Reliving High School Days

After leaving our Harwood friends' home Thursday, we headed to our East Grand Forks friends' home, where we're spending the weekend. A Christmastime visit here is another holiday tradition for two reasons: (1) we have several couples-with-kids friends here with whom we like to reunite as often as possible, and (2) one of those couples, Jay and Erin, are consummate party throwers (please review) who usually host wintertime festivities with some fun theme, and they're so kind always to invite us to attend.

Last night they threw a "high school days" party for which they had asked us in advance to send them photos from our years in secondary school. They turned those photos into wall-sized posters! They also created pennants featuring our high school mascots. Some of the party attendees dressed in uniforms or clothes in their school colors, some brought their high school yearbooks and photo albums, and a few even performed cheers that they remember having done as cheerleaders or spectators at high school sporting events.

'80s music was playing throughout the house, and some people danced to it in the open space in the garage, where the food and beverage tables were set up. After examining the posters and pennants hanging up all over the place, partygoers were asked to vote on (1) the person who had changed the least since high school, (2) the person who had changed the most, and (3) the person whose high school had the lamest mascot. Susan got a gift card for winning that last contest (her school mascot: the Dickinson Midgets . . . a mascot still in use today, sad to say).

Wanna see some then-and-now photos?

Susan wore a Halloween shirt because it features her school colors, orange and black.

Here I am next to my younger self in full marching band regalia. Do you know what kind of musical instrument I'm holding? Few people at the party did.

Hostess Erin was a cheerleader in high school.

Host Jay was a football player.

Nicole's volleyball-playing self emerged from behind the couch in the living room.

Nicole's hubby, Jesse, is wearing a button with Nicole's high school-era photo on it! Cute.

Laurie, a skilled seamstress back in the day, made the red velour blouse that she's wearing in her high school photo.

Laurie's hubby, Rob, brings balance to the universe by posing at a complimentary angle to his high school head in the background.

Erin's sister Ali and her husband Mike attended a school dance together when they were in ninth and tenth grade . . . and now are married with two children. For last night's party, Ali shaved the numbers of Mike's high school football uniform (25) on each side of his head and left a strip down the center--a notable contrast to his near-mullet in the background.

The group consensus was that Missy's high school photo looks like a publicity shot for '80s film star Phoebe Cates. Missy responded, "Who?" Heavy sigh.

Here is Missy's husband, Joey, sporting camouflage in high school and an if-you-only-knew-some-stories-from-my-high-school-days! grin last night.

It was another fun party that showcased Jay and Erin's creativity, hospitality, delicious appetizer recipes, and extensive alcohol collection (I've been to bars with less of a selection than Jay and Erin have to offer).

It has been a great weekend here at Jay and Erin's, too. We basically haven't seen our daughters since we arrived Thursday; all the children of all the couples in our group of friends just disappear and play together the whole time we're here (well, with the occasional break for one of them to report to the adults some act of naughtiness on the part of another child, only to return promptly so that playing can resume).

And Susan and I have been playing with our friends, too. Thursday night a group gathered at Jay and Erin's to play games and enjoy drinks and snacks until we rang in the new year. Yesterday Susan and I visited with Mike and Ali and Jay and Erin throughout the day while we helped to prepare a few items for the party buffet tables (including one tasty dip that our group lovingly refers to as "glop" and another that we call "liquid crack"). Today was a leisurely, relaxing day of brunch, movies (including The Hangover), naps, games, needlework, visiting, and jokes (e.g., "TWSS!" with Erin and "Briss!" with Laurie). What a great group of friends!

Tomorrow we'll head home (where it is literally 30 degrees warmer than it is here--sheesh!), stopping first in Fargo to use some of the gift cards that the girls got for Christmas for stores that we don't have in Dickinson. Before leaving we'll have to say our goodbyes, thankful for another terrific weekend with dear friends and regretful that these get-togethers cannot happen more often.