The Facebook Connection

So, on Facebook, somehow I've managed to find almost everyone that I ever met. Well, actually, I've met a ton of people, so the 508 people whom I call friend on Facebook probably doesn't come close to the amount of people I've met in real life.

That being said, its like the last few weeks, long lost acquaintances, crushes, bro's, then-BFFs, high school mates and more have found me. Or I have found them. Here's who I've been in contact with--keep in mind, there is one guy and seven girls on this list, of which I only wanted to date one (maybe two, if you count Cristie...), three more were just visions and two more were good friends, but keep in mind I've already posted about finding Bobby Black and my Samson buddy Chris McCall...

Tiffany Abbott. She was my Julie Wise in college. Had a huge crush on her my freshman year. But she had a boyfriend. For whatever reason. Anyway, I was watching Ricki Lake (loved me some Ricki back in the day) and they put a call out for "Do You Have Feelings For Someone Who Is With Someone Else?", so naturally... I called. Left a voicemail about this hot chick named Tiffany. Two weeks later, they totally called back and asked if I wanted to be on the show. She's married to Kirk McCauley now, and has several rugrats.

Blair Andress. He and I talked more over Facebook in the last few weeks than we may have talked in several years at Troy. A fraternity brother of mine, we swapped stories about some of the chicks that you'll read about in this post. He went out with Tiffany once, and his car exploded. Interesting story. He's married to Miranda, has a blog, and has kids of his own. (just checked out his new blog... he's got a freakin' video intro. All I have is music right now. Dang it.)

Dayla Ellison. We were friends for about two years, my freshman and sophomore years... and suddenly, she wasn't there anymore. Well, she went to Auburn. Got married. Had kids. Saw her the other day for the first time in 13 years. She married Ben Baugh, and has three children.

Heather "The Angel" Hanson. I nicknamed her the Angel, because if I remember correctly, there was heavenly singing and glorious light around her head when she talked to me. Maybe I'm just remembering that wrong... I was an impressionable, single 19 year old boy. I mentioned a few days ago that she's also got a blog, which you can find under "Dave's Fave Blogs" on the right, or click here.

What's my favorite Heather story involving journalism, mud, boxers and college, you ask?... so, one day, I'm trying to get to class. I have a journalism class with McKerrell, and YOU DO NOT miss his classes. Simple as that. I'm racing across Troy's beautiful campus, and I'm faced with a dilemma. I can go down to the end of the sidewalk and down the staircase, or I can just go straight down this hill here in front of me. Of course, its been raining all day, but hey, I'm gonna be late.

So, down the hill I go. And after a second, my foot slips, and down I go. Into the mud. Of course, everyone who sees it is laughing, and frankly, I don't care, because I would laugh my head off at someone else. I pop up, and run into the building, and up the three flights of steps. I dash into the bathroom to assess the damage, and realize I'm filthy. I mean, from my ankles to the middle of my back, I'm covered in mud, and my backpack is destroyed. But I re-iterate... you do not miss McK's classes. And I cannot be sitting in the nice, plush chairs like this. So, what can I do? I strip off my shorts and my shirt, leaving me in my white undershirt and purple striped boxers and shoes and socks. Then, I dash off to class.

As I walk in (right on time, natch), McK looks at me. "David Dollar? Are you in your boxer shorts?" I reply, walking by to my workstation, "Yep. I don't miss class for something like mud." I plop my stuff down at my computer, which happens to be directly across from The Angel herself--as in, if there were no computers, we'd be staring at each other. She looks around her computer with a curious glance, "Dave... are you really wearing boxer shorts?" Not looking, staring at my own computer, I nod, "Yep." She stares at me for a moment, "With nothing under them?" and I finally look at her, "Yep. And as long as you don't flirt with me, we'll be just fine here, Heather." She gives me a chuckle and disappears behind her monitor.

True story. I kid you not.

By the way, I had to walk across campus to our BCM to get to my car, so I could go home and change... well, put clothes on. I had almost made it, when Mike Connor yells at me from across the quad, "David Dollar!! Are you walking around in your boxer shorts????" Looking around to see him, and the 88 other people between us, I just yell, "Yep! Quite drafty!" Years later, when Gordon McKerrell retired, he gave his Top Ten Most Memorable Moments of his Troy career. Amidst the jailed students, drunken parties and Chris Hansen moments, I ranked 3rd. The Lovely Steph Leann caught her quite a man.

Spring Tolson. Now, if Tiffany was my achievable crush, and Heather was just An Angel, then Spring Tolson was my upperclassman-out-of-my-league-entirely goddess before I knew who The Goddess was. I was a freshman, and when you are 18 years old, there is something almost mythical, or even Athena like about a senior, especially a Kappa Delta and gorgeous.

As a freshman, I had a habit of carrying BreathSavers. I would actually get them at Sam's, and would have some in my pocket, because I believe that good breath is good to have, and at certain, unexpected moments, its vital. Like, the one day I had finished a good lunch at The Adams Center with my friend Bobby Black, Miranda Bryant and Mandy Stewart and was off to check my mail. As I was leaving, I popped in a BreathSaver... not just a wintergreen, mind you, but because I was feeling quite happy, I tossed in The Rolls Royce of BreathSavers, The Vanilla Mint.

Without a care in the world, I'm strolling through, when, around the corner, I practically run into Spring Tolson. Like, it might have been the only time we actually had contact. She knew my name, cause honestly, everyone knew who I was... not that I was "all that" but I just knew a lot of people.

Once, Big Wookiee and I were strolling across campus to our cars at the BCM, and when we arrived, he looked at me and said, "I don't like walking with you." Bewildered, I asked, "Really? Whats wrong?" He smirks and says, "Cause, dude, it takes forever. You know, like, everyone, and they all stop and talk to you." Where was I?

Oh, there I am, standing toe to toe with SPRING TOLSON. Perhaps she shared heavenly light and angelic choruses with The Angel (I met Spring a year before I met Heather, so who knows). Anyway, the Kappa Delta says hello, and tells me sorry for running into her, which I respond with Hi Spring and that it was my fault. We stood talking for about ten minutes, and honestly, I don't know what we talked about, nor do I even care. I was just happy to be on Spring Tolson's radar. Now she's Spring McKinley, and taught at Oak Mountain for several year--enough to know and have taught several of my kids from Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship).

Rona Mock. We had a very small youth group at Samson's First Assembly, or as I like to call it, The House O'Hypocrisy, Dancin' and Universal Tongue Speakin'. (this is an entirely different post, by the way). In this youth group is Chris McCall, Philip Norwood, Doug McCall and Rona Mock, and sometimes Amy Johnson.

Rona and I were just good friends. She wrote a whole page in my yearbook. I helped spearhead the romance between she and Ryan Hutchison (who up until that time also had a thing for Julie Wise--maybe I hooked them up to rid myself of the competition, though Jody Linton still loomed.. again, and entirely different post). I graduated, went to college, she graduated some years later, went to a different college, she married Ryan, I saw her and Ryan at an Auburn bookstore somewhere circa 2000, and that was that. Then, suddenly, she pops up on MySpace, then on Facebook. Apparently, she and Ryan are living here in Birmingham. Currently, I'm working on plans to meet up.

Cristie Wright. Another close friend from high school. Yet again, an entirely different post. We'll stop there.

Dixon Brock. Got a short list of people that I want to find via Facebook or MySpace, and let me just say that Dixon was near the top. We were tight in my later years in college, and though we found each other to be fairly cute and awesome, we never had the slightest inclination in dating. We just talked and chatted and hung out and I even spent a completely-non-romantic-just-buddies weekend with her at her home at the beach in Mobile... Fairhope... wherever.

And one day I find Dayla Ellison online. And a few days later, I find Dixon Brock. And my heart just warmed, because she's so great. She's married with kids too.

There are many left I'd love to catch up with. Melanie Jackson is one. My freshman groupies Miranda Bryant, Allison Hodnett and Mandy Stewart are others. But now that Dixon Brock has been located, I can mark her off my Top Three, which still includes Troy McConnell and Amy Alexander.

FYI... the only reason pics of Blair, Dayla, Dixon, Cristie, Rona and Heather are not online RIGHT NOW is because my scanner isn't working. When it does, they will be posted. Be afraid. Be very afraid. To some, including myself, the early to mid-90s were not kind to people. Spring Tolson, you're off the hook. No pics. I was too intimidated to take any.

FFYI... while typing this blog, out of the blue, Jon Chancey from FarmHouse contacts me. Facebook is taking over the whole world.