as our hostesses were as entertaining as always. I also got to meet my bloggy friend Anthony in person, which was great. (This whole blog thing with my "fake" friends, as Briana's roommate likes to refer to us, is weird, but in a good way. It's nice to meet people I know through this medium. I don't want to call you all "internet friends" because that just sounds too weird.) Plus I fulfilled all of my goals for my visit, which included playing Sink the Biz at Nick's (see photo). As always a visit with the Bird included many long gab fests and lots of laughter. On the way out of town we realized that this may be our last trip to the Bloomhole in a long time. Bird will be leaving soon and as will Sarah. The last of our college ties were drifting from town and neither of us knew when we'd be coming back down. (Kristen, I know you’ll still be there, but you’ll be the last one for me.) This got us a little misty and we drove through campus, past our old haunts as a bit of a good bye.
(Pictures after the break...)
Bird and Me
Sarah and Foltz
Me, Bird and Natasha
Laura and Anthony
I *know* you put up that wretched self-portrait of the two of us just to antagonize me-- there has GOT to be a better one!! (I notice, too, that you chose one where *you* looked particularly cute... I am beginning to understand how this blog thing works!).
And where are the "Boob Holla'" pics?!! ;)
It was great seeing you guys! I wish you could have stayed longer!!!!
Posted by: Bird | June 19, 2006 at 01:01 PM
Bird, I swear that's the cutest of us. Really, I'll email you the worse ones. And I thought it was cute of both of us. (Though I didn't put up the pictures of the bloggy friends because, while Anthony looks cute, I look drunken and sweaty. Ew.) That is totally how this blog works. Feel free to start your own and put up unflattering photos of me. (Or not.)
The boob holla picture is hilarious. I didn't know if people would be mad if I put a pic of them grabbing their breasts on the internet... if it's okay by the people involved I'll add it. :)
Posted by: Claire | June 19, 2006 at 01:07 PM
Two things:
1. Increasingly, I understand why Natasha hates your digital camera so much. ;)
2. I think you should assume "boob holla'" permission and just take it down if the involved parties mind (they won't! :).
Posted by: Bird | June 19, 2006 at 01:10 PM
Bird, I have a dozen plus pictures of you and I together, which, if memory serves, *you* were pro in the taking of, because you wanted to achieve a superlative picture of us. Now, just because you aren't happy with the results doesn't mean you should start hating the camera. You held it half the time! So, in short, pppphhtt!
I don't have the boob holla photo with me at work... you'll have to wait til tomorrow.
Posted by: Claire | June 19, 2006 at 01:14 PM
why didn't we just have someone else take a photo of us, so our heads wouldn't be so distorted? Are we *really* graduate students? One would think we could figure such things out.
Too bad my d. camera is on leave. I am sure I could have taken a better photo with superior equipment! :)
Posted by: Bird | June 19, 2006 at 01:20 PM
Actually, the worst of the bunch are the ones other people took...
Next time! Seriously, though, I was thinking of moving in for the rest of the summer. I think I could go on talking to you and Sarah for days before we would run out of topics.
Posted by: Claire | June 19, 2006 at 01:24 PM
On behalf of Sarah and me (and I am sure Lana, too... well, I am reasonably sure), I feel you should DEFINETELY move in! SO much fun would be had!! (<- check out that awkward sentence structure-- I think the only demonstrable result of my Lithuanian study thus far is diminished english fluency!!)
It was great having you-- I feel you should come and visit again this summer! :)
Posted by: Bird | June 19, 2006 at 01:29 PM
Perhaps, you two have heard of this thing called a telephone? It's great. It's like you talk into this thing and the other person can hear you out of another thing in near real time. I've used one for a while now, and I love mine. You should try it.
It was great meeting you and Natasha this weekend. And wow, you were a great Sink the Biz drinking proxy for the local Bloomington lightweight (i.e. Bertie). Impressive.
Posted by: Anthony | June 19, 2006 at 05:51 PM
Perhaps, Anthony, you have heard of the word "ass". As a noun, it can be defined two ways: 1) the round, soft skin deposit seperated by a canyon-like slice, immediately posterior to the small of your back. 2) How Anthony M. acts in the virtual realm. You can find this and other words in the "dictionary". I have used one of these word-intesive books for quite awhile and I find that I like it. Webster, in particular, puts out a good one. You should try it.
;)
Claire, you were an amazing StB player-- and I appreciate the ONE drink you took for me. Anthony, have you thanked Sarah for the three she pounded for you? If not, you should pick up that telephonic contrapation you were talking about and extend your thanks in real-time. I am sure she would appreciate it.
;)
(my goodness-- after a long day, I think I get a bit snarky. Oh, well... Anthony had it coming!)
Posted by: Bird | June 20, 2006 at 12:31 AM
Bloomington? You don't know my friend Keary do you? She lives in Oak Park now, but grew up in Bton. Her dad was a prof there, Prof. Cragan, and her mom had a bunch of Irish Wolfhounds. Anyway, it's a small world.
Posted by: KathyF | June 26, 2006 at 03:42 PM