Ch-ch-changes

You would think what with the college homecoming and time spent on the road between Shippensburg and Ambler Saturday there would be lots to talk about from this weekend. You, my friend, would be wrong.

This weekend was actually pretty tame.

When I was in college, we started "celebrating" Homecoming weekend the Wednesday before the actual game and pretty much just drank ourselves stupid through Sunday morning. Or afternoon. The one frat I hung out with would have a party to kick things off Wednesday. Thursday and Friday nights were spent hopping from party to party, often we were drunk for the parade Friday night after attending happy hour at the end of band practice. Saturday was for kegs and eggs (why lose the buzz?), passing the "water bottle" (usually filled with fuzzy navels) in the stands at the football game and more drinking and party hopping after the parents went home.

Now, though, I'm lucky if I can make it through two beers without passing out. This year I spent most of my time at the Alumni Tent in the Greek tailgating area. Oh, I still had fun and talk about your self-esteem boost! Despite that fact that I've been out of college since 1997, I was mistaken for a student once and hit on by a drunk fratboy. Big fun baby.

Some of the changes to the campus caught me by surprise. The new performing arts center is immense. The road that used to pass by the building where I spent 80% of my four years is now, well, not a road. It has been made into a grassy area with some sidewalk. I caught myself looking both ways as I crossed. So much is different now and it's only been 8 years. Dear god, has it been that long already?!

Time she's really flying.

Saturday night was spent in transit, 2-1/2 hours on the PA Turnpike to Ambler for a band competition. Woo-hoo. Not exactly the most mentally stimulating drive a person can take. I spent most of my time thinking ahead to the stop at Starbucks on the way home and crossing my fingers that I'd have enough gas. By the time I got home Old Sammy (my Saturn) was going on fumes and I was just thisclose to falling asleep behind the wheel.

Yesterday was pretty lazy. My mother and I spent some time at the Oyster Festival downtown sampling oyster stew, fried oyster sandwiches and handmade apple fritters. It was some nice quality time. The rest of my day flew by in a haze of Julia Roberts movies (Pretty Woman & Runaway Bride) and my new book.

Seeing all of the changes at my alma mater made me realize I was due for some changes myself. After all, you can't move forward without a little change, right?