One Hand

I don't know what it was, but I had this overwhelming urge for Starbucks this morning. Along with my Venti Mocha Chip Frappuccino Brand Blended Coffee Drink, I picked up a copy of Alanis Morissete's acoustic version of Jagged Little Pill. Its hard to believe its been 10 years since the original album came out. As I sped down the freeway toward work, my mind drifted back about 10 years...

I'm broke but I'm happy
I'm poor but I'm kind...
I'm short but I'm healthy, yeah

Its my senior year at Notre Dame in the spring of 1995. A group of us decided to pile into a car and head down to South Padre Island for Spring Break. It was me, Pete, Vu, Bret, and Mary stuffed into a car, driving all the way from South Bend, Indiana to South Padre Island, Texas. They may both have "South" in their names, but they were worlds apart.

I'm high but I'm grounded
I'm sane but I'm overwhelmed
I'm lost but I'm hopeful baby

Of course, there was plenty of time at the beach, way too much beer and nights dancing, being goofy at an all you can eat pizza buffet... I vaguely remember heading across the border to Matamoros, drinking way too much and being in a club where these nasty, skanky girls were getting nekkid. ICK. I'm glad that's just a blurry shadow of a memory, 'cause I don't really want to remember those bits and pieces, ya know?

What it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be fine fine fine
'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving a high five...

Through it all, what sticks with me the most is those long hours in the car... having to switch around every few hours so that nobody had to sit on the hump all the time... listening to the soundtrack of Beauty and the Beast twice through the long night as we tried to get a bit of sleep... yelling at Pete to play something other than the new Bob Dylan CD he bought... talking about covering Mary in Crisco... and driving through the middle of nowhere singing One Hand in My Pocket...