Frat Parties @ MindSay

It was twenty years ago today that I had my first date with my husband.  I was 18 and had just started college 3 weeks before.  I was living away from home for the first time, excited about starting a new phase of my life, anxious about classes and having to grow up, but most importantly I was ready to PARTY!  I didn't have a boyfriend when I left for school, and meeting that special someone was NOT on my agenda.  Those first few weeks were just what I had imagined.  I was rooming with my best friend, several of my other closest friends were also going to school there, the new people I had met were great fun, the parties were good and I even enjoyed my classes. 

 

Then one day my roommate's "boyfriend" knocked on our door, and changed my life forever.  He wanted us to go to a party at his fraternity house.  It was going to be a casual closed party and in his crass words, "the more babes he brought the more points he scored", what an ass.  He was a pledge and didn't want to have to mop the floors that week, so he figured he'd get two cute girls to the party and earn extra points.  I so did not want to go.  After an hour of begging and pleading (my roommate wanted to go too so she joined in) I agreed to go, but I stated that I would be leaving early and I refused to socialize with any super dorks (this fraternity had the nerdy reputation on campus) and I was a little bit of a bitch back then. 

 

Fine, ok, and off we went.  I had my guard up, determined to not have any fun and within an hour it had all changed.  It wasn't a typical frat party, there was music, dancing and booze, but it wasn't rowdy (more happy hour at the neighborhood bar then Animal House), the guys were sweet, intelligent and funny.  I was actually enjoying myself and having a good time when I finally saw him.  He was sitting up on the bar and had just made a joke.  As he jumped off, our eyes met, we smiled at one another, and just like Meg Ryan says in Sleepless In Seattle, "It was magic." I watched him out of the corner of my eye, he approached one of the other guys and a few moments later, both of them made their way over to me and my girlfriend. 

 

 I found out much later that he had grabbed his friend and said, "You take the tall one and I'll take the short one with big boobs."  LOL, not very romantic, but hey, he was 19 at the time.  We talked to no one else at the party for the rest of the evening.  The party ended early, but we weren't ready to end the evening.  We went out for ice cream, and talked some more.  We were in our own little world.  No one and nothing else mattered.  We probably could have stayed out on that bench by the lake and talked all night, but my roommate was done fooling around with the boyfriend of the moment, and they eventually made their way out of the bushes and said they wanted to go home.  As we said our goodbyes he invited me to a pizza party that the frat was having Friday night and afterward he wanted to take me to the movies.  I readily agreed.  We hadn't kissed, or even held hands, but I just knew this was something special.  All I could think about was our upcoming date, I walked around the next day in a fog, and my friends kept telling me to take that creepy grin off my face.  I couldn't stop smiling, I couldn't stop thinking about him.  Was he as great as I thought he was?  What does he think about me?  Was there really this amazing chemistry between us or was I crazy?  I went to the pizza party, we went to the movies and we've been together ever since.  He wasn't my first lover, but I had no idea that he would be my last lover.  He wasn't my first best friend, but he would become my closest best friend.  I had no idea that night would change my life forever.  It's been twenty years, married 13 of those years.  We've had our hard times, we've had many wonderful times, but most importantly we've had them together.  He's in my blood, he's a part of my soul, he will forever be a part of me.  Garrett, I love you.  

This is Tommy Mann reporting live from Shreveport Louisiana, where Hurricane Rita has given college students a reason to get wasted... not that they needed one.

Six inches plus of rain and winds that knock trees over have taken their toll on college students. After each walk down to the caf they get soaked and when they get back to their residence halls they either change clothes or some like Jeremy Fagan, just get naked and run around in bed sheets.

We just got internet back this afternoon which is cool. The frequent power surges and power outages suck like Private Pyle though.

Wallmart is closed along with everything else. The only things impervious to closing are pubs and liquor stores.

Last night one fraternity had a secret party. My fraternity just watched movies... and drank... alot.

I learned an important lesson last night which is highlighted in bold and caps. I had lots of fun and got trashed... trashed bad. I decided that I should mix two good things with the intent to make something awesome: Tequila-Kool-Aid! Sounds awesome doesn't it? DON'T EVER FUCKING DO THAT! First off I just put the mix and the sugar straight into the tequila without deluding it with any water... Mistake number one. Then I tried it. It tasted like cough medicine and moldy anus. But I was like well damn, I just paid seventeen whole dollars for this tequila (which is thousands in college money), I'm going to drink it. I had two glasses. That equals sixteen ounces. My memory isn't so good from that point on but this is what I remember and what people have told me. I came back to Cline from the fraternity house.I stagger up the stairs. I go to my room all smiley like. My roommate gives me water. I spill it all over myself. So I get strip down to my boxers. I hit on my roommate. I go on a quest to find the holygrail of drunkeness... err... my friend ross. He hides in his closet. I keep asking for a taco pizza. Keep in mind this entire time I'm stumbling around and am obnoxiously loud. I walk in on some people doing the naughty... twice... Same people. I walked in the first time looking for Ross. I never found ross. shadowhendrix is his blog which he never updates because he is a loser pants.. Then I come back a second time. I tell Sophia how pretty she is and tell Brett how lucky he is to have such a pretty lady. Then I tell them I'm going to lock the door so no one else walks in on them. So I lock the door and leave... leaving the door wide open behind me. Then I go and hang on the balcony. Andrew (my roomie) and Jeremy thinking I'm going to kill myself on accident chase me. So I start skipping away from them and take my boxers off, letting them all see my Ganesh. My RA sees my naked ass. They get me in my room when they catch me. So I'm sitting there and the room starts moving incredibly fricking fast so Drew gives me a trash can. I procede to throw up like nobody's business. Over and over again. Jeremy was laughing at me this morning for being all crazy and then all of the sudden I said to him like a little girl "I don't feel good." then proceded to begin the vomitage. Frankly I will never drink sauza tequilla or grape kool-aid again. Fuck that shit. I woke up hung over and by hung over I mean I felt like a wet sock and I still have a most debilitating head ache.
When I awoke I had a delusion of a naked redhead leaving my bed... dream or something... I asked my roomate and he said there was definately no naked ladies involved.
I only drink heavily when I'm bored which is bad for my liver. Needless to say I gave away all the rest of my alcyhol, I'm not partying, and have swore off liquor for at least a month. I love my roommate he mommied me like a champion.

The weather has been cool though... I hate saying that since some of my friends have lost their homes, but it was beautiful. The rain darting around like insane sprites. The rivers on campus have been flowing at mad blast. I'm so glad to be here. I miss my beaux though.
The water is so cold. It touches you and down to your marrow is frozen.

But you know what the moral of the story is?

I've survive an earthquake and a hurricane. A giant FUCK YOU to you Rita. God can't aim worth shit. His attempts to strike me down have been fouled.

This is Thomas Hardy Mann III signing off, back to you person staring at this screen.

OK

The campus is closing due to this size of this ginamormous hurricane. Its so much bigger than Katrina... I will be unable to call anyone or get on the internet so I'll miss you guys...
PLUS they cancelled all the frat parties this weekend... what kind of bullshit is that?
Off and on power will be fun to deal with...
This sucks so bad...
Listen to polyphonic spree "Hold me now" and lets see if I make it out...


RITA is coming for me...



RITA life had just begun.... Now you've gone and thrown in it all away...

Duhn Duhn Duhn


Goodbye everybody....
I've got to go....
Its time to give it all away
And fade to blue...






Thunderbolts and lightning very very frightning me....






Duhn Duhn Duhn



Bye kids...