Jay and I hit the road right after coffee on Friday morning. We had to be on campus in time to make a commencement ceremony for Josie and her fellow graduates in the fields of Zoology, Biology, Neurobiology, Biolology, Philiolology, Enytimology and Conservation Biology. We were told it was fancy, which was Josie’s way of making sure we didn’t wear Jimmy Buffett T-shirts and flip flops. We could have worn those things and fit right in but for some reason she wanted us dressed up.
We obliged.
In fact, the day before, I had been running a few errands, which included a trip to the art store and when I reached France Ave, my auto-pilot kicked in and instead of turning right to get to Dick Blick, I turned left toward Michael’s and the World Market. I didn’t realize my mistake until I had bought three new outfits at World Market. Oh well. Blick didn’t have what I was looking for, anyway.
One of the new outfits was a very cool black top with white embroidery. I brought it along as my fancy thing to wear.
We couldn’t check in to our lodging until after the shindig, so Jay and I stopped at a rest stop just outside of town and changed there. I did my makeup in the restroom and Jay changed in the back of the van. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been in various stages of undress in the back of our mini van. The best time was after a concert at the Minnesota Zoo. Actually, that might have been the back seat of the Audi…good times!
We parked the car and met Josie at her apartment and walked across campus to the building where the ceremony was to be held. It was a glorious spring day: sunny but not too warm, a few clouds and a slight breeze. The trees are leafy and everywhere you looked were excited seniors, sporting caps and gowns, underclassmen pushing carts full of stuff as they moved out of apartments and dorms and family members visiting. Long lines of graduates in their caps and gowns wound down the hill as kids took turns getting selfies with Abe.
The ceremony was lovely and Josie stood with two different groups, as she’s a double major. Afterwards there was cake but we didn’t stick around for that: we headed toward the terrace for brats and a pitcher of beer. The lines were long and the tables were all taken but it was such a lovely day and everyone was having such a good time that no one minded sitting on the walls or steps. Even after three of the four registers broke down and everyone had to wait in the same line to buy beer, no fights broke out, which should give you a pretty good idea of the mood of the crowd.
After we’d lolled by the lake’s edge for an hour or so, enjoying brats and a pitcher of a beer that we can’t get at home for some reason, we strolled down State street. It has much the feel of a Duval street on Key West, at times a Canal street in NOLA but today was just a big, happy party. We found another spot that offered outdoor drinks and sat in the shade, talking about everything and watching the people go by.
We walked some more and when we started to get hungry for dinner, Josie suggested a steak house nearby that she’d never eaten at but had heard good things. We called and because it was still pretty early for a Friday night, they could seat us immediately.
It was gorgeous. One of those places with crystal chandeliers, mahogany woodwork, a tin ceiling and white table cloths. I could easily imagine politicians dining there, telling themselves and each other how important they are. We had crab cakes, a wedge salad and a 2” thick ribeye that was done to perfection. It was nearly too big for the three of us to finish and we all agreed it was one of the best steaks we’d ever had.
After we walked Josie back to her apartment, Jay and I drove off to our lodgings. We were staying in what turned out to be a gorgeous rental unit with spectacular grounds and a hot tub. After spending most of the day out in the sunshine, eating and drinking, Jay and I were both tired enough to collapse into bed at 10:00. I was asleep within seconds and slept like a dead thing until nine in the morning.
There are some things in life that are impossible to exaggerate. You simply can’t overstate the pain and joy of childbirth, the insanity of a Friday night during football season in Texas or graduation from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
My brother went to St. Cloud State, here in Minnesota. It’s known as a party school. He married a Badger and has had opportunities to go to Mad town for games, etc. He said it made St. Cloud look like the dry town in Footloose.
I’m sure Josie had her share of fun but she managed to graduate with a double major in two scientific disciplines in four years flat. That’s practically a miracle these days. She couldn’t have been hammered the whole time.
The graduation ceremony was at Camp Randall stadium. The forecast said chance of rain so Jay and I dressed accordingly. Last year’s ceremony took place beneath snow and hail! It did rain three drops on us, then the cloud vanished and the day was hot and clear: gorgeous!
The graduating class covered the football field. The Jumbotron cameras roamed over the crowds, showing them in all their regalia. About half of them had decorated their mortarboards. Some of them were very elaborate, including strings of lights and props. My favorites were the poster for the musical Hamilton in black and gold sequins and one that included four wineglasses glued to the corners. Despite the unruly crowd of thousands of kids in caps and gowns, they were all in their proper places, playing their parts precisely at noon. Apparently, at Camp Randall, when kick off is scheduled for noon, kick off happens at noon.
The ceremony was terrific; it moved along quickly and everyone kept their speeches short and entertaining. The keynote speaker was Steve Levitan, an alumnus who has had a successful career writing comedies for TV and created the show Modern Family. He knows how to give a speech: he kept it short and funny.
Then the class vice president announced that the ceremony was ¾ over and everyone knew what that meant: Suddenly, the stadium sound system was blaring “Jump Around” and 7000 graduates in caps and gowns were dancing their butts off. It was a sight to see.
Ninety minutes after it started, everyone had flipped their tassels to the left and Josie was a college graduate.
A college graduate.
Our baby. The best surprise we ever gave each other. The one Jay was most excited about. The one who was supposed to stay little forever. The baby under the table. The one who never crawled because scooting along on her butt kept her hands free. The one who cut off her pony tail to avoid having her hair combed. Now she has a degree from a great university.
It’s going to be awhile before I can wrap my brain around that.
We spent the next hour trying to find each other through the crowds. Thank goodness for cell phones or we never would have seen Josie again.
We got several pictures of her in her cap and gown. She looked beautiful, excited and proud of herself. We wound up back at the lake with several of her friends and their parents, having brats again for lunch. We spent the late afternoon and early evening making the rounds of parties. Josie had friends everywhere.
One of the places was over a pizza joint. Seven guys shared a large apartment that had no less than three balconies overlooking the intersection. From the front balcony, we could see down four streets populated by bars and restaurants. Another balcony held the spread where they were serving pulled pork sandwiches. It was the perfect place for a bunch of college kids! The only thing that could have been better than being over a pizzeria would have been living over a brewery.
It’s got to be weird for college kids to throw parties for all their parents. We look at them and we see who we were a few heart beats ago; they look at us and see fossils they feel a little bit sorry for. They have no idea how awesome it is at this end of the balcony. I hope they all get a chance to experience it for themselves.
The next party was in an ancient building with plaster walls, ten foot ceilings, dark woodwork, built in book cases and a fireplace. Sure, I would have filled the shelves with books instead of empty beer bottles but that’s because I was born a fuddy-duddy. Another spectacular spread was in the dining room. The place was all very neat but when we got to the kitchen we saw that it was even better than the first place: a big deck over a stone patio with a huge yard that ended in about thirty feet of lakeshore!
Nothing beats being right on the lake. Nothing.
We were all having a great time and left only when Josie said it was time to head out if we were going to make our dinner reservation.
Once again, dinner was very good. It was completely different from the steak house the night before, which was old style elegant. It was a completely different kind of elegant: very contemporary, industrial chic. The food was good but we’d spent the afternoon trying hard not to ruin our dinners. I had a fried chicken waffle. For dinner! How awesome is that?
As we walked back to Josie’s place, the city had calmed down a bit. When the sun went down, the parties moved indoors. After dusk, State street was definitely not Canal. We hugged Josie and headed back to our place and she joined her friends for some serious graduation celebrating.
Once again, Jay and I fell into bed, asleep before our heads hit the pillows. Our days of partying into the wee hours are so far behind us…Our partying is very efficient. We drink good wine and whiskey and we enjoy it but we enjoy the cup of fine coffee in the morning just as much. At least, I do.
Sunday morning was just as beautiful as the rest of the weekend. We were up and out early: we had to be back in town for the Tommie’s banquet. Everyone had the same idea: let’s have breakfast early! Driving through town to pick up Josie, every place we saw had lines out the door and down the block. Fortunately, Josie knew a bagel place, off the beaten path that had the best breakfast deal in town. So that’s where we went and she was right: my breakfast bagel was superb!
When we dropped her off near her apartment the street was empty but for one young lady walking by. Jay laughed when that pedestrian said “JOSIE! How are you?”
You gotta love it!
Traffic was light and we hit no construction before we returned to the Twin Cities. We made the drive in well under four hours, for the first time in my experience.
I’m a bit melancholy…its only natural, I guess, after such a milestone event. Everything is different when it’s your youngest. I don’t remember feeling any sadness at all when my other kids graduated. But the date: May 13, 2017, has been written on our white board for over a year. Now it’s come and gone.
When we first wrote that date on the board, we thought a family trip would be fun; we haven’t done that in ten years. But you know how life is: twin babies and friend’s weddings get in the way of plans.
It seems appropriate that this weekend is Mother’s Day as well. The only real, sustained freak out I ever had as a mom was in September 2000; when Josie started Kindergarten and Tyler became a senior in high school. That was the reality of the passing of time hit me. My kids were growing up. They wouldn’t be in school forever. Ty would graduate and go on to college and life. Katie and Zack would follow. Josie was in school: my days of constant child accompaniment were over. I freaked out. My method of dealing with emotional stress is to work. I think that may have been the first time I ever cracked $400.00 a week. It may have helped that I suddenly had entire days to myself. It took me about a month to realize this was THE MOST AWESOME STAGE IN LIFE YET!
That was 16 years ago. My niece, who was born that summer, will be getting her license this year.
Time keeps moving and we’re blessed that everything is going in the direction it should be.
But I was sad yesterday when we got home. Exhausted, nostalgic and just a little bit down.
Fortunately, I know the cure for such a mood but I was too tired to drive up and see the babies. So I did the next best thing: I made a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies.
To cap off a great weekend, at 7:00 pm, the Lovely Mr Curry and his lovely wife welcomed their firstborn son into the world! Congratulations! Can't wait to meet him.
Now I’m done being sad, I’m ready to get back to work and I can hardly wait to see what Josie does next.