Instead of sitting on bleachers outside, I was squeezed into wooden seats in Sacramento's Memorial Auditorium. This is a fairly old building, which had recently undergone seismic renovation and the stage facade was newly refurbished. It looked really nice. The venue seats a few thousand people, and it was filled with relatives and friends of the graduating seniors. I recall seeing a play or two there when I was a little kid, and the seats seemed much larger then. Hmm... Anyways, the ceremony was pleasant, although it was difficult to hear some of the speeches due to the PA system. The school's award-winning jazz band played, and the seniors had solos - they were very good. A chick sang "Wind Beneath My Wings", and I didn't even gouge out my eyes. My major complaint about this graduation ceremony was the rudeness of the crowd. People spoke throughout, kept moving around, cell phones were going off - the noise was extremely agitating. I was relieved to get out of the building. But, by the end of the evening, my second oldest niece (my sister's daughter) had graduated from high school. Only one more niece to go. Return trip to Idaho next June!

Discuss Travelogue