Amy’s Press Conference – Question Eight – Uno

The “Old Gang” update

Ahhhh man, I miss the “Old Gang”.  

As I’ve said many, many times before and will continue to say …

If any of you like me, and you get the chance to meet one of the “Old Gang” … thank them.

Because those boogers were so instrumental in me getting to where I am today.

With that being said, I interpret the question that you’re asking as wondering how much interaction we have with one another since the band broke up: if we’re still friends, do we hang out, or “any updates” like that? 

So … Are We Still Friends? Hell ya ! That’s an easy answer.  

But … Do We Still Hang Out? Not much really. There has not been a reunion performance with all the original members since the last time we were all together, which was right at the beginning of The gospels of Amy-Wan Kenobi – Episode III, which was released in August 2004 … helluva opening scene if I do have to say so myself !!! You really need to buy the DVD. But it’s not because of ill-will, not wanting to hang out, or anything like that, it’s just that we only played as a group on Wednesday nights, so when that wasn’t a possibility, the likelihood of all of us hooking up and seeing each other at the same time was remote. Plus, shortly after the spontaneous combustion of the original drummer, mwah, Miss Daisy moved to Florida and Sister got a new gig preventing her from playing regularly on Wednesdays too. So the original band wasn’t the original band anymore anyways. We had an almost reunion performance about a year after the band broke up, but Runner-Up was unfortunately out of state and couldn’t make it, so the perfomance the crowd wanted to see just wasn’t to be had, but it was totally fun nonetheless. I caught up with Sister and some of her peeps a few weeks ago … wow !!! What a hoot ! Gawd, it was just so good to see her. Though you know what was the kewlest moment of the night for me ??? (First of all, that’s a rhetorical question, there’s really no need to answer it. And second of all, I’m about to engage in a completely off-topic answer to the question, sorry. I get distracted sometimes.)

When I got to the bar, found Sister and her possee … waiting for me there was not only a chair, but a Coors Light !!! A Coors Light I’m saying !!!

I know, sounds silly.

But honestly, that simple gesture … of having a bottle of my beer of choice waiting for me … meant so much.

One of the things I’ve lost as part of my transition … is a history.

I’m incredibly lucky and fortunate to have new acquaintances, friends, and people that maybe knew Joe in passing before, but know me much better now … with which to hang out, spend time, build friendships.

But that means in most cases, I have a history of less than two years with these kind, great people … and also means there’s not a lot of past there to reminisce, or knowledge of me to know.

Having the opportunity to laugh when recalling jokes or incidents first experienced years ago is good for a person’s soul; 

Having friends know you so well that they can make decisions for you, such as ordering your first round, and always getting it right is incredibly comforting; and,

Having friends care for you so much that they think about ordering your first round for you even when you’re not there yet, is even more comforting.  

Now granted, this loss of history is temporary.

I’ve already got two years under my belt … in another five years I’ll have seven (take that you public school critics), and …

I’m hopeful there will be moments in my future where I’ll be around a table with friends again, when someone will say something, and all of us will have that twinkle in our eyes thinking of the funny incident it references,

Or all of us racing each other to get the punch-line out first.

In fact,

I’m honestly starting to have those moments already …

In my new life.

It’s just that for now,

It’s not quite with the same sense of comfort, ease, and safety as I had it with the “Old Gang”.

Good time, good memories, good people.

Or … “Any Updates” Like That? So you may ask? How do we keep in touch with each other? Why, the old-fashioned way mainly … you know, e-mail !  

I keep in touch with the girls much more so than with the boys. In fact, my contact with the boys is pretty limited, but that’s to be expected … they are guys.

With Runner-Up … I really only communicate with him during football season … he was one of the ringers I recruited a few years back to try and stop Shaft’s dynasty in my fantasty football league and he’s still an active participant in my league, posting some of the more humorous and entertaining comments on the bulletin board … last year he was in the Amy Bowl with an undefeated record, only to lose to me – hence his new moniker of Runner-Up. Then this year, he totally closed the deal on his ringer status and saved my entire league from having to endure an off-season of Shaft-gloat (I said gloat people, not bloat) by defeating Shaft in the Amy Bowl to become the 2006 Amy Bowl Champion. Thank you Runner-Up !!!  

As far as Miss Daisy goes, I am on his funny e-mail list from time to time, but pretty much most e-mails I get from him are the same … “Hey bitch, I lost my phone again. Whatever. What’s your number? Love ya. MD.” Despite living in Florida, I actually see Miss Daisy more than any of them and almost more than I e-mail with him. Whenever he’s back here … we usually meet up at some point for a beer, just one. Really.  

Singer and Sister both keep a watchful eye on me. As the senders of the 100 or so e-mails I have yet to respond to will attest, sometimes I’m really bad at timely e-mail replies. Fortunately, they both know me well enough that in the event I fail to respond to an e-mail of theirs timely enough … I get the “Hey bitch, stop ignoring me.” follow-up e-mail. (Yes, I know … there is a trend amongst my friends that know me well to call me bitch … it’s a term of endearment, really. )

It’s funny though … despite not really spending much time with them anymore, their influence on me apparently continues. In the last month or so, it was said to me, by two different people, in two different settings, one of which I’m not sure even knew My Function … “You can tell you’re friends with Singer, your facial mannerisms are just like hers” (for the record, I corrected her and said Singer’s facial mannerisms are just like mine) and “How long have you known Sister, you listen just like her.” (“Really”, I said in response, with a slight head tilt,nod and lowering of the eyes. ) Too phunny !!!

If we ever get the schedules coordinated such that we have a reunion performance … trust me, I’ll tell you all about it (assuming I can get appropriate releases ). I’m sure there’d be many smiles !!!

As far as the next question goes …

The practice – clients and fellow members of the bar still kewl? How bad was the gossip?

This question deserves its own post, so it’ll be answered in Amy’s Press Conference – Question Eight – Dos

Meaning we’ll just skip then to …

UM alumni friends – do all know now? Would you get together with them?

You know. I really don’t know who knows and who doesn’t know. All of my old golf buddies know, along with several others that I know of from that group, but how many, I have no clue. I also know some of my fraternity brothers know, but I really don’t know how many are aware of it either.

Many people that knew Joe more than in just passing seem to have a much harder time just saying “Hi” to me now, or even shooting a simple email along the lines of “Hey, heard what’s going on in your life. Suppose asking “what’s up?” really isn’t appropriate anymore, huh?”

I haven’t quite figured out why and it’s a bummer to me, because you really can’t construe the lack of communication in many positive ways. But I just have pretty much chalked it up to either 1.) like me, they are incredibly piss-poor at responding/sending e-mails in a timely fashion, or 2.) they are the type of people that are just too uncomfortable with the notion or topic of My Function, that they have decided to write me off completely. I tend to assume it’s the former.  

I honestly love hearing from those people and would love to get together with them. Heck, I so miss having a history, when I get that occasional e-mail from those of past, I keep it in my in-box forever just so I can see it regularly and enjoy that good feeling of having again an e-mail address of old ! So a chance to see a real, live friend from my past … heck ya, I’d do it in a heartbeat !

Leading to the next question …

How is the ex handling things?

Ex and I are still good friends. Of Joe’s friends from his past, I talk with her the most by far. Not like daily or weekly, but just like friends do from time to time. She got remarried and her and her husband had a beautiful baby boy last year. Now granted, I’ll admit, I am a little biased … but Ex and Her Husband are both gorgeous people, and their son, my gawd, he got all the good genes, he’s the most beautiful baby boy ever !!! Smiling, happy, laughing !!! He’s adorable. Simply adorable !!! I love seeing the three of them together as a family !!!  There is good in the world, dammit !!!

Well, that’s the skinny on that … which takes us to the final query in the multiple question set …

Any dates?

Now oddly, I’m surprised this is the only mention of this question in my Press Conference, because other than questions about the “Old Gang”, I get this question, or its derivative … “Do you still have your ‘No Dating Local Guys” rule?” by far the most. Anyways … this question also warrants its own post. So it’ll be addressed in Amy’s Press Conference – Question Eight – Tres.

Okay kiddos, that’s it for now. I’ve got krap to do.

Nope, nope, nope …

Hold on.

Sorry,

Shelby also asserted …

“Amyways, you are one kewl chica! “

Gawd luv ya girl !!! Thank you !!!

Okay, now we’re done.