I am not, as most folks who know me can attest, particularly good at making new friends. As a result, I tend to make a reasonable amount of effort to keep in touch with old ones, at least until I’ve suitably buried myself in late coursework that even a phone-call seems to require time I don’t have. Christmas vacation is particularly useful to this end because everybody tends to return home to their folks for a bit, so almost all of the ex-Coastsiders I know wind up back in the area at some point or another around Dec. 25.

While a few are notoriously good at slipping away without detection (namely U-, who has extended her run of evasion to the tune of four years straight now), most I end up locating sooner or later. Today was the turn for V- and W-. First, however, the car had to be deposited with the mechanic, who was helpfully able to diagnose the vehicle as in need of front brake pads. As the problem in question is a high-pitched screech from the rear wheel, it is not clear if we can consider this progress or not. In any case, I met up with V- for breakfast, along with V-‘s friend. Hence the experience became less about reconnecting, than about connecting in the first place. Queue above comment about my friend-making abilities.

A bit later, W- and I went up to our former high school. It’s curious how small the place feels now. While I could (easily) pass for a high school student, I felt quite alien to the folks their. They could almost have been from another country. The mannerisms, the lingo and the outlook (what little of it I overheard) recalled no memories. Meanwhile the number of teachers whom I’d had that are still teaching there has shrunk to perhaps 7 or 8 (out of an original 20+). They too seem different. Less imposing or authoritative, while more quirky and easier to relate to. For instance, we had a lengthy conversation with a former teacher (and newly appointed administration) on the efficacy of teaching kindergartners how to cut down trees.

Is it we or they who have changed? I’m not sure. Suddenly, though, high school seems part of another lifetime.

The rest of the day centered around a battle royale between me, rsync, and rpm and has no impact on the price of tea in China, or really much else for that matter. I think I conquered, but hopefully, I’ll never have to learn for sure. The best data backups are the ones you don’t end up needing.