A Weekend for Me

My 20th high school reunion is this weekend. Tomorrow night. I don't really think of myself as a reunion person, but I am nostalgic, so it works. There were close to 1000 people in my graduating class, so I don't have great expectations for the reunion itself. However, I am going with one of my favorite women, so if I spend the whole night with her, it will be worth it. We both have enough of Dorothy Parker in us that regardless of what happens, it won't be boring.

I'll also be visiting family in Phoenix, which makes me wish I was bringing at least one of my children with me. But at the end of the day, a weekend alone, to do whatever I want, is a luxury I haven't experienced in years and years, and I'm looking forward to it.

Here's what I'll be leaving behind:

A family that I absolutely adore, and to which I am devoted, and for whom I am required to provide 3 meals a day, plus clean clothes, and some clear direction on how weekend time should be spent. I'm the Julie McCoy (Love Boat), Alice (The Brady Bunch) and Ward Cleaver (Leave it to Beaver) of our family, and I love it. But the idea of making decisions for no one but me for 2 whole days is delicious. Bring it.

I'm also leaving behind a job that I love. I'm taking Monday off. I'm not logging in at all while I'm gone. I work with the most amazing group of people and every day brings new opportunities and new challenges, both of which require full engagement. It's common for me to be on line late into the evening "collaborating". I don't intend to collaborate at all for the next 3 days. Unless it's with a bartender, on the best tequila for a top shelf margarita.

I know it's not cool, but I liked high school. I loved my friends. I was active in our theater group, honors classes, and a cool little group of mod hipsters. I hope I see folks from all of those areas on Saturday night. But if I don't, it's okay. I'll still get to see a couple of Arizona sunsets.

By the way, here are the shoes that are working for me today. So far, so good.