Kokanee Weekend - Where And When All Good Things Happen. Obviously

Dear Kokanee weekend,

   Besides a few long days at the restaurant, you have always treated me well. I love the energy and people you bring to town and all the chaos that ensues when you are around. You can change your name as many times as you like... you will always be Kokanee to me (even though I hardly drink Kokanee). Thank you for being you. Keep letting great things in my life happen on this weekend!
See you next year.

Your faithful friend,
     AMY

Six years ago this past weekend I was a twenty year old college kid heading to a baseball tournament in Revelstoke with my besties. At 5:00 on Friday I was wearing a bright yellow team shirt that said 'Drunk as Fu*k' (only the * was a bear claw) and playing baseball in my bare feet while wearing someones moms aunts neighbours ball glove. I had already drank my weight in beer. It was a great start to an unbelievable weekend. Its all a big blur. There were four of us. Myself, Ang, Andrea and Chelsea. We were a gong show. We had a two man tent and no food to speak of. We played a little baseball, although truth be told, most games we had to forfeit because not enough players showed up (including us - except Chelsea, she showed up for every single one, including the 7:30'ers), we did a little swimming, some cliff jumping, a LOT of dancing and even more drinking. Somewhere in there I met this guy. His name was Brian. He grew up with Ang. They went wayyyy back. Andrea and I joked that we knew him as kids too - he went along with the joke... but secretly he was thinking 'who the eff are these crazy people?' We all spent the weekend being crazy together. I think at one point there were 8 of us sleeping in our two man tent. I remember eating exactly 2.5 meals in four days. I think I showered. I almost broke my foot. I jumped off a 50 foot cliff and landed in the water diagonally. I was certain I had broken my back too. Turns out I didn't. But I did have a bruise from my knee to my shoulder.  I know I partied. I feel confident in saying there was not a single beer left in town when I had finished. We walked to our tent in bare feet every night. I have no idea where my shoes were. I remember on the drive there Andrea and I made a goal for ourselves (please remember we were college kids with a thirst for partying...) - that goal was to get thrown in the drunk tank. Lofty, I know. On Monday we headed home. That guy named Brian asked for my number so I gave it to him. As Andrea and I drove out of town I said to her 'Ya, I am never going to see that guy again in my life'... by the time we got home, he had already called....

(the originals - 2004)

Wow how times have changed.

Last year on this weekend, I was sitting on a patio eating lunch when I got a call from Paola saying she was in labor. There were no beer gardens or partying for me.

This year I was celebrating Liams first birthday with my eleven month old daughter. No beer gardens or partying again.

I was there in spirit though.

(2005)