Last Weekend...

I have known Troy and Koz for five years now. Troy lived down the hall from me and was roomates with two of the wierdest kids I've ever known while we were at the Prep School at Monmouth NJ. Koz was also prior service and had some odd roomates. I taught Troy how to shine his shoes and he told me about being a boy scout.

Troy and I were roomates for most of our prep school year, and Koz was the unofficial third (along with Woodie, who was our fourth). Koz, Troy, Woodie and I would eat at hibachi (with bring your own wine...twist off tops and all), Olive Garden and elsewhere. After prep, we all came to USMA. Woodie got separated medically, went to Virginia Tech, went to Japan for a year and is now in Michigan. Troy, Koz and I were split between different companies.

We've stayed friends and actually grown closer instead of further apart. Troy (the Texan), Koz (the asshole) and me...alternately the liberal, commie, hippie, Californian, Jew, Mexican, Filipino, Brownie or whatever else they feel like calling me. It's strange to think that in a week, we wont be together in the same place again for a damn long time.

To spend our last weekend together, we all went to a Red Sox game in Boston along with Troy's girlfriend and two other cadets. My mom always used to tell me never to buy souvenierres. Either they'd break, or you'd lose them, but, if you bought good food, you'd always remember it. That is what I did. Below is a picture of me eating delicious Ciappino and wearing a bib.
Here is a picture of Koz me and Troy at the Red Sox game wearing our new hip Red Sox hats.

From there, we went to a cabin in the Catskills. It was a genuine log cabin with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. More importantly, there was both a kitchen and a barbecue. We made brautwurst, cheeseburgers, surf and turf shiskabobs (pictured prominently below), omlettes and various dips. We also bought fourteen bottles of wine and two bottles of champaigne (to make mimosas with and toast to our last weekend).

There was a river behind the cabin which four of us (not including myself, as I was out on a wine run) braved. The canoe tipped and they all ended up in the river...it was cold, just to let you all know.
The last morning, we all layed out on the balcony enjoying the sun as we waiting for the last load of laundry to dry before driving back to West Point for the last time. It struck me as we came through the gate that it was the last time I'd ever return on a Sunday. Odd...it used to bother me coming back, and now, I already miss it.