Diary of a Reunion

“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dear Diary,

Today is June 12, 1968. I graduated from Bitburg High School last night and this morning I’m on an Air Force bus headed for Frankfurt. My family and I are flying back home to Sacramento, CA after living here for three years. Wait a minute! Bitburg is my home, not Sacramento. All of my friends are here. I can’t stop crying but didn’t I cry when we left Boston, when we left Marietta, GA, then Savannah, then Albuquerque and even Sacramento? Diary, my tears are different this time. I feel a void, a sadness that is already starting to overwhelm me. Little did I know that I would carry these feelings with me for many years. I’ll miss you, Kathy Kelly. I’ll miss you, Kathy Ford. I’ll miss you, Sixto Ortiz. I love all of you so much and please let’s keep in touch. I’m leaving many friends behind but the three of you have been like family and I’ll miss you the most.

Life happened and we eventually lost touch with one another. However, I’ve never forgotten any of you. Kathy Kelly, every time I heard a Bob Dylan song, I’d think of you. When you wanted me to “come out and play” you wouldn’t make the trek to the third floor where I lived but you’d “holler” up instead. We always heard you, too.

Kathy Ford, you made a beautiful possum queen and that infectious laugh of yours always made me smile. Sixto, remember my sweet sixteen party and you were doing the Alligator dance to “Hanky Panky”? I know that was the best birthday that I’ve ever had. We had so much fun, huh?

Dear Diary,

Fast forward to the year 2005. I marry, have three children and divorce all by the age of 30. I raised my children by myself and we had some hard times. Financially, I couldn’t give them extras but if nothing else, I instilled in them the thirst for knowledge and the desire to get a good education. I am so very proud of my children and for the adults that they’ve become. My oldest son, David, is now 37 and is less than 2 months away from getting his PhD in the field of genetics. My daughter-in-law Hui-Chi who is from Taiwan has about half a year left for the same degree in the same field. Both work at the UC Davis Cancer Research Center. Their first child, my first granddaughter Marissa was born on April 17, 2006. My daughter, Angela, is now 34 and is a full-time student at UC Davis majoring in neurobiology, physiology and behavior. She will have her BA this quarter. I really don’t know where these two children of mine got their science smarts from because it certainly wasn’t from me and most definitely not from my ex. My baby, Michael, is now 31 and his preferences are my preferences. We both love history, literature and the arts. He works for a title company with Nissan as his biggest client. Memo to self----ask Michael if he gets an employee discount. I would love to have a new Z. Dream on, Darlene. Michael is also a full-time student at Sacramento State University majoring in British history with a minor in English. He’ll earn his BA in about a year’s time. Michael’s dream is to write the next great American novel but will teach in the meantime at the college level to keep food on the table.

My daughter-in-law Shelly is going to school full-time for a degree in Early Childhood Development. She’s getting plenty of on-the-job training with my two grandsons. Andrew was born on November 12, 2003 exactly one week after my birthday. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift than that of a grandchild. Being a grandparent is the best ‘job’ that I’ve ever had. Holden was born on July 27, 2005 and is named after the main character in Catcher in the Rye (bringing back memories, Greg Wells and Jim Keto?). I worked for many years at McClellan AFB as the NAF payroll administrator. Right before the base closed, I left to test the waters in the “real world”. I was lucky that I always got the job that I went after. My job history includes payroll, benefits administration, 401(k) administration, COBRA administration, event planner, even a bra consultant and fitter at Macy’s (a part-time job in addition to a full-time job). I’m currently employed with Kaiser Permanente, a major healthcare provider. I had a minor stroke in 1995 and that ended my “working two jobs” career. I have a lingering case of aphasia but old age may be a contributing factor as well. I’m still an avid reader (one book after another), love live theatre, collect foreign films and am passionate about men’s basketball both professional and college. Since the Kings have traded away many members of our community’s family like Chris Webber, Peja, Bobby Jackson, Vladi, Doug Christie (my guy), Jimmie Jackson, the team is not the same (only Brad Miller and Mike Bibby remain) so I tend to watch more college than professional. I try not to miss televised games of the Kentucky Wildcats and of the Duke Blue Devils. Go, Coach K. My favorite television shows are ‘24’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and I refuse to answer the telephone when ‘Jeopardy’ is on. I’m currently working on a couple of children’s books and it would be a dream come true if I can get them published.

Dear Diary,

My friend Linda gave me her old computer today. I know, I know! I hear it all of the time from my family and my friends. It’s almost 2006 and I still don’t have a computer in my home. I’m on computers all day and by the time I get home I don’t even want to look at one. Today is October 29, 2005 and Linda has already connected everything for me and I’m using her AOL account until I can get one of my own. The first thing I decide to do is to go to Classmates.com and suddenly I’m looking at all of these familiar names from Bitburg High School. I wonder how so and so is doing, I wonder where so and so is today so I pull out my yearbooks and for the next few hours I’m transported back in time. A time so long ago at times it doesn’t even feel real to me.

Dear Diary,

Today is October 30, 2005. There’s a message on my answering machine from Kathy Kelly Hill who along with Sixto Ortiz, Kathy Ford Litalien and Danny McGowan have been looking for me for a few years. They were about to give up on me and Kelly decided to check Classmates.com one more time and there I was!!

Dear Diary,

Today is November 30, 2005. Kathy Kelly Hill and Kathy Ford Litalien are flying in tomorrow to spend the weekend with me. It’s been almost 38 years since we’ve seen each other. Diary, I’m nervous, I’m excited. What if feelings have changed between us?

Dear Diary,

Today is December 4, 2005. Kathy Kelly Hill is headed back to Maryland and Kathy Ford Litalien is on her way home to Utah. We’re all making plans to attend the upcoming reunion in June yet June seems so far away before we can see each other again. Our mini-reunion was wonderful. Time had literally stood still for us- we laughed, we giggled, we cried and pored over yearbooks, drank lots of coffee and rarely slept the whole weekend. It was a weekend long slumber party with my two closest friends from high school. It was a weekend that went by too quickly. Hurry up, June!

Dear Diary,

It’s May 31, 2006. It’s D-day and it’s almost time to go to the airport. I have not flown since October 1997 and I’m nervous as hell. My suitcases are all packed, my chest is tightening up and the breathing is getting labored. I’m starting to hyperventilate. David calls to see if he can pick up some lunch for me on his way over. I’ve already had part of a pumpernickel bagel and my stomach is too queasy to add anything else to the mix. I ask David if he is really planning to drop me off at the curb to fend for myself. His reply is “What do you want me to do? Hold your hand?” DUH!! He lugs my bulging suitcases down the rickety stairs and in response to his sighs I think to myself, “yes I do need everything in those suitcases, thank you very much.” We get to the airport a little after noon and my flight is at 1:39pm. My loving son holds my hand going into the terminal and points to a line and tells me that I have to do the talking. That’s known as “tough love”. I get my tickets and my bags are checked. Man, I could have stuffed a few more things in those suitcases and still wouldn’t have gone over the weight limit. Oh well, next time. Then it’s time to hug my son and go up the escalator by myself. I immediately bond with two other grannies and then it’s time to board United for the first flight into Chicago on my way to Baltimore. It’s a full flight and I’m in the middle seat. To my left is Ryan who is on his way to London and is meeting his baby sister in Chicago who is flying in from Denver. His step-mom is turning 50 and the trip is a gift to all of them from Dad. On my right is a businessman going home to Chicago and he was totally absorbed in his novel the entire flight. We sat in the airplane for 1 ½ hours before departing Sacramento. My plan was to get something to eat at O’Hare because I was going to have a 1 ½ hour lay-over. The best laid plans of mice and men sometimes go awry. I really made the most of that extremely small bag of mini-pretzels that the stewardess handed out. And I didn’t dare finish my Diet Pepsi because I didn’t want to disturb Ryan by trying to climb over him in those spacious seats in an attempt to go to the bathroom. Surely, I would have a moment to go to the bathroom at O’Hare. As we got closer to our destination, the pilot requested that those passengers not making connections remain on the airplane in order that the others could make their flights. Yeah, right!! That didn’t happen, folks.

We landed at 8:30pm and my connecting flight was scheduled to leave at 9:05pm. By the time I got off the plane, it was almost 9pm. I found the departure board and saw the words that made my heart sink: Flight 1132, Gate B7, ON TIME. I look up and see nothing but gates labeled “C”. Where in the hell is the “B” section? And, yes, O’Hare has the reputation of being the busiest airport in the United States. My daughter-in-law Shelly wants me to take a lot of pictures because she’s going to make a scrapbook of my trip. But, I seriously doubt if anyone would have slowed down long enough to pick up this little old granny had I fallen let alone take a picture for my scrapbook. As it was, I was just a blurred blue mass trying to run and make my connection. Did I mention that I had not gone to the bathroom or even eaten since Sacramento? I finally managed to find the “B” section at the opposite end of the airport without having a heart attack or another stroke or even falling on my face. Moral: Do not believe everything you read. The flight was an hour late and we landed in Baltimore close to 1am EST. I had a window seat flying out of Chicago and the view of the city at night was spectacular. Sitting next to me was a young couple coming from New Orleans who were headed to Baltimore to start a new life. He had been attending LSU and was now a student at Georgetown. She was no longer able to attend Tulane because of Katrina and was enrolled at University of Maryland. Nice couple. Kelly and her husband John met me at the airport. John snores very loudly and after having to wake him up twice in the airport lobby, she just decided to move very far away from him when he fell asleep again. My girl! She still has it after all of these years! I also found out that he does all of the cooking, too. You go, girl!

It’s almost 3am and Kelly and I have been talking non-stop but it’s time to get some much-needed shut-eye. I’m shown to my accommodations and I must say, I’m impressed. It’s definitely 5-star, cable, ceiling fan (a definite must here because of the humidity), comfortable bed and all. I feel very welcome and comfortable in Kelly’s home. Thank you, Hill family.

We’ve been listening to 60’s music to get into the reunion mode. I’ve immediately bonded with Amanda, Kelly’s 25- year old daughter. She calls me Granny (I’ve since changed that to Auntie) and I call her Cupcake. She’s decided to pass on the Special Olympics this year and go to Georgia with us. I’ve also met Ethan who is 19 years old and rarely socializes with the “older” folk so I feel honored. He confided in me that he was fasting and that today is his first day. I asked him if he was doing that Fat Flushing Toxin thing and he asked me if I was from California. I guess the diet is a California invention. I had my daughter-in-law Shelly print the article for me but the first thing to eliminate is caffeine so it’s still sitting on my counter at home. I am a caffeine addict and my children know that if I need an IV in the future, Diet Dr. Pepper or Diet Pepsi has to be used. We had an intense thunder and lightning storm this afternoon and it was awesome. I do love this kind of weather.

June 2, 2006

Amanda has not been feeling well for the past few days but she wants to try to attend tonight’s performance of her play. Once a year her group called No Boundaries puts on a musical that runs for two nights. This year they’re performing songs and acts from “South Pacific”, “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Guys and Dolls” and “Hello Dolly”. Kelly spends the better part of the afternoon getting Amanda ready for her big night, the wardrobe, the make-up, the hair, etc. It’s almost time to go and things are looking iffy. Ten minutes after we get to the recreation center, we’re all on our way home. Amanda is not feeling well at all.

June 3, 2006

Déjà vu! Amanda is still not doing well but she wants to try going to her performance again tonight. So, it’s time for make-up, wardrobe and hair. The performance was wonderful and to see those special needs adults so happy when we gave them a standing ovation brought tears to my eyes. Kelly and John are so good with Amanda and actively support all that she wants to try in life. The best performance of the night was Amanda singing “Bushel and a Peck” from “Guys and Dolls”. That girl can sing!!

June 4, 2006

It’s Sunday and both Amanda and Kelly got very little sleep last night. Amanda is still not her old self yet and it’s taking its toll on Kelly. Our plans today were to go to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore for a little sightseeing. We’ve decided that my next trip out here will include a trip to New York, DC and all of the rest. I’m ok with that because I didn’t come out here to see the sights. I came out here to visit with Kelly and meet her family and go to the reunion. John is putting a turkey on the grill and I’m going to make a pasta salad from a recipe that Jamie (my next door neighbor who is from Lebanon) gave me. However, that salad almost didn’t happen because when I went to shop for the ingredients, the store clerk had never heard of edamame much less had it in stock. So, I decided to go with a green bell pepper instead but when we got home, John came to the rescue. He had some edamame in the freezer and my salad was saved! Dessert is going to be a concoction of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries (my favorite fruit in the whole wide world) over pound cake with a little plop of Cool Whip. The evening is going to end with a relaxing soak in the hot tub.

Dear Diary,

It’s June 5th and we’re getting ready for our road trip to Georgia. Kelly says that our biggest obstacle is getting out of the city because the commute into DC is unbelievable. People drive in from Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and Pennsylvania to work in DC and one can see the lanes of traffic bumper to bumper for miles. We decide to leave about 5am so it’s an early bedtime tonight.

June 6, 2006,

We actually get on the road about 5:30am. The traffic is already getting heavy. Please allow me to digress for a few minutes. For those of you who have not been to Maryland, the state is just beautiful. It’s so green and lush and except for the humidity, I could actually see myself living here IF I weren’t already living in California. We cross into Virginia an equally beautiful state and I love reading the exit signs-so much history on those hallowed grounds. I love history with special interests centered on the Civil War and World War II.

We get into North Carolina and start thinking about stopping for something to eat. Can’t go wrong with Denny’s but miss the exit because we’re gabbing. So, what else is new? After going many miles and not seeing another Denny’s sign, we decided on a Waffle House in Hillsboro. We’re pleased that we’ve beaten the lunch rush. Little did we know that there is no such thing here. We’re shown to our table, one with a perfect view of the grill dripping with waffle batter. Well, it is Waffle House, right? Sure hope that’s today’s mess. The cook is standing guard and is anxiously awaiting our order, spatula in hand. I surreptitiously pick up my fork for the mini-Darlene inspection and hear Kelly whisper out of the corner of her mouth, “Darlene, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. We’re not going to be using the forks, anyway”. Mr. Cook hears a noise and quickly looks around. We wolf our hamburgers down and we’ll worry about the gusto later. As we run to the car, Kelly asked if I had seen the big mousetrap under the grill! No, I did NOT see that mousetrap under the grill. Yucko!! Maybe the cook thought that he had caught another mouse but the sound he heard must have been my elbows hitting the table as they slipped off the greasy plastic placemat. Please don’t get me wrong. I’ve eaten at Waffle Houses before but I will not eat at this one again. As of January 1, 2007, a new law was implemented in California. Every single eating establishment in the state will have a green placard or a yellow placard or a red placard displayed at its entrance. Green is for “GO”, yellow indicates a few health violations and red indicates that the place has been shut down. I think that it’s a great idea. Now if only California can ban cell phones while driving because we have some of the worst drivers in America and they all drive while talking on the phone or drive while putting on make-up or drive while eating a 5 course dinner or drive while reading their morning newspaper. The scenarios are endless. The law banning the use of hand held cell phones becomes effective July 2008. Something else that I saw in either North Carolina or Virginia (can’t recall which state) but Philip Morris with the giant cigarette as a smoke stack was so foreign to me. California is a smoke-free state. No smoking is allowed in public buildings, even bars. Even our governor (I love Arnie) has to smoke his cigars in a tent that was set up on the lawns when he was elected in the recall election. Smoke-free!

I did see the exit to Duke University and that excited me. Go Blue Devils. Go Coach K.

We cross into South Carolina and it’s time for a potty break. Time to stretch, too. Kelly is dying for some pecan divinity from Stuckey’s and I need some postcards for my reunion scrapbook that I hope to finish before the next reunion.

Ah, finally, Georgia. I dearly love Georgia having lived in Savannah at Hunter AFB for a little over 5 years. The smells of honeysuckle and rain in the air, the birthplace of Juliette G. Lowe founder of the Girl Scouts, our favorite family restaurant called “The Pirate’s Chest”, the antebellum homes. . .so many fond memories of Savannah. There have been so many songs written about Georgia, too. Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia”, Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind”, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by Charlie Daniels, Vicki Lawrence’s “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” and my personal favorite, Brook Benton’s “A Rainy Night in Georgia” just to name a few. However, as we drove deeper and deeper into the woods, the only song playing in my mind was “Dueling Banjos” and by the look on Kelly’s face, she was a-picking and a-grinning to the same tune.

We finally find the Unicoi State Park and Lodge where our reunion is going to be held. This is my first reunion and I’m so excited and anxious for everything to get started. We get settled in our room and head out on an exploration of the facilities. Dude, where’s the pool? We find the dining area and find out the times that breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. I hope that everyone got a chance to stop and admire the beautiful handmade quilts that were on display. This is a hobby that I would like to pursue. I have the materials, the books and everything else to get started but have yet to start on a quilt. Always tomorrow, huh?

Slowly people are starting to gather in the conference center and I will be the first to admit that I’m feeling extremely overwhelmed at this point not to mention very emotional. People recognize me that I don’t recognize, I recognize people that don’t recognize me and then there’s instant recognition on both parts. Carolyn ROBINSON Page, I would recognize you anywhere! Her theme song back in the day was ‘Torn Between Two Lovers’. There’s Chuck Ford, Rick Hoover (Dana’s little brother), Sharon Bailey, Cindy Bounds, and Jonathan Pugh. I see Sonny Rasar, Jim Keto and Sharon Kivlin. We rocked, Class of ’68. Over there is the “IT” couple of 1966. . .Cam and Irish Strong still together after all of these years. What a great looking couple then and what a great looking couple now. Libby . . . I know you from high school but can’t remember the connection. You signed my yearbook and after comparing notes, we remembered that we were in the same journalism class. Greg, you make me feel young and pretty again. Naomi, can’t wait to see you when you arrive tomorrow. Everyone is laughing and having a great time and looking through yearbooks. It feels so surreal to me and I’m so happy that I’ve found my other family once again. We’re sad, too, because of the members of our family who are no longer with us. I attended Larry Diehm’s (Class of ’67) memorial service. He and his wife Sue were in Germany at the time of his sudden death on September 25, 1994. He was only 45 years old. Larry could be a pain but he was my friend and I miss him so much. He was a very successful businessman and owned the Baron Ski Shop here in Sacramento. Who could ever forget Herr Gamse? I remember the day that he tried to recruit me for the tennis team after watching one of our softball games. His theory was that if I could play softball, I would be a natural at tennis. Wrong! I also remember the day that he stood in front of the class with tears streaming down his face because Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated the day before. Thank goodness he told us in English because I would have been totally lost. As a rule, we were only allowed to speak German in his class. Needless to say, I barely passed German III. He was a special teacher and a special man. There was Joseph Davis. He and his wife Rosella (my English teacher) always referred to me as their “daughter”. I’m sure that each and every one of you can relate to the loss of a friend, a teacher, a sibling from our high school days. But life goes on as they say; it’s just a little emptier without them.

The Teen Club Pizza party is under way and everyone is having a great time but then just like that, it’s over!! I have a suggestion for the next reunion. Why can’t we include a sock hop on this night? Yeah, I hear some of you groaning but I think that it would be fun. Music was and still is a huge part of our lives so why not? We could even give away a couple of t-shirts for the craziest socks, the ugliest socks or whatever. I volunteer to coordinate this and I’m sure that I can get a couple of others to help me. Kelly, Amanda and I are going back to our room. It’s been a long day and we’re ready to call it a night. We’re all ready for bed and the phone rings. It’s Sixto asking if he and Maria can come over and visit. We had such a nice night of conversation with them. Maria is a beautiful lady and Sixto is a very lucky man to have her in his life. Wow! They have six children and eleven grandchildren between them. How wonderful is that? I don’t need to tell you, diary, that Sixto has waited almost 38 years to be in a bedroom with me and Kelly.

June 9, 2006

It’s Friday and tonight is the Welcome BBQ dinner. Kelly, Libby, Amanda and I decide to go and check out the city of Helen.

The following information is taken from the “Alpine Helen/2006 Travel Guide”.

“Helen, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Chattahoochee River, is a re-creation of an alpine village complete with cobblestone alleys and old-world towers. This Northeast Georgia village has a rich history linked to the Cherokee Indians and their burial mounds as well as early settlers who arrived to mine for gold and cut virgin timber for a thriving lumber industry in the early 1900’s. Now celebrating its thirty-seventh year as a mountain community with a touch of Bavaria, Helen’s evolution into an alpine village began in 1968 when a group of local businessmen met to discuss ways to revitalize their town. They approached a nearby artist friend, who had been stationed in Germany. He sketched the buildings, added gingerbread trim, details and colors to the buildings, giving the Alpine look to the entire town. In January 1969, business owners and local carpenters began turning ideas into reality and all downtown stores were renovated. Faces of buildings were painted with scenes of Bavaria and North Georgia, mirroring the migration of early settlers. In 2002, $1.2 million was spent on improvements in the downtown area. Helen has accomplished much; it has created a new town and industry, providing jobs for more people and boosting the economy of the entire area. Helen also commemorates its historic past when the early settlers came to this remote area. A village with mountain heritage and a touch of Bavaria, Helen has created a unique experience for its visitor. So, this is the story of Helen, the miracle of a small, remote mountain community who revitalized itself in various ways throughout several centuries and who today hosts nearly 2 million visitors each year.”

I was surprised to learn that Helen is the most popular destination in North Georgia and third in the State behind Atlanta and Savannah.

After finally finding a parking space, we start going through the quaint little town and its many shops. Of course, we go into the Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen and Kelly buys some scrumptious pecan divinity. I think I bought my usual favorite – a chocolate covered caramel apple rolled in peanuts. Too bad it wasn’t rolled in pecans (my favorite nut in the whole wide world). I’m definitely in the right State for pecans. Libby and I fall in love with the clocks in the Scandinavian & European Import shop. Our last stop before heading back to the lodge was Betty’s Country Store where we picked up a few provisions for our room. On the way in, we were approached by a couple of clowns (seriously) who had just gotten off the Red Devils Clown bus (seriously). By their demeanor and attitude, we naturally assumed that they were going to hit on us. I’ve dated a few clowns in my day but this was going a bit too far. Thankfully, they were only collecting money for the Shriners.

I don’t even remember what was served for dinner tonight. I’m still so excited about seeing so many familiar faces from high school. Cindy Bounds Daugherty (Class of ’67) and her husband Dan sat with us at dinner. Cindy was voted “Wittiest” in her senior year and to this day, she has the best personality. She and I were acquaintances in high school but after tonight, I know that now we’re friends for life. I’ve made some new friends as well like Gloria Janesik Wilson (Class of ’70), Don Cooper (Class of ’63), Roger Lamb (Class of ’65) and his wife Marcia just to name a few. I’ve met spouses like Cecilia Wells, Maria Ortiz, Sue Hoover, Kenny Page, Dan Daugherty, Jim Litalien, Vicki Ford as well as others; all very nice people.

June 10, 2006

Tonight is the buffet dinner and dance. It’s also the last night of our reunion. There’s going to be a general meeting this morning and then a group photo shoot of the alumni. Class of ’68, there were 88 in our graduating class and only six of us showed up at the reunion. Where were you?

The general meeting was very interesting and much to my surprise, I found myself sitting at a table with someone who lives less than 10 miles from me in Sacramento. Her name is Bobbie Goodman Lee (Class of ’66). It really is a small world. I told Jim Keto that he was always so quiet in school that half the time I felt that he wasn’t even in class. He confessed that on a good week, he only attended school twice a week. Bitburger Pils sponsors our reunions every three years and they provide cases and cases of beer for us. To show our appreciation, the alumni give Dr. Dietsch a gift every reunion. In 2003 he received a surfboard because the reunion was held in San Diego. This year he is receiving a beautiful banjo. The town of Helen sells t-shirts inscribed with “Paddle faster if you hear banjos playing”. What an appropriate gift. The film “Deliverance” was filmed on the Chattanooga River here in Georgia. In 1972, it was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. We had a guest speaker during our meeting today. Her name is Donna Musil and she, too, is a military BRAT. She told us about creating a documentary about growing up military; a project that was seven years in the making. An enthusiastic Donna told us how through mere fate, Kris Kristofferson agreed to narrate the documentary and also allow her to use some of his songs in the production. Donna showed us a snippet of the film and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place afterwards. It is so true about military BRATS. I was born in Albuquerque but I grew up everywhere, but I call Sacramento my home; so typical of growing up military. I’m almost sure that everyone one of us bought her DVD today.

Time to go back to the room and just chill for a little while before the big dinner and dance.

We couldn’t rest so we decided to go back into the town and waste a few hours just looking around. All of a sudden the song “Walk Like An Egyptian” blasted through our room. It seemed to be coming from the air conditioning unit. . .it was that loud! We left our room and followed the music and there on the hill was the Red Devils Clown bus. Are they following us to get that donation to the Shriners? Of course not; they were getting ready for the big Shriners’ parade that would be going through downtown Helen. With that going on, we weren’t able to go into town after all.

It was finally time to go to the dinner and dance. Diary, this night by far was the best night of the reunion. Again, I don’t remember the menu but I had such a good time dancing despite the arthritis in my legs and knees. The live band was awesome and everyone seemed to be having fun. I don’t EVER remember seeing Sonny Rasar get down like that back at the high school dances. Maybe his wife Robin has something to do with those hip-hop moves out on the dance floor nowadays. My mind could have literally danced all night but doubt if my legs would have cooperated. I’m already looking forward to the next reunion with these wonderful people who are my other “family”. The night ended with hugs and kisses and promises to stay in touch. Maybe a mini-reunion here and there but definitely promises to reunite for the next reunion in 2009.

June 12, 2006

Dear Diary,

Greetings from the beautiful state of Maryland. It’s raining here and everyone’s gone except Kelly and me. It’s so peaceful and quiet right now. I love what I have seen of this state but I’m missing California and my family, too. We got back from Georgia about 7pm last night and John had dinner and the hot tub waiting for us. Our bones and joints were so stiff and tired so the tub was extremely therapeutic. We don’t know if it was due to old age or the 12 - hour drive home or from dancing all night before. I would guess possibly a combination of all three. I’m going back to Sacramento on June 14th but it’s been a wonderful trip in spite of a few obstacles. For those of you who haven’t attended a reunion, what are you waiting for? And for those of you who have attended in the past but haven’t come back, what are you waiting for? Life is too short. Does anyone know where Linda ‘Peaches’ Madison is? Dana Hoover, I expect to see you at the next reunion. Danny McGowan, I know that you’ll be there. Larry Galbreath, Roger Herman, Oggie Penberthy, Ricky Rocha, and everyone else who may be reading this; please show up at the next reunion. We have such a good time and with more and more alumni being found, I’m sure that the good times are just going to get better. So, for now, diary, I’ll put you away. We’re having a mini-reunion in late September in Gettysburg, PA. Since Kathy KELLY Hill only lives about an hour from there, she is opening up her home to anyone who wants to camp out. I’ve already called dibs on my old bedroom. See everyone then!

Submitted by Darlene DAVIS Boucher, Class of ‘68