I Survived the 20th

The past couple days have been bizarre and surreal at times. While it was great seeing and visiting with some old friends, it just re-affirmed the same issues that always were present. Friday night was an informal meet and greet at a bar in Evanston. I got there early, planning to leave early. I got some very nice conversations in with friends I went to middle school with. It was nice to catch up with some people but bizarre to see others. I don't drink anymore and a couple hours into the event it was uncomfortable being sober when others were clearly over-served. I got home and couldn't get remotely sleepy...it was midnight, 1,2,3. I finally went upstairs but was awake by 6AM...too much iced tea.
Saturday we all went to the high school for a tour and family picnic. It was fun seeing the school and seeing how things have changed and how I remember certain areas being bigger. Nick asked if the mascot was a beaver, no a wildkit. We tried to find my head in the class picture. My friend was in from out of town and I was able to visit with her as we walked around. Becki came in from Madison and joined us for the last part of the tour. We had a picnic out on the track but there was no shade and it was a bit on the warm side. We sat next to friends that went way back to grammar school. They had a couple games for the kids to play but Ellie and Nick were playing with Becki's son. One of my favorite band mates was at the picnic and we got to visit and reminisce. At one point Rob asked if we were going to circulate and say hi to anyone else and I said no, I was good. I describe Evanston to people as a Pretty in Pink environment but I heard on Friday that Mean Girls was actually written about Evanston. Anyhow, there seems to be this invisible line drawn and you never made friends with people on the opposite side of the line. Nothing has changed - the cliques were re-formed and very present. Becki came back to the house with us and Ellie was very good at watching Eddie so we could talk. We had an early evening get together with a few friends. It was a lovely evening outside and I really enjoyed getting to have actual conversations. Dena and Rachael stayed a bit past 10 and it was just like old times.
Today the kids and I met Becki and Eddie over at their hotel to swim for a bit. I got to page through Becki's photo album and found a picture of Rob and me from when we first started dating...fun times. We came home and worked in the yard. It was one of those domino days. We started cutting down a dead tree near the alley, then removing the crud from the gutters, then trimming the branches of the tree overhanging the deck. Cutting the dead branches out of the tree, cutting the branches hitting Ellie's window, trimming the evergreen hanging on the garage. Then we had to bag all the wood and cuttings. We went to Mom and Dad's for dinner a bit early. We had a great summer meal - sandwich makings and salads. I had a bunch of tomatoes from the garden and made a salad that we added lettuce to. Dad hooked the new sprinkler up for the kids to run through - we videotaped it because it was so funny. We came home and the kids played with the neighbors for a bit before we came in and got ready for an early bedtime. I don't know if they are getting sick or just allergies but both kids have a cough going.
I am glad I went to the reunion but it was probably my first and last. I will continue to socialize with the friends that I have kept all these years but mass drama is not for me. I need to recoup from the past couple days and the lack of sleep. My throat hurts, now my body sort of hurts from all the yard work. Looking forward to a relaxing week. Plus side, the house and yard look awesome right now. Rob and the kids really were huge helpers this past week. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree