I said-a T, T-A, Bodacious Ta-Ta Rah Rah
Frankly, upon leaving high school, I didn’t have high hopes for maintaining the friendships I’d made there. It’s not that I didn’t like my comrades; it just seemed that we were all heading out in different directions to meet our respective lives. I stayed close with Debbie and Clarice for several years, and Jackie on and off, but then we started getting married. Once kids began entering the picture, there didn’t seem much place for the childless world traveler at toddler birthday parties.
So who woulda thunk that 34 years after leaving the hallowed halls of Canoga Park High, some of us are closer than ever? This friendship renaissance began around the time of our 30th high school reunion. We kicked around the idea of meeting for a weekend somewhere. I lined up a house on the shores of Lake Tahoe and the tradition began.
“We’re the Bodacious Ta-Ta’s and we know we’re good, we’ve got the biggest, the best and enough for the rest.” This was the boastful chorus of our musical entry at the Senior Talent Show. The song was penned by Clarice and Dorothy during volleyball practice. We added choreography and costumes consisting of our hideous senior sweaters, old lady skirts and silly shoes. We bought the biggest brassieres we could find and stuffed them with a variety of items, ranging from t-shirts and grapefruit to Tupperware bowls. I’m not sure how we got past the faculty censors with lyrics like “Do your ta-ta’s knock together when you swing them left and right? Do you find that you have trouble rolling over in the night? When you look down at your toes to you find them not in sight? Do your ta-ta's hang low?”
This is a rather lengthy intro to the Fourth Almost Annual Ta-Ta Reunion which took place in Mammoth Lakes the weekend after Labor Day. Jan made the trek across the Sierra from Coarsegold. Jackie came with coolers full of food from Sacramento, and Sarah and Cindy carpooled up from the Valley. Debbie, Dorothy, Suzana and Clarice unfortunately missed out.
On Friday evening, we met up for kick-off Mai Tais at Lakanuki, our local tiki bar. Then we adjourned to the Summit condo Jackie had lined up for a spectacular feast of Butternut Squash Soup, Mixed Green Salad, Beef Bourguignonne over egg noodles and some kind of cream-filled cake generously ladled with two sauces (chocolate and caramel). With great appreciation to our chefs Jackie and her mom Lorna, we generously and repeatedly toasted to their generosity.
Of course, we toasted to just about everything as we plied through several bottles of wine and embarked on the “true confessions” part of the weekend. I mean, if you can’t spill your guts to your high school girlfriends, what’s the point? These intimate details are closely guarded and will NOT be revealed in this blog!
We awoke to a beautiful Sierra morning, Jackie, ever the hostess, had prepared a brunch to be enjoyed while taking in the awe-inspiring vistas of Minaret Summit. She effortlessly transported everything up there and at 9500’ feet we feasted on quiche, berries and cream, crepes, muffins along with mimosas -- all presented with themed tablecloths, napkins, plates, etc. It was a really spectacular way to start the day.
Next, we jumped into the gondola for a trip to the summit of Mammoth Mountain for a gander at even more jaw-dropping views. It cold and windy at the top, but well worth the effort as the 360° view of the Eastern Sierra and especially the vantage into our craggy Lakes Basin was not to be missed.
The “girls” loved it and were ready for more exploring, so we hopped on the shuttle bus down to Red’s Meadow. I led them down the short trail to Devils Postpile. It was a completely glorious afternoon, warm and sunny and the Ta-ta’s took to the mountains like lizards on a rock. Which is sorta what we were shortly afterward, as we picked our way down a dusty track to the San Joaquin River. I introduced them to the “Lesley Mountain Experience.” Each had to find their own perfect boulder to perch on and we spent a lazy hour talking, watching the golden flecks of sunlight on the moving water and enjoying the serenity of my forested hideaway.
Next up, a jaunt over to my manor, where I introduced the Ta-tas to Red Bull-Vodka-with a splash of Cran. We carried these into the Jacuzzi and spent another stressless hour lounging in warm bubbles.
At this point, the troupe was way too relaxed to envision dinner in a fancy restaurant. Instead, they headed back to the condo and sent Lesley out on a mission for salads and movies. I came back with gigantic Chinese Chicken and Cobb salads from Angel’s and a handful of flicks. We settled on “The Motorcycle Diaries” which did a great job of putting everyone (except me) to sleep. What can I say? I’ve got the hots for Gael Garcia Bernal.
The next morning we lazed around the condo, picking our way through leftovers and slowly packing up. Jackie and Jan left first, but Sarah and Cindy decided to linger so that I could show them more of the glories of the East Side. We piled into Virginella for a tour of Lakes Basin, which included stops at Mammoth Consolidated Mine, Lake George and Tamarack Lodge. All too soon, it was time to say farewell as my lifelong buddies hit the road back down south.
As I mature, I realize that special friends act as a touchstone. We use these relationships to test our own worth. The Ta-Ta’s have been partners in crime for thirty-five years and I’m proud to call them my pals and grateful that we enjoy being together. Having made it this far, I’m sure we’ll be “the biggest, the best and enough for the rest” for many years to come.
So who woulda thunk that 34 years after leaving the hallowed halls of Canoga Park High, some of us are closer than ever? This friendship renaissance began around the time of our 30th high school reunion. We kicked around the idea of meeting for a weekend somewhere. I lined up a house on the shores of Lake Tahoe and the tradition began.
“We’re the Bodacious Ta-Ta’s and we know we’re good, we’ve got the biggest, the best and enough for the rest.” This was the boastful chorus of our musical entry at the Senior Talent Show. The song was penned by Clarice and Dorothy during volleyball practice. We added choreography and costumes consisting of our hideous senior sweaters, old lady skirts and silly shoes. We bought the biggest brassieres we could find and stuffed them with a variety of items, ranging from t-shirts and grapefruit to Tupperware bowls. I’m not sure how we got past the faculty censors with lyrics like “Do your ta-ta’s knock together when you swing them left and right? Do you find that you have trouble rolling over in the night? When you look down at your toes to you find them not in sight? Do your ta-ta's hang low?”
This is a rather lengthy intro to the Fourth Almost Annual Ta-Ta Reunion which took place in Mammoth Lakes the weekend after Labor Day. Jan made the trek across the Sierra from Coarsegold. Jackie came with coolers full of food from Sacramento, and Sarah and Cindy carpooled up from the Valley. Debbie, Dorothy, Suzana and Clarice unfortunately missed out.
On Friday evening, we met up for kick-off Mai Tais at Lakanuki, our local tiki bar. Then we adjourned to the Summit condo Jackie had lined up for a spectacular feast of Butternut Squash Soup, Mixed Green Salad, Beef Bourguignonne over egg noodles and some kind of cream-filled cake generously ladled with two sauces (chocolate and caramel). With great appreciation to our chefs Jackie and her mom Lorna, we generously and repeatedly toasted to their generosity.
Of course, we toasted to just about everything as we plied through several bottles of wine and embarked on the “true confessions” part of the weekend. I mean, if you can’t spill your guts to your high school girlfriends, what’s the point? These intimate details are closely guarded and will NOT be revealed in this blog!
We awoke to a beautiful Sierra morning, Jackie, ever the hostess, had prepared a brunch to be enjoyed while taking in the awe-inspiring vistas of Minaret Summit. She effortlessly transported everything up there and at 9500’ feet we feasted on quiche, berries and cream, crepes, muffins along with mimosas -- all presented with themed tablecloths, napkins, plates, etc. It was a really spectacular way to start the day.
Next, we jumped into the gondola for a trip to the summit of Mammoth Mountain for a gander at even more jaw-dropping views. It cold and windy at the top, but well worth the effort as the 360° view of the Eastern Sierra and especially the vantage into our craggy Lakes Basin was not to be missed.
The “girls” loved it and were ready for more exploring, so we hopped on the shuttle bus down to Red’s Meadow. I led them down the short trail to Devils Postpile. It was a completely glorious afternoon, warm and sunny and the Ta-ta’s took to the mountains like lizards on a rock. Which is sorta what we were shortly afterward, as we picked our way down a dusty track to the San Joaquin River. I introduced them to the “Lesley Mountain Experience.” Each had to find their own perfect boulder to perch on and we spent a lazy hour talking, watching the golden flecks of sunlight on the moving water and enjoying the serenity of my forested hideaway.
Next up, a jaunt over to my manor, where I introduced the Ta-tas to Red Bull-Vodka-with a splash of Cran. We carried these into the Jacuzzi and spent another stressless hour lounging in warm bubbles.
At this point, the troupe was way too relaxed to envision dinner in a fancy restaurant. Instead, they headed back to the condo and sent Lesley out on a mission for salads and movies. I came back with gigantic Chinese Chicken and Cobb salads from Angel’s and a handful of flicks. We settled on “The Motorcycle Diaries” which did a great job of putting everyone (except me) to sleep. What can I say? I’ve got the hots for Gael Garcia Bernal.
The next morning we lazed around the condo, picking our way through leftovers and slowly packing up. Jackie and Jan left first, but Sarah and Cindy decided to linger so that I could show them more of the glories of the East Side. We piled into Virginella for a tour of Lakes Basin, which included stops at Mammoth Consolidated Mine, Lake George and Tamarack Lodge. All too soon, it was time to say farewell as my lifelong buddies hit the road back down south.
As I mature, I realize that special friends act as a touchstone. We use these relationships to test our own worth. The Ta-Ta’s have been partners in crime for thirty-five years and I’m proud to call them my pals and grateful that we enjoy being together. Having made it this far, I’m sure we’ll be “the biggest, the best and enough for the rest” for many years to come.
posted by Lesley at
9:43 PM
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