Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynrd

When I hear the instantly recognizable chords of Sweet Home Alabama kick in, I instantly feel like I want to be at a frat party.  And when I think about frat parties, I think back to my very favorite frat party, Freshman year, in the spring of '96.  It was everything you could want from a party.  I had met up with my Cal Band friends at Kat's dorm in Clark Kerr and we all walked up together.  There were beverages aplenty, good music, lots of dancing, cute boys who weren't in the Band, and please don't ask me for any more specifics because I cannot recall a one.  I do remember what I was wearing, which was a striped, long sleeved top with jeans.  The theme was Mardi Gras and that was my attempt. I was woefully boring when it came to themes, but not to worry, I have completely gotten on board with them since.  I wasn't the only boring one.  Please take a moment to admire everything that is awesome about this picture I found, documenting the evening. 

• It contains not only Michael and Karen, who you have recently met, it also includes Belinda, the subject of today's story!
• I am not the only boring dresser.  You'll note Katy's turtleneck and what you cannot see is that Karen is wearing a turtleneck under a blazer.  I mentioned we were at a frat party, yes?  A themed frat party?  All I can say is thank god we grew up in the completely covered up 90's. 

I once shared with you the first person I met in the Cal Band.  Belinda is the first person I met before either one of us joined the Cal Band. I had attended a gathering at TH during Cal Day.  It was a welcome/recruiting event for prospective Cal Band members.  I remember meeting Belinda that day and she was a welcome and familiar face when I finally decided to join the Band!  I could see into her dorm room from my dorm room window and we were even in the same section in the Band. 

Throughout freshman year and especially this night, you can't think about Belinda without thinking about Greg.  Greg was incurably smitten with our Belinda.  (SPOILER ALERT!  Those two got together shortly after this party, got married right after college and are about to celebrate their 20th!) On this evening however, Greg was particularly discouraged and had become amusingly intoxicated.  I was completely on Greg's level myself, for no reason whatsoever.  Rumor has it I was speaking in German on the walk home.  Greg and I conversed and amused folks all the way back to Kat's dorm room.  The rest is history because as I previously stated, I have no further details to share from that evening!