Let's Go State

What an insane weekend! I made trip to Happy Valley for TailGreat '06. It was very exciting. I was able to leave work early on Friday, which is a good thing because my brain was ready to melt after a full week of real, actual work. I made it to my brother's apartment around 8:30 in the evening. After a quick hello to drop my stuff off, Leric and I went to one of my favorite eateries from my college days: D.P. Dough. They sell calzones for those of you not familiar. This was my first reality check that I have, in fact, become the "creepy old" alumnus trying to hold on to those days gone by.

I used to order the Happy Valley Zone. It was basically a chicken parmesan calzone. I used to order two because then you got a free can of Coke with it. Anyway, much to my chagrin, they no longer have the Happy Valley Zone. The guy working behind the counter told me that they changed the name of it four years ago. When did I graduate? Four years ago. A small tear began to roll down my cheek.

So after some X-pong (See previous post); about 8 hours of tailgating; some windy beer pong (Beirut for those of you from New England); multiple shotguned beers; some new golf ball/horseshore game that I can't remember the name of but Leric called it Monkey Balls; and getting to sit in the student section for the Penn State-Michigan game (which they lost 17-10); I met my ex-girlfriend at the Lion's Den for a drink. I had never been to the Lion's Den while I was in school and now I know why.

While at the bar I discovered something interesting. Ok. You are at a bar with one friend and it's pretty crowded but you don't know anyone else. You are standing around talking and then your friend says to you that they are going to the bathroom. This leaves you defenseless. Am I the only one who dreads this moment as you are standing there with nobody to talk to? You look around, check your watch, look at your cell phone so it looks like you are important, take a drink, do some quick people watching, take another drink, and then breath a sigh of relief when your friend comes back. Has anyone else ever experienced this? Or do most normal people immediately go up to a stanger and spark up a new coversation? Am I just a total loser? Actually, don't answer that last one. Please let me know your feelings on this.

Note: This feeling can also be extended to any social situation. Think about a family event with lots of old people and distant cousins who your parents know but you have never seen them before but they know everything about you. Maybe a work-related function where you get stuck standing next to someone you never talk to in the office.