This post was originally supposed to be an in memoriam for my bike. After receiving, by charitable donation, a bike rack (mine was misplaced sometime during the two uninterrupted years it spent in Hillsdale), hauling it 1500 miles across eight states (I count Michigan and Ohio twice because Brad and I accidentally re-entered Michigan about an hour into our cross country road trip), and having it put two sizable dents and a monster scratch in the back of my car when I backed into a tree with it still attached, my bike, despite being immobile (due to a bent wheel) and locked to a fence, was stolen last Thursday.But that's not what this post is about.It's about something much more important. Something I think is better worth remembering. What I'd really like to commemorate today is something that came to my mind yesterday after talking to one Mr. Phipps and has consumed the better part of my thought since. Not many people that I've come to know in the past several years will recall that glorious institution and few who do remember can think about it without a tear in their eye. While the name "Samurai Warriors of Resplendent Justice" probably would have been a more fitting, it was simply called FBL - The Fraternal Brotherhood of LAN (Don't worry the fraternal/brotherhood redundancy is intentional. It's just that manly).
My idea of FBL was always a bit romantic. While it wasn't exactly the band of rugged crusaders I liked to think it was, I don't hesitate to say that it was one of the best things to ever happen to those of us who were involved. And, though my shotgun wasn't as feared as Czar's sniper-rifle or Oz's rocketlauncher, I enjoyed playing my part. I hope the slideshow below brings back some memories and impels you all to aspire again to such heights of manliness and brotherhood.
There are over 100 pictures in that slide show, so be patient.
Finally, here's my favorite picture by far: a group of some of the core members of The Brotherhood in their class-As.
FBL'ers: leave a comment with your favorite memory or an update if we haven't heard from you in awhile. Also, feel free to throw up some pictures on the new Facebook group.
2 comments:
Slideshow's a nice touch. I loved when we got both computer labs in use, spanning the entire campus of Carson City-Crystal High School. We used the Media center for the best halftime ever, ice cream as well as the usual pizza. Strongbad. Amazing. *Wipes a tear away* Long live FBL.
...shouting myself hoarse so that my throat burned for two days following each event... the Mt. Dew, the camaraderie... but above all, the meticulous planning, accounting, strategizing, and the general lead-up to each event made them seem so official to me. It was great to be a necessary part of a solid team, and to be able to exercise one of the few skills that I possessed that was worth bragging about.
Good show, Chaps. Good show.
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