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PAINTED
FROM MAY-MORY (or “Tuxedo Junction”)
This
month was quiet, except for some exciting news from Cannes (which will
be revealed in a later SCENE); however, it did mark my 15th anniversary
with Bruce (since our first date in Chicago on May 10, 1986)...So, if
you'll permit me to revel in some "may-mories"...Let's step
into the WAY BACK MACHINE and set it for:
MARCH-APRIL
1986: I'm a senior at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, and I've
just gotten an internship at WMAQ-TV
(NBC) Is that cool, or what!? On the first day, I notice a 26-year-old producer named Bruce
Ryan or Reinz or Rains...let's just call him "Bruce R."
Here, the producer in the cube next to mine catches me day-dreaming
about Bruce! I must get back to work and be more subtle or I'll never be
the next Deborah Norville!
MAY 10:
I'm so excited! After boring holes into Bruce R. with my eyes for almost
two months, he's asked me out!! Here, I pose before
the date with my roommate Mary Arndtsen.
JUNE
13: Tonight's my 5th date with Bruce Rheins!
He's picked me up in a limo at my sorority house to go to the
Emmys!
Later that night...Oh-my-god! He's
won two for covering the Beirut hostage crisis with Paul Hogan and
for the feature story "Vietnam: The Unfinished War". I'll
never forget this night! It's like the best prom ever!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whew! I
mean, "Whew." I certainly was an energetic little senior,
wasn't I? Back to the present for a moment here...
Speaking
of proms, Conrad Cimarra, my
great friend, web designer and actor summa cum laude, hosted one at his
loft on May 19th. The theme was, "Tonight is the previous night
we'll regret tomorrow." And despite my bright pictures, the real
lighting situation was a disco ball, strobe, red bulbs and candles.
Several folks adhered to the suggested dress
code. Prom king and
queen had to be cutie-pie Amanda
Duarte and her "intellectual dreamboat" Ryan. Prom
princess was obviously Vasna
Bilavarn. Also on prom court was Mary
Ellen Taylor. Of course, we couldn't keep Newton
"burnout" Kaneshiro from crashing the party. And, I came
as "Carmencita, the
Argentinian exchange student". (Like the rose from our garden and
my 'mole'? Gracias, Max Factor.) There were some prom shenanigans as
well. Check out Michael Tolfo
and Dan-the-Man "McCool-McCamel" McCannell. Kids don't try
this at home! These folks are professionals.
And
now, just for giggles...Let's set the WAY BACK MACHINE for:
May
28th, 1982: It's the night of my senior prom!!! Fortunately, I'm having
an excellent hair day!!! I
just can't move my head!! But, that's okay!! My date is such a fox!!
(No, he's not my brother!
Really! I swear! We are so NOT related! For sure.) I'm having a bitching
pre-party at my house with my
clique. It's going to
be wicked! They are raucous!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay.
Enough of that. Have you ever seen such a bunch of squares assembled in
one living room? ;-) Are there still tea-totalling, 17-year-old virgins
who drive to their own proms (sans limo) and are in at a 'reasonable'
hour in this age of the internet? Probably not, but in a strange way, I
wish there were. It's official. Writing a wistful, nostalgic sentence
like that means only one thing: I'M OLD. (But I can still think in
exclamation points, at least.)
Moment
of Zen, May 18th, 2001: This
dragonfly was born on the hood of my Pontiac. It might make
sense if I drove a Firebird, but I don't.
FADE
TO JUNE...
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