I have been drinking in a bar without a soul

I am back. I did not have time to do justice to my thoughts on Friday. I had a good experience on Thursday evening but it was surreal. We had a fraternity alumni function. We, and I do mean we, have not been "frat boys" for well over twenty years. Again, I do not think that I have aged, but when I look in the mirror, I know that I am kidding myself. In any event, I met Willie, JLC and WO for bevvies beforehand at a Boston Pizza.

The Boston Pizza struck me as a strange place. It was so damn American suburban. I say that in a bad way. I mean it is like their is an attempt to appear kitschy and retro-hip, pub/sportsbar like, but it falls flat. My point is the place has NO SOUL!!!! It is to sportsbars/restaurants like Dire Straits "Brother in Arms" was to music. It may be set up well (sound great) but there is something rather empty about both. Neither has a soul, it was processed out of them both. Then again, it was a midpoint place to grab a drink before heading to this function, so....I was just commenting.

Anyway, it was called for six thirty (cocktails) with dinner at seven. It was at a golf club in the city and there was a golfing option which I, really the four of us, forewent. I am no golfer. The fun was in anticipating who would be there. We arrive, in separate cars, only to find that one of the alumni was leaving....in a snit. It seems he was "upset" that WO did not tell him of the event, or our little pre-party. Easy come, easy go.

It was cool seeing the turn out, but some of the absences were notable. I ended up sitting at a table with six other guys from my pledge class. That was cool. I was struck by something, aren't I always. As I looked around me at all these guys that I knew in their 20s, and keep in mind I am in the same boat, I noticed that we all kind of look like babies. Let me explain, when the lad was born, and as I see with my four month old nephew, babies, when born with hair, have their heads grow as they age, but the hair does not. It is the same amount of hair, but left to cover a larger head. It just does not work.

There I am noticing that we are bunch of dudes whose heads look like they have grown but the hair has not followed suit. The bald spots and billboard size foreheads really did illustrate the disconnect between reality and my perception of us all, age wise. That is true except for one of the guys, RC. His hairline has not changed since then and he had/has a thick head of hair (like Stalin, I tell ya). I am telling you the dude has not aged. I wonder what is up with that. Did he sell his soul to the devil? I am thinking that he sold the Boston Pizza's soul to the Devil. Good for him, out smarting Satan. Cool.

Ciao!