bbaier.com

I remember my first webpage. I called it the “Radioactive Zone.” It was way cooler than this website ever thought of being. I made it in middle school and therefore used words like “lynx” and…..well I can’t remember what else but, I’m sure it was cool. The background was black. Like one of those shady websites you accidentally go to while following links off of a google search. I think I even made an image map. Like I said, it was cool.

I think I bring this up because I find myself with less and less time and/or energy to bother to complete this webpage. I can’t be sure but I think I failed to finish that one as well.

Fear not valued reader!!

I have more of a desire to see this website in its completed form than I ever had for the other one.

We planned it a few weeks ago. It was the best idea ever conceived.

Brandon IM’d me. Not myself, but the other Brandon. You know! Anyway, he was telling me about the extreme possibility that he may sometime in the next few weeks be granted a period of leave from his post as a PFC (Private First Class for those of us that don’t speak army) in Taegu/Daegu, South Korea.

Two days later he gave me the word. “I’m coming home!” “Set it up! I want everyone there. This is gonna be great.” I called everyone. Some said ok. Some said, “Why the hell are you planning a get together?” Those that said no, I knew would regret it later. I employed every low down tactic I had to get them to come. Guilt, pity, you name it. In the end everyone came.

The plan was to go to Mongolian Barbecue in Ann Arbor. Brandon would call me on my cell phone and I would pretend that we were talking about his base or something about Korean geography. It didn’t really matter. In 5 minutes no one would care. I would draw something on a napkin so that everyone was watching me, when low and behold Brandon Maggetti walks up to the table and says: ……. Well I don’t think we ever decided exactly what he would say. We threw some ideas around, each idea cooler than the previous. That was the way it was supposed to happen.

“Hi, Bd’s Mongolian Barbecue. This is Sara, How can I help you?
“Hello, I would like to make reservations for Saturday night at 7:00pm for 14 people”
“I’m sorry but we are all booked on Saturday”
“WHAT!”
“Yeah. Between the Eastern Game and Homecoming we have been booked for over 2 weeks.”
“I see. Well, thanks anyway.”

Oh well I guess these things happen. I then figured that we could still meet there at 7 and just pick something else. How hard could that be? With this group….. So I took the liberty to make reservations at Macaroni Grill. Because, hey, I like that place, and Maggetti is of an Italian lineage. At 7 pm everyone arrived at Mongolian. There was a moderate amount of fuss over the change in plans, but everyone got over it. We all went to Macaroni Grill instead. While we were waiting Brandon calls me to say that he wants to come up now, while we are all outside waiting for our table. I say, “Sounds good, see you in a few.” As I hang up the phone I see a faction of our group start heading off around the building to the paring lot.
“Guys, Where are you going?”
“To the car. We’ll be right back.”
I searched the dark recesses of my mind. I needed something. Anything! What can I tell them to make them stay? Then I thought I’ll just call him and tell him to wait in his car or something. Hide. Dive in the bushes if you have to. I was too slow and I knew it. I would never reach him in time. I just stood there. Phone in hand. I knew they would see him. I closed my eyes and held my breath…….. I heard the scream.
I failed you captain.
13. If your attack is going well, you have walked into an ambush.
I just stood there dumbfounded.
A few minutes later we were all seated in the restaurant. Everyone was chattering away about this or that. And then sitting there I realized it didn’t matter how it happened. It didn’t matter that the plans were changed. Looking around the table I realized that everyone was just happy to see Brandon……..and so was I.