Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

One of my Quilt Sisters grandsons visited our gathering last week, sporting a new hair do with dozens of spiky things all over the top. I couldn’t resist touching his hair. The spikes were rock-hard and wouldn’t move in a hurricane.

I immediately thought of Dippty-Do, the gel we used to use with various sized rollers to set our hair. Sleeping on stickery curlers, pinned with small picks was something ya just had to do. Dippity Do insured that the curls would be cast-iron solid by morning.

When my brothers were little, they wore Hollywood burrs, the front flap stuck straight up with Stickum. Otherwise, they had white-side-wall cuts that required no fuss at all.

When the Beatles cut came into fashion, it was amazing how much commotion it caused. Boys were letting their hair grow long! I remember some families who really went ‘round the bend about it. One father wouldn’t talk to his son for years just because of long hair.

Now, the spiky hair and odd colors look peculiar but hardly bad enough to make a big deal over. Body piercings, especially the ones on the face, bother me more. Some kids get carried away with tattoos too

It makes me smile to think of them at their 40th HS Reunion. Hair will be a luxury for some. Tattoos may be an embarrassing reminder of a Stupid Attack.

Thankfully for me, DippityDo and rollers are things of the distant past that have been replaced with blow-dryers and curling irons.

Just one hint from Heloise: a sweaty head plus running around in a sandstorm can be a good thing. The sand becomes instant mousse and you can style your hair in a lot of creative ways. Works better than Dippity Do!

Do you have any hair raising stories to tell?.

Lovely Rita, Meter Maid

Note: I published this post simultaneously on "Pitchpull".

The Army had decided it no longer needed my services. I had just gotten married and I had NO idea what I was going to do to make a living.
I had never collected a cent of unemployment insurance, so my new "Georgia Peach" wife and I went to file my claim for unemployment insurance.

The experience was pretty devastating.
I was overqualified for most available jobs. Also, the numbers of unemployed men at this time was pretty high, so competition for what jobs there were was great.

On top of it all, I found that the Army had paid me for two months unused leave, and I wouldn't be eligible for unemployment compensation until those two months had passed.

Our mood was lower than the belly of a snake as we walked back to my wife's Volkswagon Beetle, to find our Parking Meter registering EXPIRED, and a corpulent Meter Maid resting her foot on our bumper writing out a parking ticket. Without looking up from her ticket pad she said, "You're too late."
It was more than I could handle in one day. Something in my head snapped.
I looked at her, then at the out of state license plates on my wife's car, and made a quick decision!

I unlocked the passenger door like a gentleman and let me wife get in the car. Then to "Rita" I said:

"I'll make you a deal... If you can complete that ticket before I drive off, I'll take it."

She was so stunned she quit writing as I opened my door, seated myself, started the engine, and drove away.
We drove half a block before realizing it was a dead-end street.
I had to turn around and drive back past Rita holding her ticket book... wife #1 and I laughing almost uncontrollably, giving her a huge, friendly wave as we passed!

After all the irritation and negative news, being a rebel that day sure was good medicine!

Another Saturday Morning Open......

Get it off your chest here, Trojan!

Insecurities

Some time ago I discussed on my blog the changes that these infernal machines have made to communication in my family.
I convinced my parents to buy a WebTV system, and our line of communication was dramatically improved, instantly.
We communicated via email, and MSN Instant Messenger.

Dad was an early riser. Working nights, I'd frequently be poking away at the computer at work, and he'd pop up on MSN IM and we'd chat for a while.......and I do mean for a while, because Dad's fingers were huge and he had to use the "single finger-hunt and peck" method of typing. His responses seemed terse, but it was because he wanted to keep the chat moving reasonably quickly and he normally gave one and two word answers to my queries.

My sister's Nom de Plume is Mommanurse. If you read her blog "Hurricanes, Hot Flashes, and Feather Pillows" listed on the blogroll, you'll not only see better writing than comes from my keyboard thrusts, but you'll get a chuckle now and then too! She can flat put words on paper in a way that will touch and entertain you.
Like me, Sis works nights, so we frequently find ourselves with a "cuppa" in front of us in the morning before hitting the sack, checking our email and looking to see if the other is online to catch up on the latest gossip, etc..

This morning I was discussing the biography I had posted here on Vandy's Kids, and the concerns I had about publishing the *#*# thing. I'm always concerned about looking like the "showboat", trying to draw attention to myself. I think we all like attention....I'm no different in that sense, but I hoped that by posting my bio and showing a few of my "warts", others would feel more motivated to tell their post-CGHS stories in detail.

Sis made a comment that shows how naive I can be:
Others may not have the same "warm and fuzzies" that I have about my High School years.
(PT's earlier comments about Mrs. T. were an indication of that.)
Okay, in the back of my mind I knew that. Why didn't I know it in the front of my mind?
(That's what sister's are for, right?)

At the mini-reunion at Karen's I apologized to one of the attendees because I know I treated him poorly while we were in school. He accepted my apology graciously and went on sharing his life with me as if to say, "no big deal". But I know his CGHS experience was totally different from mine, and I'd love to hear the story of the last 40 years of his life in detail, because you can tell from his body language (and the way he looks at his wife) that he's perfectly comfortable in his own skin, in spite of being abused by one idiot classmate.

So I'll just say it here, but I won't get my hopes up too high......
I hope this site begins to draw more and more schoolmates and friends.
We all have interesting stories to tell about the landmarks in our lives, even if our time at Center Grove was not a bed of roses..........maybe those stories would be even more interesting!

My story is out there for comments- good, and bad.
You have a story to tell too.
Don't be selfish.

Let's Do The Time Warp Again!

This journal is a great way to post those things you think are important factors in your life......stuff you think impacted you and made you what you are.....and share those things with schoolmates. Obviously, each of us has had different experiences since graduating. All those experiences are interesting. I hope we get to hear everyone's story in detail here. My journey since '65 has had a couple potholes along the way. So here it is........more than you may want to know: I'm basically lazy. I loafed all through High School, copied Steve Lammert's homework...... (smart, huh?) I knew if I went right to college, I'd be wasting my time. (My family didn't have the money to send me anyway, so it was a moot point.) So, after graduation, I figured I'd work at odd jobs until my Uncle Sam needed my services, and there was no question he was gonna ask for my services! L.E. Myer's Construction, Indiana Bell, and part-time at The Frostop, I got my "greetings" letter in May of '66. For perspective on the impact of that letter, I give you this: I slept in the same bedroom in that little house on Morgantown Road for 18 years! David H. and I went to basic training together at Ft. Knox, then I went to advanced training at Ft. Jackson, S.C.. Back to Ft. Knox in '67 for Officer's Candidate School. Commissioned a Second Lieutenant. Primary Flight School in '68 at Mineral Wells, TX.. Advanced Flight Training at Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, GA.. Then at the end of '68, Viet Nam. I spent the first three months of my tour at Pleiku in the Central Highlands. I was then infused with the Americal Division at Chu Lai. The Americal was William Calley's Division (My Lai massacre). One of the pilots from my company was the one that saw what was going on and landed and stopped that madness. That was about a year before I got there. I was a Huey Gunship pilot for my year in Viet Nam. Viet Nam..... The 800 pound gorilla in my life. (The Big Gorilla in lotsa lives!) I came home thinking I had made it through the year unaffected. I was wrong. I'll tell more of that story later. Home from Viet Nam late in '69, I was a 22 year old Captain. What an exciting time........GREAT music, fast cars, I was just glad to be ALIVE! I went back to Savannah, Georgia as a Flight Commander and Instructor, teaching Vietnamese Air Cadets to fly Hueys. That may have been the best job I ever had. I absolutely loved Savannah.....spent almost three years there. But the Army is like many employers....... Up or Out! I applied for a school I needed for my next promotion and was accepted........the Armor Officer's Advanced Course, back at Ft. Knox. It was while I was attending this school that the Army started taking a close look at it's troop levels and budget. There were 40,000 Captains on active duty. The Army needed 10,000. Still short of having my Bachelor's degree........bye-bye Captain Dave! Just before I got out of the Army, I married the second best wife I ever had......a teacher from Savannah. She was a pretty neat lady actually, unfortunately caught up in the most turbulent period of my life. She was a military brat and loved the military life. Getting out of the Army was hard on me, but I think it was harder on her. I took a job selling insurance. I was too young.....people want to buy insurance from guys with gray hair. I sucked at it. I was miserable. I joined an Army Reserve Huey unit at St. Louis, Missouri. Back in the saddle and LOVIN' IT! I paid too little attention to my insurance sales, and got fired. I didn't care. I was putting my wife through school to get her Master's in Education with the hope that she could get a job teaching while I went back to school to finish my Bachelor's. She discovered my philandering just about the time she got her Master's, and decided going back to Mama in Savannah was preferable to staying with me. I think she made the correct decision. I call it "The Bicentennial Divorce". (1976) Drinking is a great way to deaden pain.... (For about a day or two.) I tried it for about a month and realized if I kept drinking, I was gonna lose everything or die, or both. A friend in the Reserve program was the County Executive of a county adjacent to St. Louis. He saw me during this drinking period and was shocked at my appearance. "What the hell is going on with you?" When I told him I was about to lose my home, he said: "I need a Dogcatcher. Come work for the County. All you have to do is drive around and look like you're searching for dogs." I figured I didn't have much choice. In six months I was managing the department and had 22 "Rabies Control Officers" working for me. Then my County Executive friend came to me again...... "The Civil Defense Director is retiring. He's been putting off writing the County's Emergency Operations Plan. You want the job?" It was better than herding a bunch of Dogcatchers, so I agreed to take the position. I wrote the E.O.P. and stayed in that job a year until 1978, but I still wanted to fly full-time. I jumped at the chance when a couple friends in Du Quoin, IL. offered a job as Chief Pilot for their Helicopter Charter Business. At this time I also got my civilian Flight Instructor certificate and started teaching civilians to fly helicopters. I was Safety Officer for the 102nd ARCOM in St. Louis, still flying Hueys, and had been promoted to the rank of Major. In 1980 I met a gal at a New Year's Eve party...... Her beauty knocked me out. Her smile melted my heart. I've been with her since. Our only child, a son, was born in 1983. He is not.......never has been.......a bit like me, thank God! In 1984 the Helicopter Charter business closed. I took a job as Chief Pilot flying a helicopter for the largest construction company in Missouri. In 1986, in a tight economy, they sold their machine and the Army Reserve was my only paycheck for several months. Late in '86 I started my present job flying the Helicopter Ambulance. It's interesting, frequently stessful, sometimes emotional work. I love the job.......but get irritated by company politics sometimes. (Don't we all?) I retired from the Army Reserve in '88. About that same time, a friend and I mortgaged our homes and bought a helicopter to start our own business. In this machine I do flight training, aerial photography, animal herding, and just about any job you can do with a helicopter. For 16 years we have been the Robinson Helicopter Dealership/Service Center for St. Louis and the surrounding area, selling and servicing our customer's helicopters. So I've now been flying helicopters 38 years........it just doesn't seem possible! I have 17,000+ hours in my logbook, (that's more than two full years airborne.) The great majority of that flight time is in helicopters, although I also fly airplanes. I don't like airplanes much.....(they're unsafe!) Today I like bicycling, walking, reading, blogging, and of course, flying. We own property on the Gulf in Florida and go South every three months or so to relax and recharge our batteries. We hope to retire there in the not-too-distant future. I think a lot about CGHS and the family that was our neighborhood. I think we were provided wonderful, stable surroundings that enabled us to grow in an environment where we were comfortable to be ourselves, and I think that affected us all in ways we are just now beginning to realize. TwoDogs has made the comment, and as one of our class leaders he has that right: He's proud of the class of '65. Visiting during reunions, and communicating via email and here at Vandy's Kids, I couldn't agree with him more.

Saturday Morning and Anything Goes!

Open topic time again.

You choose the subject!

Step Back, Take A Deep Breath,

I want to re-address the memorial, and see what the consensus is.....

What we started as a way to honor and appreciate many people that touched our lives began to take on a new meaning as we realized how many people were going to end up on that list, and the feelings we would stir when we begin to get the number of visitors we hope will eventually drop by and participate here at Vandy's Kids.

PT and I have been watching the list grow, and we've been considering the sensibilities of all of us that remember each of the names on that list.
The souls those names represent bring back happy memories, but the post can't help also touching the hearts of some that were more than just friends.

I've put the Memorial in suspended animation.
I want feedback from each of you as to how we need to proceed, and we'll act on your feedback.

PT thinks we should just memorialize friends/family/teachers by mentioning them either in individual blog posts, or in comments. Right now I'm tending to agree with her.

So, for the time being, the Memorial is on hold.
We can easily bring it back, and we are open to ideas on how to do it in such a way that it helps us to remember the good things about people we loved, and be warmed by that memory.

Please comment......
God Bless them. God Bless us all.

Mr. Shockley's Response:

Dave:

Thanks for your email. I will pass it on to the staff. I have served on a
committee with Mr. Vandermeer a few years ago, and he was a treat.
I can understand why he is so fondly remembered by many former students and staff members.
Thanks!

Matt Shockley
Principal
Center Grove High School
2717 South Morgantown Road
Greenwood, IN 46143
317.881.0581, x1446

Sunday Night Open Forum

If you've been dying to discuss something or ask someone a question,
here's your chance to do it:

Open topic time!

Up Yours!

Now, that's not nice, is it?

Yeah, if you are close to my age, it may be.

Have you had your colonoscopy yet?
Dying from colon cancer is an ugly, painful way to die..... and stupid too, because it's controllable these days.

I had my colonoscopy a little over two years ago. I'll tell ya about my experience, and what I'm hearing about how the procedure has changed since.

They gave me a gallon of a clear fluid called "Golightly".
(Sure, it made me think of Audrey Hepburn, but believe me, my body's reaction to it sure as heck wasn't the same!)
Golightly flushes your intestines and makes them squeaky clean. You drink this gallon of clear, slightly salty tasting liquid in ONE hour,
8 ounces at a time.

After drinking the first glass, you have a mild case of diarrhea.....a little uncomfortable.
Second glass down........WoW!, can I get to the bathroom quickly enough?
Third glass.........just bring the container here to the bathroom, 'cause I'm stayin'! Honey, could you bring me a magazine?
Fourth glass.......surely there can't be anything more in there, right? But there's still a half-gallon or so of this nasty stuff left to drink!

By the time you finish the gallon, there is nothing but clear fluid coming out, and that's the idea:
It gives the Doc a clear view of the walls of your intestinal tract.
You can't eat or drink anything until the procedure is over.

Next morning I report to the Doc's office. They start an IV line on me to administer fluids, and give me Demerol and Versed.
Demerol is a pain killer.
Versed makes you drowsy, and helps you to forget that someone is about to feed 30-or-so feet of hose into your behind.

You're laying on your side as the Doc starts the flexible hose on it's journey. It literally is a hollow tube, and he can slide different instruments within this tube, like a camera or cutting devices, or both.

The drugs he gives ya should keep you comfortable during this process. I had a little discomfort when he was forcing the hose the last few feet to it's goal, and after the procedure my Doc was upset that he hadn't given me enough "juice".
(I'll make sure to remind these folks next time!)

On his "Journey Through The Center of Greybeard", he found one polyp that he thought might be a future troublemaker and "nipped it, in the bud!"

The recommended routine now is to get your first one done at about age 50, then another at age 60, and then every 5 years after that, unless they see trouble brewing.
So, if you are over 50, get yourself scheduled.
Most insurance companies cover it.

It's true when I say that the worst part of the whole procedure for me was drinking the gallon of that foul "Golightly".
Apparently, others thought the same thing.
I'm told that now you drink an 8 ounce glass of an orange flavored potion, and it does what the full gallon of nasty stuff used to do.
That makes it easier to think about going back in a year for a re-check.

The feeling of well-being, knowing that "Mr. C" isn't prowling around in there with nasty plans for my future is well worth the minor discomfort.

Get-R-Done, pilgrim!

(Note: I posted this at Pitchpull today also, but the subject is important enough to share with all.)

Update:
PT emailed that Mrs. V. died as a result of complications following problems during a colonoscopy.
Boy, that makes me look insensitive with this post, doesn't it?
I wasn't aware of that fact.

It does make a valid point though, that no procedure is without it's risks. I once transported a gorgeous blonde haired, blue eyed, 4 year old little girl that eventually died after a tonsillectomy......while she was in the recovery room, she pulled her breathing tube out while no one was watching and was without the benefit of oxygen for several minutes.

Things happen.
Unforeseen circumstances place obstacles in our way.
Humans are apt to make mistakes.
Still, this procedure is one that you need to get done.
You'll be glad you did.

Prayers Needed

Via email this morning from Karen S.:

I think I told you when we were planning the mini reunion I found out that Danny P### is dying of throat cancer.

Well, Larry ran into a mutual friend of Danny's who works with him yesterday and he said that Danny is really bad and it is only a matter of time now.

Thoughts and prayers are in order.

Note to Mr. Shockley

I sent the following email to Mr. Shockley, Principal at CGHS:

Dear Mr. Shockley,
My name is **** ****. I graduated at CGHS in 1965. A group of students from that era have gotten together to start a Weblog dedicated to Center Grove and the community around it because we all appreciate the education and "family" support we received there. We have dedicated the Weblog specifically to Mr. Vandermeer, who was our Principal. We love and respect Vandy.

The address for the site is:

http://www.Vandyskids.blogspot.com/

If you are interested in passing this address along to others with an interest, we'd love to have students/faculty/visitors come by with comments, stories, and questions.

I thank you for your time, sir.

**** ****
CGHS Class of '65

Tangents

More and more folks "lurking",
but still too few risking making asses of themselves.

C'mon Trojans........you've already seen me with drool down my chin!

Don'tcha love the comments?
Ya post something, and by the time you finish reading the comments, sometimes ya can't tell what got it all started!

Going to see the Principal

Two Dogs has offered to take Ferdy and me to see Vandy this Spring. I can’t wait! This may be the first time in recorded history that kids are excited about going to see the Principal!

Would anyone else like to go? I think we should tell him before hand so we don’t scare him into another heart attack. Maybe we can take him out for a meal? Or maybe an ice cream? We will have to see how he is doing but I think he might enjoy getting out.

FF and I are making blankets that we hope he can use -- a lap blanket and a nap blanket. We hope to embellish the blankets with CGHS art work and label them from Vandy’s Kids.

Another thing I would like to do but I don’t think I will have time before April, is make a quilted wall hanging that incorporates either CG HS art and/or word sections -- things he used to say. I need LOTS of help on this one though.

The only Vandy-ism I can remember is “Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeople!” always said with some exasperation. Does anyone remember others?

When it’s done I will email photos of it to everyone and then mail the wall hanging to him from all of us.

Another thought is to take him small tokens of things that have meaning to us or things from our travels through life. This may be tricky but it’s just a thought.

For instance, I thought I might take him a military coin, or one of the Tigris River rocks from my collection. We could put all these things in a velvet bag and he could take them out every now and then.

I'm thinking that photos of kids, grandkids, awards, professional symbols, photos of your business, something from favorite hobbies, a pineapple from Hawaii ???? ;)

I dunno, what do y’all think?

Retirement? Already?

Is it possible that some of us are close to retirement age? How did that happen?

What have you been doing? Where has life taken you?

I’m still a nurse, working part-time as a Diabetes Educator. I was in the AF Reserve for many years and recently retired, much to my dismay. They said I had stayed as long as was allowed and had to figure out something else to do with my time. :::sigh:::

My husband and I live near Dallas-Ft Worth. Neither of us have children so it’s just the two of us and a couple of cats. We’re semi-active in the local Methodist Church and I do volunteer work for the Fire and Police Departments. (I hope to learn how to fix a speeding ticket, soon).

Sewing and listening to audio books keep me busy but not out of trouble. I still have lots of family in Indy and Mark has a few relatives in Iowa; that’s where most of our vacation time goes. Both of our mother’s had stokes last Summer, within two weeks of each other, so we have had many trips home for that reason.

This Easter, we plan to go back to Indy again and I hope we can host a Class get-together then. Detailed plans are still a little sketchy but if you email me, I will keep you in the loop. (I’ve already heard from Two Dogs, Greybeard, Golden Horse and FerdyFlyer)

I’m SO excited about seeing you all again! TD said he would go with me to see Vandy!! Anyone else want to go?

But back to my question: What have you been doing since 1965?

Road Trip

It was June, 1964.
WIFE... The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Four Seasons spoke to us in music and verse.

Ron had just gotten his new Pontiac Bonneville convertible.
He suggested a road trip.

Ron had done some growing up in Ft. Lauderdale...
how 'bout we take a trip down there and take a look at his old neighborhood? We could stay on the beach... swim during the day, sleep on a beach towel at night.
How neat is that?

I was between steady girlfriends, and was up for the adventure.
Ron had just started dating the girl he would marry.
I think he regretted suggesting the trip when I jumped on the idea so quickly... since he came up with the idea, how could he back out?
The round trip drive would take four days. Add to that whatever time we spent in Ft. Lauderdale, and it began to look like a week away from his gal.
He really didn't want to be away from her that long.

Top down weather. We started off early in the morning.
Remember this was 'way before the Interstate Highway system was finished... more of it was under construction than completed.

We drove non-stop, switching driving duties when we refueled.
In the wee hours of the morning I was doing my best to sleep in the back seat, top still down and kinda chilly, when I heard Ron say, "UH-OH!"
The tone was urgent.
"What?"
"A Florida State Trooper in the other lane is turning around to chase us."
"How fast ya goin?"
"120."

Well, it was adventure we wanted, right?

The Trooper was very nice... very professional.
Two out-of-state teenagers in a car with enough horsepower to provide power to a small Florida town, going twice the speed limit, and he didn't raise his voice.

Curfews matter. He asked for I.D. from both of us, then retreated to his cruiser.
He came back shaking his head... handed our driver's licenses back to both of us.

To me he said, "It's a good thing you weren't driving. At 17, I could take you to jail. Your buddy here is only 16, and to do that to him I would have to wake a juvenile officer and go through a lot of paperwork. I'm gonna give you a warning ticket... slow this damn thing down!"
And he let us go.

It took longer to get to Ft. Lauderdale than we imagined. We got there late in the day and drove around Ron's old neighborhood... checked out his old home... nice place, of course.
Exhausted, we parked at the beach, spread our towel, and went to sleep.

It seems there is always a breeze at the beach. At about 1 A.M.
I gave up trying to find a way to be warm and took refuge in the car. Ron followed shortly afterward.
The next day dawned clear and warm. We walked the beach for a little while, but there was a "Red Tide" coming in... the water was full of dead and dying fish and smelled terrible. By Noon it was 95 degrees, and in spite of the breeze the smell and the heat were unbearable.
Air Conditioning!
Where can we get into some air conditioning and maybe catch up on some lost sleep from the previous night?

The local theatre was showing "How The West Was Won" in air conditioned coolness.
"Two tickets, please". It's a long movie, but we sat through at least two showings, napping part-time. We filled our bellies with popcorn and Cokes.

We drove around the local cruise spots and got suspicious looks from the locals. No shower and little sleep for three+ days... we must have looked a sight!

That night we took stock.
Neither of us cared to even attempt to sleep on the stinky beach.
We were tired, bored, sweaty, and Ron was homesick for his new steady gal.
We decided to start home.

Just outside Birmingham, AL., me behind the wheel, too late I noticed that U.S. 31 took a 90 degree turn to the right. I forced the big Bonneville around the turn anyway, tires protesting loudly, and came face to face with "Officer Bubba" and his sidekick chatting outside their police car. Officer B stepped out into the highway and signaled he would like to chat.

Again, fate smiled on us. Too young... they didn't want to do the work it would take to punish us. "Get outta my jurisdiction!"

I don't remember much else about the trip home, except I was glad to get back into my own bed.

I think about that trip a lot.
I'm glad we did it... it's fun to tell the story.
But with a son of my own, I wonder... would I have allowed him to make the same trip at 16 or 17 years of age?

Would you?

Steve McQueen

Cheryl Crow's song runs through my head.....
"Like Steve..........McQueen,
All I need's a fast machine".........

He was born in Beech Grove in 1930, but after his father abandoned them,
his Mother left him with an Uncle that lived in Missouri.

He starred in one of my favorite movies.......

"The Thomas Crown Affair", opposite Faye Dunaway.


The movie has one of the sexiest scenes in movie history,
in spite of the fact that he and Faye keep all their clothing on.

In an earlier comment, I asked a trivia question about the movie "The Blob".
In that movie McQueen participates in a drag race that is unique.
What was different about it?

McQueen challenges the other driver to race in "Reverse" gear!

Of course he wins.
McQueen always wins.