Weekend highlights

OMG - what a weekend!


The weekend started with Fri Night Dinner with 'the usual suspects'. Afterward, 6 of the guys from dinner (including Steven & Thad) joined me for karaoke in the upstairs lounge at Saketumi. Unfortunately, there weren't many singers since the venue just started hosting karaoke on Fri nights. That means there were only about 4 of us singing, which meant I got to sing a LOT of songs. I tried to vary the song styles and artists I chose. Here's what I sang:

• For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
• Summertime - Ella Fitzgerald
• Take A Bow - Madonna
• Laughter In The Rain - Neil Sedaka
• I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt
• Unfortgettable - Nat King Cole

How's THAT for diversity??? We had a lot of fun.

Sat morning Spouse & I drove back to VA for the weekend. We took his mom out to lunch and then visited his sister and her family at their house for a while. I left by myself and went to a choral concert where my high school choir director was one of the guest conductors. It was weird to be back in that high school after so many years. It looked exactly the same, only smaller. I arranged to meet up with an old high school friend I hadn't seen in years at the concert and we really enjoyed both the music and the chance to catch up. Shortly after returning to Spouse's mom's house, the 3 of us went out to dinner and then hung out at home.

Sun morning we had coffee and visited for a while. Spouse went to buy a new belt and I met up with my old Dominants and choir director and about 20 of her former students (most of which were also my friends) for a luncheon/reunion at a restaurant. Since the weather was very nice, we took over a section of the deck overlooking the marina.

Our director brought a scrap book full of photos, programs, letters and other memorabilia that had been given to her by a parent of a student years ago. We had a wonderful time talking, laughing, reminiscing, and even singing. Our Dominants and choir director had a tradition of having all her classes learn a piece of music called "The Parting Blessing", so despite the fact that those at the reunion were from several different graduating years, we had all sung that song. We were given copies at the luncheon and we sung it together. Many of us didn't need the sheet music, as it was still in our memories. It was a beautiful highlight of a fantastic day.

As if that reunion wasn't enough for one day, I got a Facebook message from my good friend Billy (who lives in LA now) that he was coming back to the east coast to visit his parents, who live in the same town where my Dominants/choir reunion took place. So once the reunion ended, I met up with Billy. We had a lot of fun remembering funny and happy times in our lives together, and also talked about more serious and contemporary issues. Billy and I were both raised in the Jehovah's Witness religion and both eventually left (though at different times and through different paths) so we could 'come out' and live authentic lives. We met at a cute little lunch spot where we'd eaten together many times before in our previous lives. As we talked and listened I felt keenly aware that I was right there with him, in the moment. I wasn't concerned with what time it was, if I needed to get back to Spouse, or the fact that I am now unemployed. While we were together that afternoon, that's all there was, and it was perfect. When we finally said goodbye, I returned to Spouse's mom's house and we packed up the car and headed home. We watched another 2 episodes of "True Blood" on DVD (how appropriate since it was Halloween) and then went to bed.

I feel so fortunate to have reconnected with so many people yesterday who are or were so important in my life. This day of reunions helped my heart rejoice over so much, rather than be concerned over the uncertainty in my life right now. It was exactly what I needed.