THERE ARE RULES & THEN THERE ARE RULES

During our reunion picnic I was chatting with one of my favorite couples, he a KHS65 member and she a little bit younger, but a KHSer also. We were discussing his going stag to reunion activities and she smiled and said, "Oh, it's okay with me, but I do have three rules about it - first he can't use my car (she has a cute cute red convertible), he can't wear after-shave and he has to pick out his own clothes for the occasion." I cracked up, what a perfect wifely set of rules. The husband in question IS a real charmer, so the equally charming better-half is a very wise woman indeed. This may have something to do with the fact that they have been married for over 40 years!

BILL PAPE RIDES THE DOG TO 45TH REUNION -RUMINATIONS ALONG THE WAY

I don't think I knew Bill at KHS, but through our reunion activities I've come to like him a LOT. What an interesting guy! Of course he was a runner at KHS, then he rode a bike from New Jersey to our 25th reunion! NOW, I learn, by accident while roaming on Facebook, that he rode a bus to our recent 45th. It sounds like he had a real adventure on the way home. And juxtaposed with the story of the ride home, we find some romantic ruminations...probably reminiscent of the type of memories many of us have! To wit:

To get to high school reunions this year, and distinguish myself from successful classmates in doing so, I road the Dog this year to St. Louis, not a bike as in a previous reunion year. It was an interesting trip both ways. On my way back East, I found myself riding with a group of convicts, whom the bus driver labeled, “The Committee.” Whenever she got on the loud speaker to chastise them through Illinois and Indiana she addressed them as “The Committee,” I think because they talked so much, so loud and so continuously during the long miles of our ride. I guessed them to be convicts because as we pulled out of St. Louis, I heard the words “half way house” in one of their comments, and because, after they got finished displaying for several hours an encyclopedic knowledge of sports, which included discounting, in two sentences, a 12-page 'New Yorker' article on boxing I showed them, they moved on to various discussions of what one rap song I like summarizes as “blunts and broads……, ” (“Hypnotize,” by the genius, Notorious B.I.G.). They showed me, as I listened in, that they certainly knew more about drugs than I had learned in 30 years as a probation officer, and more about women than I learned in 60+ years of relationships with that gender. I was also prompted to guess they came from somewhere in common because they all had a uniform of sorts, white t-shirts and white crew-top socks in sandals. At one stop, our tough-as-nails driver had the police take one of them off, which I thought a little unfair, since his crime, hogging two seats, was one she charged me with just before yelling at him for it. I guess his release from a short stint of fed time was starting out badly, because he had to renew his travel by some other means than the Dog in the middle of Ohio. One of the committee members took the attached picture for me, showing our bus. Attending this year’s reunion was one of three women I fell in love with between kindergarten and 6th grade, “affairs” that decreased in intensity and time-span unfortunately over time, until the one with Cynthia lasted probably about 20 seconds, by the drinking fountain behind Tillman, perhaps completely in the imagined, instead of real, world, since she had no knowledge of it to recollect when I mentioned it to her. All that I remember happening in this last affair was my liking her and our having a few words together. The first “affair” lasted at least a couple years, from pre-K in Berkeley, MO, until I moved to Kirkwood in the middle of second grade, devastating at least me, and it included a lot of drama, most times real, once interrupted by the cleaning lady. The second affair, slightly tamer and less emotionally intense, involved my being summoned into a bedroom closet by a girl who became a KHS beauty (in another grade) for examination of our under-garments, after both our mothers inexplicably consented to a suggestion we two enjoy a sleep-over, at her house, in her bedroom, after which I would have to wait some ten more years for an invitation so excellent. Cynthia, my third and least actual affair, also turned out to be a very beautiful woman, as can be seen in the attached picture, so at least there was nothing wrong with my eyesight in those years.

Bill, hope it's okay that I put this excellent article here, I figure if you're willing for it to be on Facebook, you won't mind it here! Stay in touch!

45th REUNION NOW A MEMORY BUT PIX LAST FOREVER

If you attended our Reunion and took photos that you'd like to share with the world, please send to me for posting. You can email them right off your camera, please don't edit down the size. Or you can print, scan and email or you can mail hard copy pix which I PROMISE you'll get back if you ask. There are now 169 Reunion Weekend pix in the 2010 Album at www.khs65.com. I have already moved all the grade school photos to their own album to make them easier to find, and I have MANY to add, thanks to generous folks like Bill Watts, Bill's cousin Kathy Watts, Mike Caldwell, Ardy Goodman, Jeannette Klein, Kathy Kenner, Pat Moisio, Georgeann Meinhardt, and probably some more! There are already several there, with more coming. If you have class photos to share, wait a bit to see what I end up posting then check to see what you might have! - THANKS- I'll post when I have them all finished! Email me to figure out the best way to send photos. Feel free to add comments to any photos too! Especially if I made an error, or said something you think isn't just quite appropriate! OR if YOU can think of a better caption, I'm always open to improvements! As of 9/6 I am not aware of any more pictures coming my way from the reunion, but I welcome more if you have some!

REASON #1 FOR NOT ATTENDING KHS65 REUNION

WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE OFF FROM FLORIDA FOR STL & THE REUNION TODAY!
OBVIOUSLY I'M DOING SOMETHING ELSE.....

IN THIS PICTURE I'M SITTING ON OUR CONDO PATIO DECK IN DUNNELLON.
MO-INLAW SENT A CARE PKG DUE TO MY INJURY SO I'M DRAPED IN THE EASY
ON/OFF SHIRTS, HOLDING BOOK, ETC. ....I'D PLANNED TO INCLUDE THIS
PHOTO IN A TKU CARD TO HER, BUT IT'S ALSO USEFUL TO "SHOW" & "TELL"
MY STORY, ALBEIT ONE HANDED & IN ALL CAPS. I'VE ALSO FOUND
SLIP-ON-SHIRTS ARE GREAT - NOTE HUSBAND'S SOFT V-TEE SHIRT - AND SO
ARE PULL-UP PANTS......FORGET BUTTONS, MAKE-UP OR STYLING YOUR HAIR.
MAYBE I'M IN TRAINING FOR MY SENIOR YRS??? OPPS, THAT'S RIGHT, I'M
ALREADY THERE....ANOTHER SENIOR MOMENT.

I FELL & BROKE MY ELBOW; SUBSEQUENT SURGERY INCLUDED 2 SCREWS, 1
FIGURE 8 SPRING, & 18 STAPLES. I'M TO BE IN THIS SLING/HALF CAST FOR A
MONTH, THEN BRACE & PHYSICAL THERAPY 4-6 MONTHS. I KEEP HEARING THE
SONG IN MY HEAD, "IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME...".

I WILL MISS THE REUNION ON SEVERAL LEVELS! I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING
FORWARD TO ALL THE PICTURES YOU ALWAYS POST SO I CAN PRETEND I WENT.
TO ALL MY CLASSMATES, PICTURE ME THERE!

HAVE A GREAT TIME REMEMBERING OLD MEMORIES & CREATING NEW ONES,
GEORGANN

GET WELL QUICK GEORGANN!!! WHAT BAD TIMING!!! :-)
As Georgann pointed out to me, we need to include the pic of her hubby Steve Vehmeier, to honor his nearly 43 years of tending to her. He's nursed her back to health before, but wasn't expecting this! Check out the view of the WITHLACHOOCHEE River from their condo deck in Dunnellon! When I have time, I'll post some more photos of it, paradise on the west coast of Florida for SURE!
Georgann has sent me a big envelope of wonderful classmate photos and articles, which I will get posted as soon as I can, am running out of time to get ready for the reunion weekend! Thanks again Georgann!!!

KHS65 REUNION 2010

45th KHS65 REUNION - BE THERE OR BE SQUARE
AUGUST 6, 7 & 8, 2010

ANHEUSER BUSCH SOCCER PARK BANQUET CENTER

No, we're not going to play soccer, but we are going to have a great Kirkwood weekend, so make plans now for your 2010 August Kirkwood getaway.

Stay tuned here or email to be sure you are on our email or snailmail list! IF YOU HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION BY SNAIL MAIL, PLEASE EMAIL TO RECEIVE THE INVITATION.

Schedule:
Friday casual gathering at Jefferson Grill, next to PJs at 127 W Jefferson, Cash bar 6:30 to 11:30 pm

Saturday 6:30 open bar, dinner/buffet at 7:30; bar reopens 8:30 til 11:30.
#1 Soccer Park Road, Fenton 63026

Sunday, 11AM
Picnic main pavilion behind tennis courts, grilled burgers, dogs, soda and beer included in reunion cost, Picnic only $10.

Cost $70 per person includes all events.

Special rates available at two area hotels, contact us for details!

KHS65 Make it a Habit!