The bondage duck cracks me up, but this one might interest others. Or scare them, not sure which. Penguins!

points up to tag line

Continuing the theme.

I don't have any desire to go my high school reunions. I was pretty unpopular in high school and my friends from high school probably wouldn't be there. I'm having a really down day though, so I'm probalby reflecting more negatively on high school than normally.

There was a reunion for my class year, I think, at 10 years which I avoided like the very plague. I'm in touch with the people from high school that I want to be.

I did note that the address they used includes a mistake that originates with my subscription to the New Yorker.

Sparky, are you the original Mizz Chanondler Bong?

I went to my 10th reunion. The organizers hadn't gotten in touch with me to tell me about it, even though they still lived in the same small town I'm from, and my parents still lived in the same house with the same phone number that I lived in all through high school.

So when it turned out I could be there (having just been evacuated from Malaysia and wanting to visit my parents and attend the UFO Festival at the same time), I called the organizers and RSVPd.

When I showed up, no nametag, no nothing. The organizers, people I'd gone to school with for 12 years, didn't even recognize me. But I quickly found people that I had either liked back in the day, or who I didn't know then and liked now, and had a good time anyway.

It was bittersweet. Some of the most promising kids were complete trainwrecks as adults, much of the "in-crowd" had really fucked-up lives, and the couple girls I was "best friends" with then I just didn't click with at all now. But most people had turned into actual people, and I'm glad I went.

Of course, later in the evening someone said "They were going to name you Most Changed, but thought it might piss you off." Which shows that the Clique didn't grok me on two different levels.

It was bittersweet. Some of the most promising kids were complete trainwrecks as adults, much of the "in-crowd" had really fucked-up lives, and the couple girls I was "best friends" with then I just didn't click with at all now. But most people had turned into actual people

I imagine there would be some of that. Some success would be nice to hear. In my graduating class of 40, there were two incarcerations for drunk driving causing death (and the details are worse). Another guy attended the same university I did. A couple years after he was Dean's List, I met him in the hometown, on the porch of the tarpaper shack he was renting. He was wearing work pants and a wifebeater, twitching and smoking incessantly.

I think that was the last time I went back.

Another guy was jailed for slashing his model fiance's face. Two became lawyers. Damn, what a depressing crew.

Of course, later in the evening someone said "They were going to name you Most Changed, but thought it might piss you off.

At least they had learned some healthy fear.

Sparky, are you the original Mizz Chanondler Bong?

I got this reference.

Now I feel slightly ashamed.

I got it too, and remember laughing about it recently, because that episode was on TBS earlier this week. I am not ashamed though!

Sparky, are you the original Mizz Chanondler Bong?

I wish it were that original. They have my name correct, but can't seem to figure out my house address -- they still use my last house number (from NJ) but have the town correct. I try and correct it every year, but they can't seem to get it done. My postal carrier = paying attention, b/c I never miss an issue.

I'm still not going to the reunion. It would cost real money because it's on the other side of the country, my parents no longer live there so we'd need a hotel, it's Thanksgiving weekend so I'd have to give up the time with family, and it's also my birthday weekend, and those aren't the people with whom I want to celebrate.

I got it too, and remember laughing about it recently, because that episode was on TBS earlier this week. I am not ashamed though!

No shame here. A) I'm a buffy fan and 2) that was a great ep.

My postal carrier = paying attention, b/c I never miss an issue.

Impressive. You may be able to rent her/him out for serious dosh.

I'm still not going to the reunion. It would cost real money because it's on the other side of the country, my parents no longer live there so we'd need a hotel, it's Thanksgiving weekend so I'd have to give up the time with family, and it's also my birthday weekend, and those aren't the people with whom I want to celebrate.

You make a compelling case. My reasoning (to my then-spouse who attended the same high school) was "Not just no, but fuck no."