The Ponderosa

Have you ever been the accidental butt of a joke? I was yesterday, and my dad still is. I may have to fill him in, but it is pretty funny.

Yesterday Donnie and I traveled to our home town area for a funeral to support a very good friend of Donnie's. Al and Donnie have been friends for probably close to 30 years. I've been friends with him for about 23 years. His dad died this past weekend, and his dad was like a second dad to Donnie. Donnie, and his brother, practically lived with them for years, he really lived at home, but spent way more time with them than at home.

After the memorial service our friends all mentioned that they were going to The Ponderosa later in the evening and that we should meet them there. We don't see them very often, as they live over 2 hours away. So, since we were there, kidless, and wanted to honor Kenny's death and be there for our friends, we decided to go.

There was time to kill so we hopped around visiting family while we were there. We went to my dad's house and while Donnie was changing in the bathroom my stepmom offered to scrounge something up to feed us but I told her not to worry about because I'm sure we'd eat something at The Ponderosa, I know there will be drinking, they probably serve food. Dad asked where The Ponderosa is and I said it was south of town (the only thing I knew about it). But dad was confused, as he has lived in the town for much, much longer than I've been alive and all, and he has never heard of one in town. So, he asked Donnie where it was and Donnie described where it was, causing even MORE confusion to my dad. Cause he knew where Donnie was saying, but he's never seen anything out there, much less heard of it, and if there is one thing that happens in Beantown, it is GOSSIP.

After we left my dad's without eating Donnie suggested eating at Burger King, which confused me. I told Ma not to make us food because we were going to The Ponderosa. He got quite a kick out of that! Apparently The Ponderosa is a piece of land owned formerly by Kenny, who died, and his son, Al. There is NOTHING out there but a couple of sheds and a garden. It is where the group meets to have a bonfire and drink and have fun. The kids play in the wide open spaces, and they sleep in a camper, no driving.

Kenny said that when he dies he just wants to be thrown on a bonfire and everyone should have a kegger. We tried to honor that for him. Not by actually throwing him ON the bonfire, or actually having a keg, but we did get together and have a bonfire and there was beer. It was almost like a class reunion for Donnie, many of his former classmates were there.

So now I have to decide, should I fill my dad in, or tell him how wonderful the steaks were? (which were actually hot dog shaped and cooked over a bonfire, lol)