She called me.

Back in November, I posted "Will the bet pay off?" It highlighted some of my struggles as a young man and the teacher that saved my butt from academic destruction in my future years.

I never wrote a Part II as I promised. It was going to be about me sticking my neck out for a kid to keep her from getting put into even lower classes. As it turns out, she did not get her butt in gear, talks big, but suffered the consequences and I got "told ya' so" from one of my co-workers... not a mean one though.

Why am I bringing this up months later? Well, a little more than a week ago I got a phone call from the teacher who saved me. When I was in her class around 20 years ago, she was a newly becoming single lady in her mid 40's or so. When I talked to her days ago, she called to tell me that she was a month from getting married and moving to Chicago to be with a man that she has been corresponding and visiting with for the last few years. She will also be a grandmother a few weeks later and will be coming back to see her daughter and hopefully make a lunch date with me, my wife and my mother.

I was seriously touched that she would call me, her fifth grader from 1985-86. She provided the care that motivated me or she was willing to look past my shell and see who I really could be... or both. Teachers can't touch all of their students, but some will be glad to see you or come back to visit. I have already had a few during my short career.

Beer, Pancakes, and Answered Prayers.

The other night, St. Paddy's day, Teach and I went to a bar were a friend of a friend's uncle's brother's, cousin's, sister's, husband-in-law was playing in an alternative rock band. He was pretty good, though I liked the opening band a little better. The billing act at this free bar of a 100 or so... 50 or so... was just too monotonous for me to love them, but they were descent.

When I get there, some of my friends' other friends were there and already had plenty to drink. I watched them down three or four in a matter of the first thirty minutes I was there then hop in the van to juggle the kids from house to house. This was stupid. But, other than that, these guys have some crazy fun. During my two or so hours there, I just had a couple and then chased them down with some water and Teach and I were ready to go home while my jovial friends probably shut the place down.

Life is an endless party with these guys! I knew it was time to go home. Listening to these bands gets boring after a while anyway. I would rather be at karaoke where I am actually doing something. Anyway, since I couldn't sing that night, NTN trivia was a close second. While my friends were loading up on boose, I was proving how smart I was because I knew who the actor was in some distant movie. Anyway. After a while, it is time to leave.

On the way home, I was hoping to get some pancakes at the local IHOP. I was really craving the fruity country griddle cakes with strawberry topping. MMMMM... Teach did not want to go, so off by myself I went at 12:30 in the evening. "SnoopDonnieDon, party of 1." Yep, that's me... put me in the corner table where I can face the whole restaurant.... Thanks.

As I was sitting there at the table, while knowing how stupid my friends' behavior was, I was lamenting over the fact that I could have a lot more fun if I could loosen up like my friends. Why did I have to be so conscious all the time? Etc. Etc. Etc. Blah Blah Blah.... I can have fun, but it did not seem like I was having as much fun as they were. (Yep, still ocassionally working through the whole "who am I?" crap.)

I gobbled up my pancakes, guzzled more water, payed my bill and carried a few bites home to Teach who was supposed to be sleeping.

But, when I got home, I heard screaming, laughing, and breaking bottles from my neighbors' house (two mid-20's girls who are renting with their young boyfriends and like to party). I go inside to find my wife wide awake and fairly annoyed. I asked her if she thinks I should go talk to them and then I go out the front door and chicken out. Then I go inside and discuss it some more. I decide to go out the back door to peek over the fence to ask them to settle down.

Just when I go outside and turn the corner by my patio, I can see two of the guys playing like they are Hulk Hogan and getting closer and closer to my fence and closer and closer and CRASH, a whole section of my fence was wiped out by a couple of dumbasses who had too much beer. Geez! They got up, saw me standing there and before you know it, they had a "Holy Crap" look on their faces and began pointing fingers at each other about who had too many that night. (In the mean time, another one of their friends chimes in and offers me a cold one). All in all, they were very apologetic. "Dude, we are sorry. I will fix it first thing in the morning. We had too much to drink and got out of hand... You know how it is." I responded in a calm manner, "No, actually I don't." "Oh.... Well, I will fix it in the morning." "If you don't, I will remind you."

All is settled, then one of the girls (they really are pretty nice) comes out...."Oh my gosh! What did you guys do to Donnie's fence?! I'm so sorry (X10). We will fix it.... I am to old for this! I feel like a mom! You guys get inside!" and she herded them in like cattle and the rest of the night was peaceful. But, instead of sleeping in like I wanted, I woke up to the sounds of hammers in my back yard.

Good news... My fence is stronger now than it was before. More good news... I received a quick anwer to my question about why I can't be more like some of my friends. I have a reputation that I value and would never want to appear on someone's blog as the "dumbass who drank too much and crashed in my fence" or even worse than that... "The dumbass who killed my child, husband, wife, grandma, me (of course the person couldn't write the last one, but you know what I mean)..."

To all a good night!

Next one will not be about drinking I promise... But, I thought this was a good story anyway.

PS. Coming soon (hopefully (May or June) I will be starting a new photo blog, with comments, updated monthly about the physical transformation that I will soon be going through... Some of my readers already know. But I hope they won't give it away.... I hope I won't chicken out and erase this comment later.