July 10, 2006

Just like Ron Granary

Good weekend, everybody?

We had a particularly unusual weekend in which we interacted with other human beings not once, but twice! We're kind of the homebody types, so our weekends usuallly consist of holing ourselves up at home and mingling with society as little as possible. I tend to be more social in the summer, since I'm not in the throes of constant human interaction for eight hours a day. That doesn't apply to Tony, since he has to deal with people 12 months out of the year.

Saturday night, we met a group of new friends from TARflies, a website and forum about and by fans of the Amazing Race. We had a really nice dinner at a restaurant on Capitol Hill, and then moved across the street to Starbucks for more great conversation over coffees and iced teas. Poor Tony - I managed to imbibe a diet coke and a soy latte during the course of the evening, so my level of hyperactivity was at an all-time high. He'd been going since six in the morning, and when he tried to crash in the car on the late-night ride home, I put him through high-pitched choruses of "OHMYGODISN'TSHESOCOOL, ANDISN'TSHESONICE, ANDDIDN'TYOUJUSTLOVEHIM, ANDIHOPEIDIDN'TSCARETHEMOFFWITHMYHYPERACTIVEWAYS, I'DLIKETOGETTOGETHERWITHTHEMAGAIN! ICAN'TWAITFORTHENEXTTARFLIESGATHERING!" He just sat in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, shaking his head, and thinking, "Woman. For the love of god. Be quiet and never have caffeine again in my presence."

On Sunday, Joe Paradox (the group of friends, not the blog) member and friend-since-fifth-grade Sheri visited. She, her husband Dave and their two adorable kids were on vacation, and had just spent a few days enjoying DC with her sister, who recently moved here. We had a laid-back day talking and laughing while the kids splashed around in the neighborhood pool. Sheri and Dave's kids are the best kids ever - well-mannered, hilarious and fun. It was so nice to kick back and relax with old friends.

My best friends are people I have known for decades (or what seems like decades). Some of these friendships have been part of my life for more than thirty years. Amy, Kelsey, Sheri, Seana, Rebecca, Sheila, Michelle, Fran, Marisa. We all have different interests, different lifestyles - but we have a history that cannot and will not be overruled - ever. We say things like, "OUR kids will never get away with that, because we've already tried it," and then we laugh until our sides hurt over memories that only we think are funny. Often I am overwhelmed when I see my friends' children talking and playing, because it seems like yesterday that we were children ourselves.

Over the last few years, I've made a lot of "internet friends," which my mom totally does not understand, since she believes everyone on the Internets is either a serial killer or a shifty-eyed crook. For a homebody like me, internet friendships are fantastic. You'd be surprised how well you can get to know people via email or simply by reading their blogs. There's something fantastic that happens when a group of random strangers converge upon a piece of code, brought together by a common interest (or obsession) in something that "real-life" people don't quite understand.

However they made their way into my life, I'm very grateful to call these people my friends.

Ron Granieri was one of my brother Mike's best friends, class of '85. He was brilliant. He sang in the choir. He edited his senior year yearbook (and had to put off with fellow editors Chris and myself disappearing for hours and/or days on end on "dinner breaks"). He also played the lead role in The Crucible.

Deebers, your Tony and my Michael will really connect on the horrors of us on caffeine. I put Michael through that routine weekly on Sunday mornings (and by extention, Sunday afternoons!).

Great to hear that Sheri's family is so lovely. But I wouldn't recommend going out of town and leaving them behind once they hit high school!!!!!

To explain the entry title...

In high school, we used to botch the lyrics to just about every song we heard. In CSN's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," there's a line

"chestnut brown canary"

but we used to sing,

"just like Ron Granary."

I don't even remember who Ron Granary is, other than he was some kid who went to the boys' high school down the street, but I'll never forget that lyric.

OMG!

I found a zillion links about Ron Granieri! He is quite the accomplished academic scholar. There are several of his paper and speeches online. Check it out!!!

http://www.history.upenn.edu/faculty/granieri.htm

OMG, Fran, I can't believe that! I should email him and be like, "Hey, smarty, you might be RESPECTED for being an accomplished academic scholar, but you will always be REMEMBERED for being a CSN lyric!" Boo ya!

My mom finally gets the internet friend thing, ever since I came back from DC 2 years ago in one piece, but the people at work think I'm making you and Shar up. I try explaining to them what huge support you guys have given me in the last week, and I'm met with blank stares.