A fb reunion, (while in the background i hear a reference to her) , again, and it went well. Of course, w. the caffeine in my bloodstream, and even tho this was planned since like June, it took heaven and hell to get off my lancaster ass and pass the twenty miles away to rogers park - but a space on Sheridan was there, and when I walked in to Brunos, it was the distinctive looking girl who I noticed first - but veddy soon, it was Dead Boy Mike who said "Hilts - hey, whats up?" or whatever.The genesis was that DBM was running the Chicago marathon this Oct wkd, so Dead Boy Rob and wife Yancy planned up a reunion of sorts for the weekend. More than anyone, it was Yancy and DBR who made it happen. Good. Months in the planning for a chill wkd. College.
I've written before about a squad of Loyola Men who through the eyars have kept in touch. neice.1 mentioned the niceness of college buds holding on to-gether. "The Sisters", I grandiosely called them (part of the larger, also grandiosely called, "Middle Guard"), numbers six; Vito, Jackson, Blackie, Crankface, Rocky, and me. All were freshman that year, 'cepting old man senior me. I was always older. In 2009, to varying degrees, we are still a bit of a unit. But that unit - before it was called the Sisters - used to be much larger. The Dead Boys, f.ex., and what about Bam Bam (Drippy Bog guitarist)? Others as well. There used also to be tonnes of chix - Cult Woman and little Nick Rhodes. Everyone hung, and it was kool to be a part of the 'scenes'.
There was a lot of talk during the reunion about music. The group all had kool musical tastes, and people traded influences w. each other. The Dead Boys talked about how the group brought those guys up to punk rock speed and away from their classic rock beginnings. I was totally into punk rock - and classic rock - @ the time, but my tastes were all English and Irish - punk rockers from America? What a laugh.
There was the women, of course. For me, suddenly I was hanging out w. tonnes of trendy chix, and it was somewhat easy. I loved this new scene, and it was a kool thing for me - and others. It had the walloping impact not just on me - tonnes of writings have been done on this period, and ... a movie is said to be in the initial stages. We'll see.
Next year, as I went off to grad school, the group expanded again - lots of new freshman expanded the ranks of my Middle Guard - Dragon, KH (not K), Balz, Fitz, Grimmeracy, etc etc etc. Influence, friendship, fun.
But over the years, many dropped out - except for the Six. The Dead Boys, such staunch soldiers, drifted away in the latter stages of their sophomore year from the remaining Sisters. Funny - while the Sisters formed and solidified their own group - the Dead Boys also were the nucleus of their own group. So, in August after the first year, parties and hangouts were still going on pan-groups. But by the end of the year - two groups had formed, and less and less communication as time went by.
Happy me that I was a conduit for getting some people to-gether. I enjoy Facebook - first it was to spy on my neices and nephews, but its worth is pretty aparent as a reunion deal (um, spying on the hotties i'm 'frenz' also). Even in the Sisters, over the years, people have wavered in the active membership of the group. W. the single exception of me, everyone has a reduced role at one time or another. Rocky and Vito being in Cali w. their differing deals. Crankface for a long while was someone I would hear about from Jackson and Blackie. Blackienews from me to the others. And dontyget me wrong - i have disappeared for small times - one thinks of the vast amount of troubles I would habitually get myself into in the late 90's and early 2000's. Everyone had trouble. But, I will freely amidt that I always loved being the person people would ask "Hey, how's Vito?" It was great that it was to me (and also Processed) Rocky came to first to try and reconnect w. Chicago frenz. Patience going after me to reconnect Crankface w. the nicer points of Chicago. Point of small pride, swellish pride when it's noted. I may have not much except my lovely mother, neices and nephews., and the fact Im a Sox fan, but i do love my frenz - an aspect of my life or something. But i worked @ it - when the girlfrenz became wives and then children appeared, i continued to do my heavy lifting. It's only in the last 5-6 years I've finally slowed down. I got my excuses as well.
But, this grand group - to me @ least - had its divergance my second year of grad study. Me - 8h of reading and writing a day about English farms in the 17th century and Q took their toll, and that strech Iw asnt full on task as member of the group. It was in this period that the grand divergence took place - the Dead Boys, full memebers fell away, and the remaining group basically centered about The Sisters. Didnt know it @ the time, but the divergence lasted longtemps. Long time. dead Boys entered themselves on the year younger crowd, and the Sisters also gathered up some youngers to puffy up the group. But it was strange, looking back - we were all just in each others business so heavy the yar before - and then ... some decades pass...
So, id - love that word grandiously after Hornby's use of it (Frustrated grandeur to describe United fans)- grandiously told the Dead boys i could 'deliver' many of the Sisters for the reunion -and was greatly relieved when Crankface and Curtis then Rocky showed up. Suddenly, like i do, I could geneally stop talking and just listen. And it was good. We met @ Brunos, a place across from Loyola that was an old mans bar and a pachaged goods place. Id been on the bar side maybe once in my life - to atch the end of some Hawks playoff game or other i was listening to on radio as I passed - but these guys evidently hung out there a lot. To me it was aplace where Q and I got champaigne - remember when it was the only thing I could drink?
Lots of reminicing, and stories corrected or retold. A few drinx (beer - ug). What happened to that guy? Slapout to Rockys voiture. Old sex stories hinted @ but not fully expanded on. Apperances of Jepordy. CIA stories.
And there was more. Way back when it was Madonna being my special lady there was another kool girl - her roomate @ the time ee. ee and i got along real well back then- no, it wasnt like that, but we got along real well. I can remember that she use to have to get up real early, and since I was still ususally up @ 7am back in those days, id call her up to talk to her a lot. Even breakfast to-gether if I got a student id from my cousin and ate in th cafeteria for free. Well, she was there, and after a very short hello, she talked to her people @ one side of the bar. There would be time to talk to her, of course. But there wasn't. She looked great. I shoulda talked to hr. Many years ago we enjoyd each others company - looked forward to seeing each other. And boy was she just a good thing that nite. wanted to talk to her bad to see how she was now. Wanted to see f she had grown up and was mature. but didnt talk to her.
The postscript of the coward reads : Friended her on fb after waiting a few days (didn't want to appear too ... ) and ... She looked great.
After hanging out @ Bruno's for a long spell, we all went to Oasis for the capstick. ee left, so I was not totally happy - I woulda talked to her (i would have since eveyone was bunched up a lot) but no chance. Rocky hung for a bit, but because of soccer game early next day, I had to take the long run home.
Ok - ive told everyone how cool i am because of my frenz. Confessed my crush on ee. Snaps of Rocky, Cranky, me and ee included (sorry Z and the Dead Boys). Avoided writing about secret lives and destructive battles into thin air and about how terrible overall the wknd went although both Dead boys and Hamdard portions were totall success.
Womb Weary?
I rest. I have travelled.
With.
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