Tuesday, February 23,2010

ncsy regional 1984

NCSY was different back in the 80's...kids actually wanted to go to events-it was the only time we could see friends from other schools(now, I, personally, didn't have any other friends, but there were some kids who did...)So regional was this big weekend at some camp in the mountains-tagola or sternberg or some kind of yucky sleepaway camp with horrible bathrooms that make me shudder even all of these years later.

So it was at this particular regional weekend that I met a young man with a head full, and i mean FULL, of hair-wiry, curly hair and lots of it. I remember him not only because of his hair, but because he had an outstanding almost magnetic personality...there were always people (kids, we were just kids) around him and he seemed nice enough.

Fast forward a few weeks to my eighth grade trip to washington, sitting on the bus next to Michelle Rosner, who was being nice to me that particular week, and we were talking about which boys were going to camp hillel that summer. (my parents had finally said i was mature enough to go to sleepaway camp-note to all parents reading this, never, i mean NEVER send your 13 year old daughter to sleepaway camp, for the first time, for the second month-HUGE mistake...it took me going back as a counselor when I was older to finally get over the anxiety I had developed in that short, 1 month...man can girls be cruel....but that is for another blog)

Back to the conversation-now, keep in mind that I can't remember what happened to me yesterday, but, this conversation, I remember...she told me that Ari Ganchrow was going to be in camp and I said "oh, I remember him from regional....he's a nice guy(kid, still, a kid)..."

Fast forward to 1988, the tenplex on route 4...I am on a date with a guy my mom really liked, so, of course, I didn't like him...sitting next to me is Ari Ganchrow, out with some friends, and I think to myself "I am having such a terrible time, I would rather be here with Ari...."

Fast forward to summer of 1992, jerusalem pizza on cedar lane, Ari makes fun of me that I am out alone on a Saturday night....I won't tell you what I made fun of him about, but he knows!!!

Fast forward to pesach 1994, the pool at the Doral, Drorit Ratzker saying to Deva Schlass " we really need to find someone for Ari Dov...he is such a great guy" and me thinking, what is wrong with this Ari Dov that they need to find someone for him....little did I know....

And now, all of these years later, we are about to celebrate his big birthday together. Maybe I should have saved this blog for his exact birthday, or maybe I should have saved it for our anniversary...but I was in the mood to be almost sentimental...it does happen from time to time.

Happy almost birthday honey.....this is your present, me, almost being nice to you!

Happy Tuesday....