Paying Tribute
According to SOMEONE, my last entry was boring. And I guess it might have been, a little. But you have to learn to deal with the ups and downs of me. So, if you were bored, I apologize, but thats my LIFE we're talking about, use your imagination, and my life might be exciting someday. If you think about it (and it really doesn't take much thought), some of those 10 million different "next year" options might be exciting, and either way, I'd hope that you might be a little interested in where I'm at in the future. Just a little...
Nevertheless, I will press on. I hope that I might once again be entertaining. Maybe tonight? Who knows...
Entertaining or not, tonight I pay tribute to a very dear friend of mine. Not so much a friend, more a...companion. Only...not so much a person. And I haven't heared anything from this pal in close to 5 years. Maybe we aren't the best of friends. Maybe we don't plan on being the god-parents of each others children. Maybe we don't enjoy cheese toast or hot cocoa together. But despite the apparently weak friendship we have, the subject here, the reciever of my gratification, changed my life, and I'm sure the lives of many. I, of course, pay tribute to the Hoop Dances.
What?!
IT'S TRUE!
There might not be a greater example of our youthful middle school years! The only middle school memories I hold more dear are those spent the last day of 7th and 8th grade, as we piled into our mother's minivans and were dropped off, without adult supervision, and left to attack every part of Enchanted Forest, and play truth or dare in the indian caves and the Dwarfs mines, and ride the log ride 10 thousand times without paying extra. I honestly ask every one of you who attended those outings...could you possibly remember anything more clearly? I don't think I've forgotten a single detail. At Enchanted Forest I was given the opportuinty to fill the position of Beth's boyfriend while Aaron was absent. Twice. Todd Granum knocked the head off Mary (no relation to Jesus, this is the Mary who had a lamb), and I beleive the secret service was scouting out the place by the time we left. Anyway...maybe I'll write a complete journal on Enchanted Forest later...this is my tribute to Hoop Dances, not the crooked house and the shoe slide.
Hoop Dances... I guess some of you might not know what they are, so let me explain. The Hoop is a basketball club, with 6 full size basketball courts seperated by gigantic courtains. In our middle school days though, they opened themselves up to so much more... Every Friday, or every other friday, and some saturdays, they pulled up a couple of the courtains, brought in a professional DJ, and opened the place up to middle schoolers. They ripped us off...I think it was like a 7 or 10 dollar cover charge, depending on the night, but we owned that place. Again, parental supervision was completely absent at these dances, and "our time" was a hot commodity. Add to that the "beats" of our own Z100 DJ, a snack bar LOADED with Red Bull for those whose parents had blessed them with a good amount of spending money, or cokes for the rest of us, who were lucky enough to be able to keep the change from our cover fee. (As pathetic as THIS is, I can remember more than once where my mom only had a 10, and the dance cost 7, and I had to run the change back to her before I went inside, and then beg for a dollar so I could buy a drink. Not that we were poor, just...she knows that if there are 3 dollars in my pocket, and there are drinks ranging in cost from 1 to 3 dollars, my pocket will be empty. Because I suck with money.) Anyway...add those things together, and you have created the greatest thing ever known to a 7th or 8th grader.
It was at a hoop dance that I was first finally able to succeed in slow dancing with a different girl for every slow song. (This was actually only a goal two or three times, most of the time I was interested in a girl, and the goal, instead, was to dance with HER for every slow song.)
It was at a hoop dance that I spilled a HUGE (probably the 3 dollar size, if it existed) mountain dew all over the dance floor (before they banned all drinks from the courts) which caused most of the Judson group to move, away from the spill, but left us all with sticky, squeaky, feet.
It was at a hoop dance that I got the crap completely kicked out of me by Fabie (how in the heck to you spell that in real life?) the mexican who, quote, "was looking to beat some white boy's ass". Let me tell you what, he found a good one to start with. For those of you who have no idea what this is about, at one of the big dances, I think it was supposed to be one of the fancier ones... Anyway, I bumped into him, and said "ah, sorry man" and then he said "what the f-?" and I said "sorry!" and turned, and then he punched me, and I was on the gound, and he continued punching me. His beanie came down over his eyes a couple times, so I got a couple of good shots in, from my back, but wow was I rocked. As I opened the bathroom door, I realized my hand had left a bloody imprint. This isn't a sad story, I'm actually laughing quite a bit as I tell it. When we were in the trainers office he looked at me, tried to give me a "pound" and said "That was cool man". I didn't respond, I was afraid. In my mind all I was thinking was "What in the world are you talking about? You just kicked the crap out of me!" His lip was pretty bloodied, but nothing in comparison to mine, ravished by braces and fists of fury. My head was bruised, my nose was probably in 10 pieces. Then my mom picked me up, and we bought ice cream.
It was at a hoop dance that I spent the entire time dancing only with Beth and Katrina, even though me and Michelle liked each other, but were both too afraid to talk to each other. This was my second to last hoop dance ever, the last before I left for summer (I think to Las Vegas, I don't know anymore though...) I think this was ALSO the dance where Beth and Katrina dedicated "Angel of Mine" to me, but they deny it to this day.
It was at a hoop dance, at all of the hoop dances actually. that I sang every word to every horrible Backstreet Boys song, or any slow song, while dancing. This tradition has continued, Charissa can testify, as I so sweetly sang the slow songs into her ear as we danced at prom. The tradition might continue longer...If I end up going to prom this year, and if Jenna can handle my vocals.
It was at a hoop dance that rumors began about Todd Granum and Ryan Burton and two un-nameed girls (Actually, I think it was Jeanette and Stephanie) taking a break in the boys locker room. Those rumors didn't die for months...
Finally, it was at a hoop dance, and every hoop dance, that we all had amazing, drama filled nights that would shape our futures. Or just drive us insane and get us beat up. Either way, I miss them, I hear they've gone "ghetto" now, and I don't like the idea. I liked it when we would plan crossler vs judson wars, and segregate. And I liked jumping up and down and headbanging with Todd Kimmich to every hard rock song, or semi hard rock song, since that was the best it would get. And I loved line dancing to "cottoneye joe" and changing the words to certain songs in an anti-Crossler fashion. And I loved when we would circle up to watch people break dance, only no one would have the nerve to get in the middle of the circle, so we would circle and wait, and eventually someone would just walk through and no one would care anymore.
I loved them! I hope everyone shares the sentiment. Even those of you who have never been, or know nothing about them, doesn't it sound like an aamzing place?
I thank you Hoop Dances, for allowing us to be kids, and have fun, and be crazy, and still have our Mommies come pick us up afterward.
Nevertheless, I will press on. I hope that I might once again be entertaining. Maybe tonight? Who knows...
Entertaining or not, tonight I pay tribute to a very dear friend of mine. Not so much a friend, more a...companion. Only...not so much a person. And I haven't heared anything from this pal in close to 5 years. Maybe we aren't the best of friends. Maybe we don't plan on being the god-parents of each others children. Maybe we don't enjoy cheese toast or hot cocoa together. But despite the apparently weak friendship we have, the subject here, the reciever of my gratification, changed my life, and I'm sure the lives of many. I, of course, pay tribute to the Hoop Dances.
What?!
IT'S TRUE!
There might not be a greater example of our youthful middle school years! The only middle school memories I hold more dear are those spent the last day of 7th and 8th grade, as we piled into our mother's minivans and were dropped off, without adult supervision, and left to attack every part of Enchanted Forest, and play truth or dare in the indian caves and the Dwarfs mines, and ride the log ride 10 thousand times without paying extra. I honestly ask every one of you who attended those outings...could you possibly remember anything more clearly? I don't think I've forgotten a single detail. At Enchanted Forest I was given the opportuinty to fill the position of Beth's boyfriend while Aaron was absent. Twice. Todd Granum knocked the head off Mary (no relation to Jesus, this is the Mary who had a lamb), and I beleive the secret service was scouting out the place by the time we left. Anyway...maybe I'll write a complete journal on Enchanted Forest later...this is my tribute to Hoop Dances, not the crooked house and the shoe slide.
Hoop Dances... I guess some of you might not know what they are, so let me explain. The Hoop is a basketball club, with 6 full size basketball courts seperated by gigantic courtains. In our middle school days though, they opened themselves up to so much more... Every Friday, or every other friday, and some saturdays, they pulled up a couple of the courtains, brought in a professional DJ, and opened the place up to middle schoolers. They ripped us off...I think it was like a 7 or 10 dollar cover charge, depending on the night, but we owned that place. Again, parental supervision was completely absent at these dances, and "our time" was a hot commodity. Add to that the "beats" of our own Z100 DJ, a snack bar LOADED with Red Bull for those whose parents had blessed them with a good amount of spending money, or cokes for the rest of us, who were lucky enough to be able to keep the change from our cover fee. (As pathetic as THIS is, I can remember more than once where my mom only had a 10, and the dance cost 7, and I had to run the change back to her before I went inside, and then beg for a dollar so I could buy a drink. Not that we were poor, just...she knows that if there are 3 dollars in my pocket, and there are drinks ranging in cost from 1 to 3 dollars, my pocket will be empty. Because I suck with money.) Anyway...add those things together, and you have created the greatest thing ever known to a 7th or 8th grader.
It was at a hoop dance that I was first finally able to succeed in slow dancing with a different girl for every slow song. (This was actually only a goal two or three times, most of the time I was interested in a girl, and the goal, instead, was to dance with HER for every slow song.)
It was at a hoop dance that I spilled a HUGE (probably the 3 dollar size, if it existed) mountain dew all over the dance floor (before they banned all drinks from the courts) which caused most of the Judson group to move, away from the spill, but left us all with sticky, squeaky, feet.
It was at a hoop dance that I got the crap completely kicked out of me by Fabie (how in the heck to you spell that in real life?) the mexican who, quote, "was looking to beat some white boy's ass". Let me tell you what, he found a good one to start with. For those of you who have no idea what this is about, at one of the big dances, I think it was supposed to be one of the fancier ones... Anyway, I bumped into him, and said "ah, sorry man" and then he said "what the f-?" and I said "sorry!" and turned, and then he punched me, and I was on the gound, and he continued punching me. His beanie came down over his eyes a couple times, so I got a couple of good shots in, from my back, but wow was I rocked. As I opened the bathroom door, I realized my hand had left a bloody imprint. This isn't a sad story, I'm actually laughing quite a bit as I tell it. When we were in the trainers office he looked at me, tried to give me a "pound" and said "That was cool man". I didn't respond, I was afraid. In my mind all I was thinking was "What in the world are you talking about? You just kicked the crap out of me!" His lip was pretty bloodied, but nothing in comparison to mine, ravished by braces and fists of fury. My head was bruised, my nose was probably in 10 pieces. Then my mom picked me up, and we bought ice cream.
It was at a hoop dance that I spent the entire time dancing only with Beth and Katrina, even though me and Michelle liked each other, but were both too afraid to talk to each other. This was my second to last hoop dance ever, the last before I left for summer (I think to Las Vegas, I don't know anymore though...) I think this was ALSO the dance where Beth and Katrina dedicated "Angel of Mine" to me, but they deny it to this day.
It was at a hoop dance, at all of the hoop dances actually. that I sang every word to every horrible Backstreet Boys song, or any slow song, while dancing. This tradition has continued, Charissa can testify, as I so sweetly sang the slow songs into her ear as we danced at prom. The tradition might continue longer...If I end up going to prom this year, and if Jenna can handle my vocals.
It was at a hoop dance that rumors began about Todd Granum and Ryan Burton and two un-nameed girls (Actually, I think it was Jeanette and Stephanie) taking a break in the boys locker room. Those rumors didn't die for months...
Finally, it was at a hoop dance, and every hoop dance, that we all had amazing, drama filled nights that would shape our futures. Or just drive us insane and get us beat up. Either way, I miss them, I hear they've gone "ghetto" now, and I don't like the idea. I liked it when we would plan crossler vs judson wars, and segregate. And I liked jumping up and down and headbanging with Todd Kimmich to every hard rock song, or semi hard rock song, since that was the best it would get. And I loved line dancing to "cottoneye joe" and changing the words to certain songs in an anti-Crossler fashion. And I loved when we would circle up to watch people break dance, only no one would have the nerve to get in the middle of the circle, so we would circle and wait, and eventually someone would just walk through and no one would care anymore.
I loved them! I hope everyone shares the sentiment. Even those of you who have never been, or know nothing about them, doesn't it sound like an aamzing place?
I thank you Hoop Dances, for allowing us to be kids, and have fun, and be crazy, and still have our Mommies come pick us up afterward.