Reunion in the Panhandle

So, I have to admit that my expectations were not very high. On the other hand, I'd already met some of my girlfriend's relatives from the area and all were welcoming and interesting and fun.

The hotel we stayed in was, quite frankly, terrible. The room had a dank odor as if our entry was the first exposure the room had to fresh air in weeks. Two distinctive features was the bathroom door which had scratches on it as if something (a child, a large dog, a demon) was locked in and was fighting to get out. The towels had a hard, abrasive quality that did little more than scrape the water off you after a shower.

We met with a group of my girlfriends schoolmates at a Japanese steakhouse in Dothan, Alabama. Yes, there is a Japanese Steakhouse in Alabama -- I was surprised, too. Ha ha ha... anyway, we met the group of about 20 or so and it was a pretty typical scene. Some were dressed with an awareness of modern fashion, some were nondescript and some were stuck in a bygone era. All of them seemed nice with the exception of one husband that had a permanent scowl on his face. He ended up being the typical redneck jerk -- while everyone else was in the rented hall, he stayed in the hotel bar, drinking and frowning and drinking some more.

I'm trying to recall specific events that stood out but to be honest the evening was quite uneventful. My girlfriend worked the room and since she was the best looking girl there she constantly had a group of people around her. I pretty much spent the time sitting in the same chair, drinking my vodka & cranberry and watching her walk around and talk to people. The reunion portion ended around 11pm and then the group (what was left, that is) moved to the hotel bar for a nice, hearty round of karaoke. Horrible. Some guy sang Elvis... but not good Elvis. It was some medley with "Glory, Hallelujah"... not really a crowd pleaser. We stayed for a little while longer and then made the walk back to our terrible hotel room for some well deserved sleep.

See what I mean? Uneventful...