Reunited and It Feels So Good - Yes, John, I had my own private Romy & Michelle experience this weekend when about 100 members of the 400-strong Westlake High School Class of 1994 met at the Calabasas Inn for dinner, dancing and a no-host bar. The first thing I did was to tear the offensive picture of a redskin off my nametag. Yes, we were the Warriors, but our mascot didn't look like it was the Cleveland Indians.

I got to see most of the people I wanted to catch up with during the reunion. Lots of lawyers...one investment banker who came all the way from Tokyo. Out of our 'pre-pre-med' Anatomy class, only a few went on to become doctors, including Weena. And by the way, Weena, you looked way HOT, pairing that black silk tanktop from Thailand with a suede bias-cut skirt from The Banana.

Seems that most people ended up in Southern California...heard a lot of "West LA," "San Diego," and "Hollywood" responses to the inevitable "so where are you living now?" question. A small contingent in San Francisco and a few from DC as well. Nobody else I encountered from Sacramento, but quite a few went to UC Davis for undergrad or for law school and we compared notes about how (relatively) affordable housing is here.

No plastic surgery from what I could tell either...I was kinda hoping for at least one Swan-like experience where a former bookworm would have turned into Pamela Anderson. Nor was there a Designing Women moment, where Suzanne had to stand up and defend the weight gain that caused her to win the "Most Changed" award. There was actually no program of which to speak: no awards, no slideshow, no speeches. And I have no objection to that, but for EIGHTY-THREE freakin' dollars per person, they could have had some trinket or doorprize or something. Even a bottle of cheap wine on the table with dinner! Instead, it was a no-host bar (see also: cash bar); a rubbery-yet-somehow-dry chicken dinner; and a too-loud DJ pumping out 90's dance beats. You know, come to think of it, they didn't even offer iced tea or coffee as part of the meal, which seem pretty standard with hotel catering. In retrospect, it was even more of a rip-off than I originally thought!

It seems as though I was the only homo to show up, and certainly the only one to drag along his spouse. (We know there's at least one other, but he didn't make an appearance.) I must publicly recognize and thank Kevin. He's an incredible partner and deserves undying kudos for accompanying me to an event that was alternately uncomfortable and boring for him. I love him very, very much and know that I owe him big for escorting me without a single grumble. Now, as I introduced Kevin to classmates as "my partner," not a single person was anything but nonchalant, aloof, and unruffled. Was I *that* big of a queen that my being gay is not even a little bit of a surprise? ;-)

So there you have it, in a nutshell: the Westlake High School Class of 1994 Ten-Year Reunion. I'm glad I went, it was good to reconnect with old friends, and I look forward to seeing them again...in another 10 years.