College Weekend Recap
"It's not always like this. It's not always like this. It's not always like this."
This is the affirmation I need to tell myself every time I come back to the Midwest for a party or reunion or celebration and I get to thinking that life in South Dakota is ALWAYS full of the people I love and we're ALWAYS just sitting around drinking and dancing and laughing. But the truth is, "It's not always like this."
The weeks and days before I went back to South Dakota for the Theta centennial, I constantly had to remind myself of this. I didn't want to let myself get too excited because I knew that at the end of the weekend, I'd have to come back down to earth again.
But then I got there and I thought, EFF IT! It's not always like this, but IT IS LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW. Let's have some fun!! And so I did....
THURSDAY:
I got a surprise airport pick up that made up for my otherwise anti-climactic arrival to baggage claim, and I got to reconnect with an old friend while sitting in an Omaha traffic jam. It was nice to have someone else take the wheel for a change (metaphorically speaking.. I don't drive anymore). Then we met AB and drank happy hour beers that made me so happy. Little Lightfield was cool with the change in travel plans, and I decided to be the boys' backseat driver/drinker on the drive to the Holy Land (aka Vermillion). It was the kind of mini-road trip that is good for the soul. It was good for my soul. Once in Verm, we reunited with Little L at Pro's for Karaoke, then hit up McDonald's drive-thru for a guilty snack wrap, Carey's for.. Carey's!, and an after bar on Dakota street for a night cap of sorts. It was a night of catching up, getting down, sinning, and confessing. It was wonderful.
FRIDAY:
Despite making every bad drinking decision the night before that would normally send me me into the depths of a stage 6 hangover, I woke up on Saturday feeling better than ever. I had lunch at Viejo (total food-gasm) with my aunt CB, uncle MB, and cousin AB. Then CB and I hit up the Civic Council where I bought a mini-pinata for MR (long story), and then CB and I drove to Gayville to buy potato salad! Just your average Friday in Verm. At 5, the Breske gang and Little L and I met up at Carey's to listen to the local band Poker Alice and eat overly salted popcorn and drink beers with pickles. Mama L joined in on the fun and Vermillion DT numero dos continued. As it got later in the night, the Lightfield ladies went home and the Phi Delt's came out to play. So did GG and ER. So did the long island ice teas. I got a little carried away.. But it was so great to catch up with so many old friends! There were a couple heart-to-hearts and one rousing game of Erotic Photo Hunt. I ended up at the Char Bar in a pickle myself and walked home alone along Main street feeling a familiar feeling yet one I couldn't quite identify. It was very bittersweet.
SATURDAY:
I woke up feeling like death. And it was the worst because the girls were coming into town at noon, and I was so excited to see them!! I could not even move. Phone calls and texts were ignored not because I didn't want to talk to them, but because I couldn't slide the green arrow on my phone to pick up. It was that bad. Eventually I pulled myself together (because that's what real Theta's do!), and I met AO, TBK, CS, LS, and KS at Mr. Smith's where I pathetically nibbled on a Smith's sandwich while I listened to them talk about child birth and breastfeeding. It was actually very educational. We went back to the Holiday Inn where they started drinking and I tried desperately not to notice. Then we got ready--6 ladies, one bathroom, no sweat--and followed an army of classy ladies to the Kappa Alpha Theta centennial reunion at the MUC. Nancy McCaren was there. Nancy Naeve was there. An open bar was there. There was singing and laughing (both on purpose and on accident), and I loved every cheesy, sentimental, sorority moment of it!
Oh yeah, and a really great thing happened!!! MW introduced me to a former USD KAO who now lives in NYC (that's a lot of acronyms). Anyway, we started talking and she asked me where I was working--a question I had been dodging all night--and I said, "Actually I'm looking for work right now." I told her about a library job that I had just applied for, and then she told me casually, like it's no big deal, that she worked at the NY Public Library for 20 years and practically hired everyone there. She gave me her contact information and told me to call her when I get back to town. She said, "I'll make some calls for you." I almost peed my pants right there at the banquet. Theta for a lifetime, bitches!
Ok back to the night... we all went to Carey's. Like all of us. All of Theta. We chanted and sang like crazy cult loonies, but we didn't care. Strength in numbers. TBK and I introduced little Lightfield to the dirty girlscout shot, and I became reacquainted with my friend the Colorado bulldog. There were so many friends and so much catching up that I really did feel like Norm from Cheers. It felt like I was home. Then, for some reason, we went to the Char Bar, which always seems like a good idea but really wasn't this time. We aborted the mission and went to Leo's to have our way with the jukebox. I had my way with a 60 year old townie (not literally). We took the drunk bus on our own little tour de Vermillion and got off at a house party that turned into a sort of Theta/Phi Delt mixer, like the good old days. I played some "ghetto ass beats" to get the party started, and KS got chased by JL with a blowup doll. We left shortly after that to go back to the hotel and binge on amaaaaazing chicken salad made by MR's mom. It was divine. I crawled into the hotel sheets, and though the room was still spinning, for the first time in a long time, I felt like my world wasn't.
SUNDAY:
I left Vermillion on Sunday afternoon, and as I drove out of town I reminded myself, "It's not always like this. It's not always like this. It's not always like this."
But I'm glad it was like this, this weekend.
This is the affirmation I need to tell myself every time I come back to the Midwest for a party or reunion or celebration and I get to thinking that life in South Dakota is ALWAYS full of the people I love and we're ALWAYS just sitting around drinking and dancing and laughing. But the truth is, "It's not always like this."
The weeks and days before I went back to South Dakota for the Theta centennial, I constantly had to remind myself of this. I didn't want to let myself get too excited because I knew that at the end of the weekend, I'd have to come back down to earth again.
But then I got there and I thought, EFF IT! It's not always like this, but IT IS LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW. Let's have some fun!! And so I did....
THURSDAY:
I got a surprise airport pick up that made up for my otherwise anti-climactic arrival to baggage claim, and I got to reconnect with an old friend while sitting in an Omaha traffic jam. It was nice to have someone else take the wheel for a change (metaphorically speaking.. I don't drive anymore). Then we met AB and drank happy hour beers that made me so happy. Little Lightfield was cool with the change in travel plans, and I decided to be the boys' backseat driver/drinker on the drive to the Holy Land (aka Vermillion). It was the kind of mini-road trip that is good for the soul. It was good for my soul. Once in Verm, we reunited with Little L at Pro's for Karaoke, then hit up McDonald's drive-thru for a guilty snack wrap, Carey's for.. Carey's!, and an after bar on Dakota street for a night cap of sorts. It was a night of catching up, getting down, sinning, and confessing. It was wonderful.
 |
| I've never been so happy to be in a backseat before in my life. |
FRIDAY:
Despite making every bad drinking decision the night before that would normally send me me into the depths of a stage 6 hangover, I woke up on Saturday feeling better than ever. I had lunch at Viejo (total food-gasm) with my aunt CB, uncle MB, and cousin AB. Then CB and I hit up the Civic Council where I bought a mini-pinata for MR (long story), and then CB and I drove to Gayville to buy potato salad! Just your average Friday in Verm. At 5, the Breske gang and Little L and I met up at Carey's to listen to the local band Poker Alice and eat overly salted popcorn and drink beers with pickles. Mama L joined in on the fun and Vermillion DT numero dos continued. As it got later in the night, the Lightfield ladies went home and the Phi Delt's came out to play. So did GG and ER. So did the long island ice teas. I got a little carried away.. But it was so great to catch up with so many old friends! There were a couple heart-to-hearts and one rousing game of Erotic Photo Hunt. I ended up at the Char Bar in a pickle myself and walked home alone along Main street feeling a familiar feeling yet one I couldn't quite identify. It was very bittersweet.
 |
| Three Lightfield ladies in Carey's for the first time, but certainly not the last. |
SATURDAY:
I woke up feeling like death. And it was the worst because the girls were coming into town at noon, and I was so excited to see them!! I could not even move. Phone calls and texts were ignored not because I didn't want to talk to them, but because I couldn't slide the green arrow on my phone to pick up. It was that bad. Eventually I pulled myself together (because that's what real Theta's do!), and I met AO, TBK, CS, LS, and KS at Mr. Smith's where I pathetically nibbled on a Smith's sandwich while I listened to them talk about child birth and breastfeeding. It was actually very educational. We went back to the Holiday Inn where they started drinking and I tried desperately not to notice. Then we got ready--6 ladies, one bathroom, no sweat--and followed an army of classy ladies to the Kappa Alpha Theta centennial reunion at the MUC. Nancy McCaren was there. Nancy Naeve was there. An open bar was there. There was singing and laughing (both on purpose and on accident), and I loved every cheesy, sentimental, sorority moment of it!
 |
| I'm so proud of my Little legacy Lightfield! (That's a Theta Kite we're trying to make) |
Oh yeah, and a really great thing happened!!! MW introduced me to a former USD KAO who now lives in NYC (that's a lot of acronyms). Anyway, we started talking and she asked me where I was working--a question I had been dodging all night--and I said, "Actually I'm looking for work right now." I told her about a library job that I had just applied for, and then she told me casually, like it's no big deal, that she worked at the NY Public Library for 20 years and practically hired everyone there. She gave me her contact information and told me to call her when I get back to town. She said, "I'll make some calls for you." I almost peed my pants right there at the banquet. Theta for a lifetime, bitches!
 |
| They have forgiven me for ignoring their calls earlier and for being so hungover. They understand. |
Ok back to the night... we all went to Carey's. Like all of us. All of Theta. We chanted and sang like crazy cult loonies, but we didn't care. Strength in numbers. TBK and I introduced little Lightfield to the dirty girlscout shot, and I became reacquainted with my friend the Colorado bulldog. There were so many friends and so much catching up that I really did feel like Norm from Cheers. It felt like I was home. Then, for some reason, we went to the Char Bar, which always seems like a good idea but really wasn't this time. We aborted the mission and went to Leo's to have our way with the jukebox. I had my way with a 60 year old townie (not literally). We took the drunk bus on our own little tour de Vermillion and got off at a house party that turned into a sort of Theta/Phi Delt mixer, like the good old days. I played some "ghetto ass beats" to get the party started, and KS got chased by JL with a blowup doll. We left shortly after that to go back to the hotel and binge on amaaaaazing chicken salad made by MR's mom. It was divine. I crawled into the hotel sheets, and though the room was still spinning, for the first time in a long time, I felt like my world wasn't.
 |
| We all just want somebody to love! |
SUNDAY:
I left Vermillion on Sunday afternoon, and as I drove out of town I reminded myself, "It's not always like this. It's not always like this. It's not always like this."
But I'm glad it was like this, this weekend.
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