A Taste of the Old Days
It is never quite clear how to follow up a post like the last one. It's just another one of the sad, guilt inducing parts of death, that life goes on. As much as it feels like the world should stop, or you should stop, you still have to get up the next day, you still have to work, you still have to eat and you still find yourself laughing and having a good time. That doesn't mean that you've forgotten, or aren't sad anymore, it just means that life isn't 1-dimensional.
That being said, this last weekend I had an absolutely fantastic time hanging out in Colorado Springs with the in-laws.
In particular I did two things, that I used to do a lot in college, that I really enjoyed.
On Friday night (a week ago!) my wife, my brother-in-law, Cotton Eyed Joy, Cabin boy Farluffo, Cabin boy Faluffo's squeeze* and me all went to this bar called Cowboys in Colorado Springs. It's a country-western bar, which means that it has a different sort of clientele than I would normally associate with. Every time (and in college I used to go every week at times) I'm walking up to the entrance, I get butterflies in my stomach, as if they're going to figure out I'm an impostor or something. And this time was no different.
Now, back in the old days we would always go on Wednesday nights, which was the ages 18 and up night, because well, when we started that was the only option. So, as far as I can remember this was my first time going with just the grown ups. There wasn't as much line dancing, but they still did Copperhead Road, which was the important thing.
But I can't tell you how much fun this place is. So many things about it just hit me with nostalgia. Walking from the car to the entrance and just freezing because it would be way too hot inside for a coat and would be a pain to have to keep track of it. Getting my ID checked and waiting in line to pay, and trying to be patient while anticipating what is just inside. The smell of smoke, yes I hate smoking and I hate the smell of smoke, but I love the way the bar smells (it was strange that even now, after they have prohibited actually smoking in bars, the place still smells like cigarettes), probably because I associate that smell with tons of awesome fun. The feel of a soaked undershirt from all the sweat from dancing for hours straight. I want to go back, and I want to go back as soon as I can!
On Saturday afternoon, the brother-in-law and I had an afternoon with just the two of us (well, I guess the father-in-law was watching a movie in the other room for half of it) that we capped off with some slacklining in a park. It has been just over 6 months since I last slacklined, and that was too long.
Once again, nostalgia city. I love the routine of setting up and taking down a slackline. I love how the world sort of slows down when you're hanging out and slacklining. There's nothing to do but hang out, chat, think, talk and walk.
Sometimes back home in Portland, we'll set a slackline in my neighbors backyard, which is tons of fun, but since it is so easily to disappear inside, or walk over to my backyard for badminton, that we don't usually end up slacklining for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. But if you make the effort to go to a park, and actually set up a slackline, you aren't just going to do it for 10 minutes. So, you just hang out.
Anyway, this is just another one of those things that I don't have enough time for these days, and that needs to be fixed!
College really was the best time ever, wasn't it?
* I don't mean to imply that Cabin boy Farluffo's Squeeze doesn't have an identity outside of Cabin boy Farluffo, I'm just merely excited about the budding romance!
4 February 2011 08:00pm UTC • 175 views • 10 comments
Tagged with grief, death, college, slacklining, linedancing
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10 comments
Erik the Redish-orange
4 February 2011 08:26pm UTC
It was a great weekend!
However, as I approach 8 years post-college I find myself still hoping to one day realize my hunch that the best years of my life are behind me is wrong. So far the best I can do is short trips back to the good old days like last weekend. Otherwise I continue to suspect it's all downhill from here!
Sailing Master Keri
4 February 2011 10:08pm UTC
I miss slacklining too! Although I just don't think it'd be as much fun here in Aurora as it was in Denver... First of all, there aren't as many good parks and trees near us, and second of all, I think we might get a LOT of weird looks here in Aurora! I bet most people here have never seen such a thing!
Dread Pirate Benjamin
4 February 2011 10:38pm UTC
Weird looks don't phase me!
Sailing Master Keri
4 February 2011 10:40pm UTC
I meant that slacklining won't be as much fun in Aurora as it was in Boulder. And weird looks do too phase you, Dread Pirate!
Farluffo the Great
5 February 2011 01:48am UTC
I had a great time last weekend, too! Being with you guys and the squeeze always makes where ever I am (like Cowboys for instance) amazing. :)
Farluffo the Great
5 February 2011 01:49am UTC
like super amazing
Dread Pirate Benjamin
5 February 2011 04:47am UTC
That explains why you looked like you were going to doze off the entire evening!
Farluffo the Great
5 February 2011 04:59am UTC
Yep, a great euphoric calm set over me. Glad you noticed!
Swabie Scabbie
6 February 2011 09:29pm UTC
I've slacklined multiple times in Aurora! We're right by a campus with plenty of people who went to eccentric liberal arts colleges; while they spend most of their time staring at books in windowless rooms now, they still occasionally run a slackline across a path on campus.
Peon Peetie
10 February 2011 08:21am UTC
i miss the old days.