music: “Flyswatter,” Eels
Ambiguity is one of the nicer elements to life. I tend to appreciate most the things that can’t entirely be defined. It’s some sort of nature’s secret, some mystic enigma that haunts around you and either makes you smile or makes you want to cry. Today, I’m smiling.
Well, prom was last night. I knew four years ago that I wouldn’t have fun, and I knew it again last night. What I didn’t know, however, is that if you have great friends, even things that aren’t fun can be some of your most unforgettable memories.
I had dinner on the Riverwalk at a Cuban hotel called The Havana. We had an entire balcony to ourselves that was actually over the riverwalk; we waved at people on the boats as they floated by. The ambience was perfect, our table was covered in white linen, with flower petals on the ground leading to the table, and on the table itself. There were oscillating fans to keep us cool, and the Cuban music was fun. The best part, though, was the food. Aaron and Brit ordered fried bananas for everybody, and they were really excellent. My dinner was a spinach salad with goat cheese and sunflower seeds. Yum! I also had a mango frappe to drink, that was good too.
After dinner we wandered around inside the hotel, which is incredibly cool. The basement is a bar-type place, fresh with the aroma of cigars. The walls are carpeted and all the furniture is of rustic, nineteenth-century Carribbean influence. The hotel is even more elegantly decorated, and with our dates in their vests and ties (having long since removed their jackets in the humidity), we felt as if we’d fallen a hundred and fifty years back in time.
The Municipal Auditorium where prom was held was located within walking distance of The Havana, so, duh, we walked!! The sun was only beginning to set, and the night air felt wonderful. Prom, however, was a different story.
The train of my dress was entirely too long, and everyone (including me) kept stepping on it. My mom had slipped a seam-ripper into my clutch, telling me to ‘rip the train off if it bothers you.’ So Brittany, angel that she is, stood there in the receiving area of the ‘ballroom’ ripping it off. I laughed the entire time as wandering friends and acquaintances shot us odd looks. I called it “my favorite prom memory.” Of course, the music sucked and the area they had was too large. There were tables all around the upper deck, and the lower deck enclosed the dj and the “dance floor,” on which, unfortunately, no one was really dancing. People got mad at one another for dancing too close with other people, people got bored because they didn’t want to dance, most of us just sat around waiting to leave. I enjoyed seeing people I hadn’t seen in a while, though. Not one person who won a Class Favorite award really should’ve won it, but I had to smile at the irony when I discovered that my five-year mortal enemy had won Friendliest. Oh, yes, the irony.
After prom was fun, too. I changed in the backseat of Evan’s car, and then clambered up into the front seat, rather discombobulated. Prom dresses are too bulky. We met James, Ash, Danielle and Shaun for dessert at IHOP, which was… um.. an experience. My friends are insane. I wanted to cry as we left because I realized then how much I’m really going to miss those guys. I’ve gotten so close to James and Shaun, I feel like they’re my family. They practically live in my house and my car anyway, they may as well be. They are such great people. And I HAVE to stop now because I’m getting all sentimental again.
Went to Evan’s after that, but only for about twenty minutes. Alex and I went off running errands and lost track of time, and by the time we got back to Evan’s it was nearly 3 a.m. and we both felt like going home, so Alex dropped me off. I called Roxie’s cell and we dished about the entire night, comparing stories. That made me sentimental too.
I had the oddest dream, mostly about people I’d seen at prom. It was random and somewhat sexual, I think. Oh well, all I remember that my sleep wasn’t particularly restful. I didn’t hit the hay until 4:30 or so, and even then I got up at 11.
Today I was in the mood to cleannnn [maybe because of the dirty dream? Who can tell]. I took all of the crap down from my walls, picked up everything from my floor and desk, and started going through old school papers and notebooks and such. I have to pack everything in three waves, and then get rid of everything else. First wave: Things to take on the airplane to college. Second wave: Things my parents are going to bring up in the car. Third wave: Things the movers are going to pack up and send to my parents’ house, to be retrieved about a month after I get to college. So I have to figure out what’s “excess” and get rid of it, and then figure out what classifies in which wave. It’s all really confusing, but it feels good to clean out my room. Ahhh.
Then my brother forced me to watch the movie Drumline, under the pretense that it’s good. It’s not, don’t waste your time. I enjoy music and uplifting movies and all that like the next person, but I have to point out that some areas in moviemaking are getting painfully overused. The we-can-succeed-with-teamwork area is one of them. The Mighty Ducks (I, II, and III), The Big Green, The Replacements, Remember The Titans, Drumline, Bring It On, you name it, it’s been done. Every sport or recreational activity you can think of has a movie. Accept this and move on, Hollywood, please! I’m begging you. Give Wes Anderson a decent budget and let him work his magic. Is anybody with me?
Ahem. Right. So I’m done now.