Tuesday, June 27, 2006

A Place Called Home

Home is more a group of people than an actual place for me these days. I realized that this weekend while spending some time with my family and friends at various old houses and haunts. It wasn't until the 3rd day of my long weekend that I set foot into my childhood home and the place looks more and more unfamiliar to me every time I do check in. Every trace of my childhood is gone, covered in white and erased forever. It makes me feel old seeing everything modernized; old and sad I suppose. I miss rusted metal railings outside, I miss a drop ceiling in the basement that drops on your head one tile at a time and I miss having a small, yet basic yard. Improvements are naturally needed, but perhaps the direction of the improvements are not my taste and therefore leave me feeling like a stranger in a strange land there anymore.

Thankfully, I visit not to watch my old house get systemically reshaped into Little Italy, but to spend time with those that can reaffirm my identity and make me feel less like a lost soul. And this weekend was in general a good time from start to finish. Well, considering I'm waiting in the airport for an 8:30 PM flight since my 3:30 flight was cancelled, the end is a little shaky. But all in all I think I enjoyed myself more than I have in a while on a visit home, got to see the people I wanted to see and can venture back down South with the resolve that everyone is how I left them and doing more or less just fine without me around.

Friday night, a simple game of poker with my old wrecking crew hit the spot. Gabe is ready for his move to North Carolina, impressed with my decision to move but still worried more about me than he should. Justin is loving his job and seems to be content with his marriage failing, knowing he tried harder at saving it than anything he's ever done. Sugar Swane has gotten another protege under his mighty wings, still battling his music demons but ever so slightly forging on towards normalcy by buying a home for the first time at 42. The Weasel, well he stays the same...and that's how I like it. Disappearing at the end of the night on his road bike for the shitfaced 15 mile ride is his m.o. and he didn't disappoint. Jared is someone I wished I had more time to spend time with, but we are working on a Universal Studios trip for the late summer/early fall that will be plenty fun. In the meantime, I hope he remains positive about his situation and eats something for fuck's sake. Although I wasn't a winner, the night was full of laughs and good conversation, the perfect way to start things off this time around.

Saturday was devoted to my cousin Todd's wedding out in Royersford at the Spring Ford Country Club. I made zero effort in the wardrobe department, looking more or less like a rockabilly star in my Ben Sherman short sleeve shirt, work man's pants and Doc Martens. I'm just not willing to be restricted in a suit anymore in my life, and it's a rule I hold firm to despite the glances I get from others. The wedding itself was your basic formulaic variety, nothing outrageous took place. Considering all of my family was staying at the same hotel not too far from the country club, everyone got very drunk and thankfully all behaved. My good buddy Kevin used the event as an opportunity to ask me to be a member of his wedding party, an honor I accepted without hesitation. I shared a room with 3 of my sisters and only vomited after breakfast the next morning, so we'll call this one a win for me. Especially since I'm the eldest and by far the member of the family with the most worn out liver at this point. Cousin Todd was seemingly shell shocked the entire event, but we had some good words and it was nice to see him look happy for a change.

Sunday was a BBQ at Brother Mike's house in honor of my sister Candace's birthday and culminated in a raucous game of Cranium with friends at Mike's gigantic dining table. Although my team didn't steal the victory, we didn't come in last. That spot was reserved for the cockiest participant, the lovely Audrey who boasted about her victory from the prior week and practically guaranteed another prior to team selection. Noele, Castagna and the birthday girl snatched the victory from Mike, Shawn and myself. The cap of the evening was a viewing of Entourage, followed by my final goodbyes to Kevin, Noele, Audrey and Shawn.

Monday was spent in the recording studio with Brother Dan helping to add some harmony vocals to one of his songs, my favorite of his songs entitled Pretty Baby. The song is pure gold and I was very happy to finally have an opportunity to put something on tape with both of our contributions attached. It's odd to think that we have never musically collaborated considering both of our involvements in the world of music. A very good guy named Mark from the band Silvertide allowed us to use some studio space and helped out engineering for us. The two of us got to share our feelings on the music biz, my perspective is jaded, failed rock star and his is of soon to be jaded, failed rock star, so we had some lively discussions throughout the day. The cap of Monday was a round of bowling at the local Dave and Busters where we started out to get my sister her first taste of being 21. Unfortunately I was wiped out and couldn't hang past midnight, but I was happy to participate in this once in a lifetime event. My sister in law and I represented for old heads everywhere and did our part to try and get Candace on her way to being wasted. Running into an old childhood friend added a special flavor to the night, and Keiran, now a mother and wife, was a ray of light in an otherwise dismal locale like Dave and Busters. Knocking back Jameson and Ginger with a twist of lime, waxing poetically about plants and the merits of sesame oil, she went about making me wish we were closer in age when I was a teenager and that we were better friends then, and now. At least I got to experience a taste of her personality as an adult, something that I will take back with me as another one of life's little moments that make you feel like shit isn't as bad as it could be.

So here I am, sitting in the airport going over the trip in my head. Focused on this post, rather than the lengthy delay I'm facing. Thinking that overall, this weekend wasn't so bad.

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