Is it still called homecoming when you've never really left?

I don't know, and I guess I don't care.  I'm just trying to be a philosophizer.  At any rate this past weekend was Homecoming for my alma mater which provided me with old new faces to imbibe with in the L/A area.  And an excuse to spend money that I don't quite seem to have at the moment.  But that's neither here nor there; I'm not here for a long time, I'm here for a good time.  Yep, that mindset reared its ugly head for the past couple days.  So be it...

What I've known for quite awhile is there's no use trying to plan anything in life.  Because, at least in my case, plans hardly ever seem to stay on point and go according to, well, plan.  This doesn't bother me at all.  Take this past Friday, for instance.  I had planned to watch the Eddies play some fooseball with Skip, grab a lager with Skip and be home by 10:30pm or so.  And of course this led to me running into Mr. Obeng (who I hadn't seen in quite some time...nice to see you, Eric) and walking from
Gipper's to Gritty's, catching a ride to the Pub and then finding myself in Lewiston sans wheels (This actually didn't bother me much at all because I've quite drinking and driving cold turkey.  Believe it).  But it was a gorgeous night so the walk home wasn't too bad and (I think...in some way) helped ready me for a long day of tailgating Saturday prior/during/post the fooseball game on campus.

Some of you know my good friend Brian and his wife, Rachel, but they're awesome and if there's one thing we do well together it is tailgate better than most.  There are few things I enjoy doing more than drinking and grilling up tasty treats but there's just something a little bit more fun when it comes to a tailgate.  Mainly this is because Brian has incorporated a W-Mass local tradition of his known as The Bucket into our tailgate parties since his graduation.  Nothing brings a crowd together better than the Bucket.  A common quote from Saturday in reference to the Bucket was, "Insta-Fun.  Insert people."  Fitting, I must say.

I don't have any pictures...but picture a five gallon wine barrel cut in half and then add:

- A handful of mint leaves muddled on the sides and bottom

- 6 lemons and six limes, halved and squeezed and rubbed on the sides and bottom

- 5lb of ice

- A cup or so of confectioners sugar inside the bucket and also sprinkled on the rim of the bucket

- Last but not least (c'mon, you all knew booze was coming into this somhow..) a litre of Jimmy Beam's finest.

Let that baby brew in the sun for about an hour or so, then the bucket is passed around until it gets empty.  It's unreal how a group of 4-5 turns into 20-30 when the bucket starts going around.  It went over so well Brian and I had to take a trip to the store at halftime so we could prep a Round II Bucket for post-game.  Parents love it.  Girls of all (legal, of course..) ages love it.  I like to think I've done a little bit of drinking in my 25 years on this rock and the Bucket is pretty much the best way to drink that I've seen/tried.  I don't know what it is, it just feels "right" and I trust my gut above all other things.  This weekend the Bucket was no exception and helped provide me with an opportunity to nap for four hours in my old room on campus, doze off for another half hour or so in my vehicle and then get picked up for a late night hotel party at Motel 6.  Just another day in the life...(be jealous...though of what, I'm not quite sure..)...Cheers.