Today Was A Very Good Day

Seriously…the women ALL swoon…

Let’s start at the beginning for this one, shall we? It was the summer of 1987, Zanesville, OH, post-high school. I decided to go to college at the Ohio University branch in Zaneville. Not Yale, that’s for certain…but it would get me on the right track. So I attended and I got to become good friends with a guy who I had actually attended high school with for a couple of years (however we didn’t really know each other at the time). JT ended up getting a job with me at the local television station and a friendship was born. We, in turn, got to be good friends with a couple of twin sisters who also attended OUZ. The 4 of us, joined by a few others, all joined a cult, shaved our heads and handed out pamphlets at the local mall. Oooor…we all hung out in the OUZ radio booths, spinning records until midnight, hanging out at JT’s parents’ house and driving Maple Avenue until we were bored to tears. Yeah…I think THAT’S what really happened…

Way back in the day

Skip ahead a year. A quiet, strapping young lad entered Ohio U.-Z’town, all alone and looking for a job. Newman & I would also become great friends and he would follow me to Ohio U. and to every workplace I went for the next 8 years post-college. From Athens to Zanesville to Dayton to Cincinnati we went, and Newman has always been my go-to guy for music, movies and all things alcohol.

Me, Bob, JT & Newman…I dunno…maybe 11 years ago?

After those 2 years at Ohio University-Zanesville, we all scattered from our little cult of friends. Some of us went to Ohio’s main campus in Athens (me, JT, Newman, Karen). Some of us transferred to the University of Cincinnati (the twins, Alicia & Tricia). Some of us, quite frankly, disappeared and I have no idea what ever happened to them. But today, I got to see 4 of my best friends all together and it was a very good day.

To make a long story short, JT and his wife are expecting their first in July (way to go Farrah!). So he made the trek from his home planet in Memphis to visit his parents and share the news. On his way back, he stopped in Cinci to hang with Newman, Tricia, Alicia and myself. We hit the local Pub and enjoyed a few choice beverages while chatting it up with the waitress (who was 20?!?!) and we talked about life and love and the road to happiness. Needless to say, life stinks, love is for suckers and the road to happiness involves a bag of Cheetos and a lifetime supply of Blue Moon. But that’s besides the point. The point of this story is that we were all together again for the first time since 1995! So, of course, photos were taken and fun was had by all.

JT ALWAYS gets the ladies…

And then his face FROZE that way!

Oh hellooooooo Newman…

You don’t even want to know where my hand is…

Sure…I had a couple…

So JT spent the night and Newman went to work (yes…he works a morning shift job on the weekends! Sucker…). Then this morning my family and I let JT take us out for lunch before he fled the state. This evening, Alicia and her husband Shayne (who I also went to high school with at a different school. It’s a long story…remind me to tell you about it sometime…) came over to our house with their brood of 4 kids and we ordered pizza and watched the kids tear up the house. It has obviously been a great 24 hours…and I will not be forgetting this day for a long time. I miss my best friends quite a bit…and it was really awesome to see them all together, even if it was for only a few hours.

Interesting sidebar to this little story, last night one of those long-lost friends reappeared on Facebook to say hello and to let me know he is doing well. Johnny, it was great hearing from you also! I hope the next time I’m in Pittsburgh we can get together! Oh…and here’s a picture of JT’s head to scare you in your sleep…