Prom The End #3

Sunshine posted all the pics from Prom today. I must say, it was fun. But since I am a fan for the story behind the story ( and my daughter is beside me making a Jamaican flag out of a Beauty And The Beast coloring page ) I thought it appropriate to give you a couple more back ground pics.

First, is my “partner” for the MC job for prom my senior year. She was the Valedictorian. Very nice young woman. Wasn’t allowed to do anything after school except homework. Prom was probably a cool thing for her.

So my junior year I was head over heels for a girl named Becky. We met at a regional band tryout. Imagine a room full of trumpet players. If you know trumpet players, they are usually the most confident people around and can’t stand to be outdone. So Becky and I trade emails and next thing I know she’s teaching me how to kiss and we are writing letters ( she lived 20 miles away ) and just having a great time. Unfortunately, she was a year older than me and graduated and went to Florida State. She knew all the guys from Friday Night Lights. Years later we met up and I learned that her past had really caught up with her. She was a massage therapist at the 4 Seasons in Dallas. She had an old sugar daddy that was a professor at SMU who sent her all around the world in exchange for … ummm … certain physical favors. It was sad to see someone years later totally different than the funny happy girl I knew. I lost touch with her soon after. Before that, she was really cool and a lot of fun to be around.

The Long And Short Of Bubble Gum At Prom – Prom Post #2

According to Lizland, all good stories begin with something like, “When I was in band in high school …,” which I would whole heartedly agree with. Being in band got me into some exclusive events. I played taps as a duet after the Challenger explosion ( yes, I was a sophomore in high school when that happened ), I got to see every football game from a reserved seat and I got to be on stage for our prom court presentation.

You see my high school has one of the oldest “prom” traditions in the state dating back to the early 1930’s. The original “prom queen” was the girl who sold the most year books. Our prom is still called CATOICO which is an acronym for “CATtle, OIl, and COtton”.

Over the years CATOICO ( pronounced Cuh – toy – cuh ) changed to be just another popularity contest with female members of the court being nominated and voted on by the class population. The nomination resembles a political party convention in that nominators usually announce their candidates entrance with long pomp and grandeur to the effect of, “It is my most astounding and acrimonious privilege to nominate the most beautiful and talented Buffy from the house of Stopemfromfloppin to the CATOICO court.” And on and on.

So members are nominated and have to walk the aisle to be seated on the night of the court presentation which is he first weekend after Valentine’s Day. Each enters to their own music. My sister entered to the theme from Ice Castles ( and that dates her ). Most choose some popular song that is sweet or sappy. Then after the court is seated and the queen makes her entrance in a dress and a HUGE cape there is a talent show. And oh ya, when the court members are being introduced they are heralded in. Each member is introduced as follows:

(Trumpet tune is played)
“Presenting Buffy of the house of Stopemfromfloppin escorted by Dick of the house of Humpenheralot.”

So for two years I was a trumpeter and my senior year I got to be master of ceremonies with the valedictorian. Not sure if the Valedictorian has to do it or not. Not sure how it’s changed.

After they are seated there is a brief serious talent show with one or two comical acts. Then people leave and go to the party and get trashed. It really is a cool tradition.

My funny story has to do with dinner. S and I took our dates out for Chinese food. They were nice ladies, but not exactly honor student material. By the end of the meal we had convinced them that the Chinese word for chewing gum was “Moo Goo Shoo Shoo”.

Hook

Line

And Sinker

My date ended up getting mad at at about 2:00 AM when I took her home . She lived like 20 miles out of town in a house that resembled something in the Old San Francisco Steak House. Her house was a large open area lined on the second floor with white spindle railing and velvet wallpaper.

As we were driving home, Billy Joel was singing and she goes off on him and keeps saying he’s going to hell.

Quite a way to end the evening …

My junior year I went with my girlfriend from Odessa. She knew all the guys in Friday Night Lights as it was happening and being written about. She was sweet I wish she had been around for my senior year.

I’m going to the Prom … with picture memories

This is really going to be a lot of fun so I think you should play along. Sunshine has cooked up this wicked scheme to do a prom type post for the next few days until May 8. Tomorrow I’ll interrupt my Prom nostalgia to bring you Little A’s birthday wish.

The rules are quite simple. As outlined here.

Sunshine is totally into buttons and S & M so I made her this button that you can share with this code behind it if you so choose.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/hazasaem/1prom.gif

and the link to the actual rules is here

http://andthepursuitofhappiness.blogspot.com/2007/04/just-when-you-thought-youd-never-have.html