Class of 66 news

The Class of 66 held its 45th Reunion last week end. We started with a tour of the school (Impressive!) and football game on Friday night (CG lost). Jeff and Connie Surface hosted a really nice patio party on Saturday afternoon and the grand finale was a dinner get together at the Southern Dunes Country Club that night. Over half of our surviving classmates showed up and a good time was had by all.

For anyone interested in seeing what the younger crowd looks like now, pictures are posted here:

http://www.stanmount.com/CGfrontpage.html

More pictures and chatter about the reunion are on the class of 66 group web site.

Unlaxin' In Madison

"The usual suspects", with A FEW new added faces:
(Click 'em to BIG 'em.)

We're goin' to Opryland! Come join us.

Christmas At Opryland!

I know I sound like a broken record-
But if you were unable to make it to Madison last weekend, you missed a beautiful, relaxing weekend overlooking the river. About 20 VK's showed up, and all survived the experience and departed with smiles on their faces.

Now let's look to the future:
Jane (C.) S. has indicated her daughter can get us a special rate on a package deal at Opryland the first part of December and is doing the initial work toward having a mini-reunion there.
I checked and found this site that, I think, describes the events Jane was referring to.
She says the decorations are gorgeous, and we can decide what other activities (like the Louise Mandrell Christmas Dinner Party ) we might all want to attend.
This post is to plant the seed. Watch your email, facebook account, or come back here for more information shortly.

C'mon folks...
This is far enough out there that you can block off the time to attend. And we're having a far better time at these mini's than you might imagine!

******MORE TO COME.******

Madison's "Riverboat Inn"

We'll be there in two weeks. Are you coming?


Reviews suggest it is "quaint". (One of the complaints at the link is about the size of the TV's! With that view of the river, I think that reviewer's priorities need re-thinking.)
God willin', SJ and I will find ourselves there, once again sharing time with beloved friends. There may still be rooms available...


Come join us, 16 & 17 September.

Mr. L. Is Worried About Me.

I don't much care for whiners.
So I try to avoid being a whiny pain in the ### myself.
This post is gonna sound whiny.
But with it I will accomplish a couple things I need to do.

Through the grapevine I got a message sent by Mr. L.:
"I think something is wrong with (Greybeard)!!!!!!????? That is not like him not to have some type of article in Vandy's Kids.

Sigh.

I've mentioned before, when we started this blog our hope was that it would be used as a convenient way to have a chat "over the backyard fence"...
A place for everyone to come and share news that you'd normally see in a family newsletter...
Information about kids/grandkids.
Travel plans.
Retirement thoughts.
Plans for get-togethers.
Those sorts of things.

Well, it hasn't turned out that way. In the beginning it was SUCH fun. Go back and look at the first year...
There were several people contributing and even more commenting. But over the years, the folks that were sharing info here fell by the wayside. And worse, commenting pretty much stopped. A vehicle we hoped would be kinda like a snowball rolling down a hill...
A little news here, a little more there, and conversations building geometrically on information shared here, just never happened.

Sure, I'm disappointed.
But, as the kids say today, "It is what it is".
I tried. I have my own blog and actually have a small group of followers there, and some there have even become close "virtual" friends.
I post.
They comment.
And, knowing there are folks out there reading who, for whatever reason, care enough to comment, I am motivated to post again.

So that, my dear friends, is why there has been no updating here for a month or so.
If someone else would like to pick up the baton and post here, I promise there'll be at least one person commenting and showing interest in what is going on here at Vandy's Kids.

But should you want to stay semi-informed as to what is going on in the Greybeard and Sara Jean "Soap Opera", you can catch up with us at Pitchpull, my personal blog.

PT?
Hawkeye/Mrs. Hawk?
GH?
Joker?
Anyone else?
Run with it. It's all yours.
(And Mr. L., I'm fine and can be reached at the same email address as usual. Thanks for being concerned!)

Riverboat Inn

Have you made your reservations?
I think today (Thursday) is the last day to get the special group rate.
Pull the trigger! Call the Riverboat Inn in Madison today and ask for the rate set aside for Linda K..
It's gonna be a relaxing, enjoyable time, visiting while watching traffic go up and down the river.
812-265-2361

Short Notice

"I'm headed your way. You gonna be home?"
He'd be at my doorstep in two hours.
"Yes sir, I certainly will be! Be safe. I'll have a cold beer waiting for you."
It was my own darned fault. When I'm off work I've begun to isolate myself-
The cell phone rings and I let it go to voice mail...
I'll listen to that when I take a notion.
The hard-line phone rings and our answering machine takes a message. Ditto.
I guess it's a sign I'm really retire for retirement...
When I'm off work, I don't want to be bothered. But that attitude leaves me open to this sort of thing...
Tool's shadow will grace my doorstep in two hours.
Odd that I had just called TwoDogs that morning and learned Tools had been in Indy. So I at least was prepared for the idea I might hear from him. It was Sara Jean that finally heard his voice on the answering machine and told me I needed to call him for details.
"Yeah Tools, I'm home for the next couple days and you're welcome for as long as you want to stay."
He said he wasn't on a tight schedule and would play it by ear.
Same old Tools...
A few more character lines on that face, but the smile and booming voice were unmistakable...
"Hey brother, how are ya?"And as you might expect, the next few hours were spent catching up on the "new" news before we started lying to one another about our exploits back in the day.
He's fine. His better half is fine. He sat in retirement for over a year de-stressing before he realized he was going stir crazy and needed something to do other than watch grass grow. So he took a bunch of tough tests and became a licensed insurance adjuster. All these recent Spring storms with hail that has knocked out windshields and made your hood look like someone took a ball-peen hammer to it? Tools is your man for getting that fixed. When the hurricane season hits in full force, Tools will be on his way to the disaster areas to begin helping folks rebuild and heal.
And you know darned well he'll be great at it.

After a few beers we went and ate Chinese and then after a little more visiting he went to bed early.
Coffee and more chat on the patio in the A.M., we then rode the GoldWing to the next town West of us and ate breakfast at a little spot so much like "The Beehive" it would make you smile.
We then stopped at that town's High School and I showed Tools their gymnasium...
A cookie-cutter version of our old gym, except the color scheme is robin's egg blue and white.
Memories.

He's been away from home three weeks. A call to his mate and he said, "Well, if I get on the road right now I'll be home before midnight. I need to start that way."
And so he did.
I see him about once every five to ten years, but between us we have that "CG foundation" that all VK's understand. It takes about 30 seconds to get right back into that Trojan comfort zone.

I'll call today to insure you made it home safe buddy.
God Bless ya.
I love ya.

Back To 1958

Sometimes a little irritation is a good thing.
This week I was irritated in a way that made me smile.
My "work car" has 235,969 miles on it. A '95 Chrysler LHS, it drives wonderfully and still gets over 27 miles per gallon of gas driving to and from work. It has all the bells and whistles and all of them still work, EXCEPT the air conditioner. The A/C gave up the ghost three years ago, and since it would have to be converted to the new eco-friendly refrigerant, in addition to having to replace the ($$$$$) compressor, I chose to just drive with all the windows down during the five or so months I'd normally be using the air. Working nights, when it gets REALLY REALLY hot, I drive Sara Jean's car to work in air-conditioned comfort.
Yesterday I had to drive to St. Louis to teach a student at a time that required me to drive in my old car since SJ would be at work with hers. Windows down, wind whistling all around, the thermometer on the display said "97".
I flew with my student, then did a little "airport bumming"...
Stops here and there on the airport to visit with old friends, culminating with a stop at the shop of a mechanic I've known over thirty years. Time, gossip, and a few beers were shared.

The sun was well below the horizon when I started my 90 minute drive home.
The temperature had fallen to 84 degrees and felt perfectly comfortable in my old luxury-beater. With the windows down I was reminded of how it was back when we were all growing up and automobile air conditioning was something about which we had only heard rumors...
The sounds and smells of life are in your face when the windows are down.
Skunk.
Honeysuckle in bloom.
A dead critter in the road, followed by the unpleasant scent of decay.
Newly overturned earth in that plowed field.
The (pleasant to me) smell of manure as I pass a dairy farm.
And a reminder of long-ago trips home after the movies at the Meridian Drive-In-
The wonderful feel of a sudden temperature drop as I pass through a wooded area, or drop down into a valley.

We all want to avoid being uncomfortable. We've all paid our dues and have a right to avoid being uncomfortable. But in avoiding discomfort, however slight, we've isolated ourselves from some things in life that really WEREN'T so bad on reflection... Windows down, radio BLASTING, the sounds and smells of LIFE encompassing us as we motor through it.

Life is mighty good.
We all could use the reminder now and then.

Mayfest

The peonies are in bloom and to me that means something else is goin' on...
It's RACE time!

But how it's changed, huh?
Most of us here can remember when the entire month of May, (once the Kentucky Derby was complete), was devoted to the Indianapolis 500...
Practice.
Carburetion day.
A weekend of qualifying.
More practice.
Another weekend of qualifying.
The 500 festival parade.
And the race itself.

I watched qualifications today on a cable channel and I cannot even tell you now which one it was. The stands looked empty. I don't know if that was because rain was threatening the proceedings or if others are like me... angry that we can no longer carry coolers to our seats and make a family picnic out of "Pole Day".
I suspect the answer is... a little of both reasons.

But the race has lost its luster as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" in my eyes.
You can use any engine you want so long as it's the same Honda engine your competitor is using. Pretty much the same applies to chassis... are there still two manufactures making those?

It's a mess. I hope someone takes a look at the path that got us here and makes some dramatic changes.
If they don't, there'll be a chance the Brickyard 400 will start attracting a larger crowd.
(But they're also all using the same chassis/bodywork, and the engines, although made by different manufacturers, are as nearly identical as NASCAR can make them.)

Indy used to be exciting.
Someone needs to figure out how to make it exciting again.

Alumni Banquet 2011

Via email from TwoDogs:

To Fellow Classmates and Friends,

The 2011 Center Grove Alumni Banquet will be held in the 'old' Gym at the High School. The date is Saturday, June 11, 2011. Doors open at 5:30pm, dinner at 6:00pm. Ticket are $20.00 each and are now available at the following locations: Embroidery N' Things 520 North SR 135 Greenwood, Old National Bank 900 South SR135 Greenwood, The Orchard Golf Center 251 North SR135 Greenwood and Center Grove High School. It is best if you go to one of these locations and purchase your tickets. For those 'out of town' - contact Dan Francis @ 317-431-6156 and make arrangement for payment. He will take name(s) and make a list for the door so that the tickets can be available at that time (6/11) for pick up.

Also, please take a look at the attached letter. It is a request for donations to help the CG Alumni Association continue to provide scholarship monies to graduating seniors. In the past, we have been able to raise enough to award 2 - $500.00 scholarships. We would like to be able to raise the bar this year and in the future. The scholarships are for CG Alumni relatives and are paid directly to the school of choice. The seniors are selected thru a process governed by the Center Grove Education Foundation. If you or your company are interested in donating and making a difference in someone's life, You can go to Center Grove Education Foundation.org and click on 'donate on line'. There will be a dropdown menu to choose from. Make sure you choose Center Grove Alumni Association. This will go directly into a fund that makes the scholarship monies available. The Center Grove Education Foundation.org is a 'not for profit' organization and any donations will be tax deductable. You may also write a check to CGEF c/o CGAA. Please let Dan know if you do contribute. We would like to add your name to the Donors List that is inserted into the program and handed out at the Banquet.

Be there or be square!

Dormant

I got an email indicating that someone had actually left a comment here.
But the comment was spam.

Reunion @ The Barn-

.

Michael C. Mullins

Michael C. Mullins

Michael C. Mullins, 59, passed
away Thursday, April 7, 2011, at
his residence in Greenwood.
He was born June 6, 1951, to
Carl J. and Dorcas (Brandsteter)
Mullins.
Survivors include his mother,
Dorcas Mullins; two nephews,
Michael and David Boswell; and
an aunt, Willetta Lucas.

He was preceded in passing by
his father, Carl J. Mullins; a sister,
Carolyn J. Boswell; and a
brother-in-law, Joe Boswell.
Michael was a graduate of
Center Grove High School and
Indiana University.

Now that he's gone, the story can be told without repercussion:

When Mike was hired at the Frostop I was tasked with teaching him how to be a short order cook. Car hops would take the food/drink orders and bring them to the refreshment window. If there were kitchen-prepared items on the order, that order ticket would be hung on a rotating clip-thingy, (technical term, I know. If you need a better description, email me), and the cook would prepare the necessary items before handing sandwiches, etc. along with the order ticket back to the refreshment worker to add root beer or other drinks to the order for delivery by the car hop.
Back in the kitchen, we had a small window to peer through that gave us a view of who was parked in the lot. One day while I was teaching Mike he was watching the cars pulling up into the lot and I heard him mutter something angrily beneath his breath. When I asked what he was muttering about he pointed to the car that had just pulled in and said, "That (blankety-blank) is the guy that stole my girlfriend".
And as I recall, the subject of his anger was someone that I thought the world would be better without too. So when the order came in for a cheeseburger and fries, I allowed Mike to show me how well I had taught him to cook. We had run out of frozen hamburger patties that day and were using fresh ground hamburger, manually pressing out the patties with our hands. Mike expertly removed a tennis-ball sized chunk of meat, pressed it into patty form with his hands, slipped the patty beneath his armpit and rolled it around, then fried it up, added a slice of cheese and sent it on its way to consumption.
We giggled as we watched the "bad guy" eat his sandwich.

I sure liked Mike.
Lord, when he shows up at your gate give him a hug for me and remember...
We were just stupid teen-agers at the time.
Forgive us both, please.

Classmates.com

"Greybeard, 15 people visited your guestbook. Click here to see who's searching for you!"
And when I click the tab I'm transported to a site asking for my credit card number.
Although I really don't want to 'cause I HAVE gotten in touch with a couple folks through Classmates.com, I think I'm gonna have to block 'em. They're beginning to be a nuisance, and I get FAR more valuable information through Facebook and Vandy's Kids...
FREE!

Classmates.com...
You need a new business model.

Hanna-Barbera

"The Flintstones" came first.
Yogi Bear, Quickdraw McGraw, and others soon followed.
Several of our classmates assumed Hanna-Barbera identities...
TopCat and Snaggletooth are two that come to mind, (although Snaggletooth didn't much care for his moniker).
Were there others?

Benny

So many years have passed, it's tough to remember...
I went to my first CG Alumni Banquet in either '81 or '82. I bought tickets for the dinner and the after dinner get-together. The dinner was early... I remember it was still light outside when I sat down to eat... alone. I was maybe halfway through my meal when he approached and asked if he could sit with me...
"Hi, remember me?!! I'm Benny!"
How could anyone forget Benny?
Short in stature, huge in personality and presence, Benny.

I was glad not to be alone.
As you might imagine, Benny did most of the talking, but he wasn't inconsiderate...
He listened too.
I mentioned my Viet Nam service and the fact I was still in the ARMY Reserve.
That gave Benny the chance to brag about his NAVY service, and he had good reason to brag...
He had been selected to serve on "Old Ironsides"...
The U.S.S. Constitution, the museum and oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy. That was a prime job... a job the NAVY would not have given to just anyone. His obituary says everyone who attended Benny's tours of the ship said he was exceptional.
I have no doubt that is true.

I didn't know Benny well. I worked with his sister Julene at the Frostop and loved her, and through that association knew the rest of her family well enough to smile and wave.
I knew Benny well enough to know I liked him.
And I'm sad to know he's gone.

So many posts in a row dedicated to sadness...
And our country and the world in a mess...
We need a collective pick-me-up, don't we?

Mr. Merklin

Again, another sad notice this week. Brenda lost her father this week. Our thoughts are with the family.

Dale Hollanbeck

I read in the paper where Dale lost his mother this week. Our prayers are with the family.

Gloria Lindle

Via Carol "Casey Bade" Crafton-
Gloria "Peaches" Lindle has passed.
Please add details as they become available.

This Small World

Over at my blog, a guy responded to my post about the visit Cinders, TwoDogs, Sara Jean and I paid to Ft. Knox, KY last year.
His message was, "I too went to Officer Candidate School at Fort Knox and have compiled a great deal of information about the OC Brigade while it was active there."
He asked if I was interested in adding my name to the growing list of former candidates sharing information about the 4,203 Officer Candidates that passed through the school during its existence. I answered in the affirmative.

"Doug" has since sent me four or five emails, including one that has the roster of class 28-67...
The class I attended. Of course, reading those names brought a flood of memories.
Eighty-six of the 127 Officer Candidates that started that class graduated and pinned on their "Butter Bars" on 13 October 1967.
Two of those men were killed in Viet Nam.
One of those received the Medal of Honor for his incredible bravery in attempting to save men under his command.

I'm amazed at how computers are continually shrinking the size of this big 'ol world.
But you have to stick your toe in the water that is the internet in order for others to find you and share things of interest with you.

Where's your toe?
Stick it in!