Wild animals, mooses and horses, oh my!!!!

August 17: Cathy had to go to work, but got us free parking, and then we all hiked up to the Animal Park. I love that place, the Zoo too, but the Wild A.P. is more of a hiking thing. Now understand, Lorna and I probably consume about the same calories, always did, but proof positive, there is such a thing as metabolism and thinness. Lorna is very slight, and I’m plump (not obese, we are like the two girls in Midsummer Night‘s Dream, mutt-n-jeff), Lorna is only 6 months older than me (and smokes) but we kept up with each other hiking all over this park. Lorna got a big kick out of these really skinny deer that disappeared when they turned front wise, and we encountered one of those white cow birds ( storks, they eat lice off the backs of water buffalo. I think.) that was strolling along the path, unhindered and free roaming. It’s a great shot. I took Lorna to the Lorikeet Landing too, and the birds loved her and landed on her ball cap, I think they loved her peach colored tank top. We saw the gorillas, they were active for a change. I took so many photos and video bits I ran out of room on my stick at Disneyland the next day!!! (that took talent, that stick NEVER bottoms out!)

Four hours was plenty for us both (very hot and lots of walking, and sharing sun block), we met up with Cathy for her lunch, and she and Lorna immediately split for the employees smoking lounge! While they had gaspers, I went off to see the Red River hogs, and they were real cuties. We hiked off for the car, and sought Hwy 5 (got lost, several times). We were trying to get to the beach, and Malcolm called about this time. He’s a friend off Myspace (only rational male I’ve met for a long time) we never did get to the beach, it just took too long. I think we stopped for burritos and it took too long. Wow was it crowded in San Clemente! The beach is not as easy to access as you might think in between LA and SD.

Lorna wanted to stop and change at her sister’s in Garden Grove, so we did. Lorna was funny "my sister’s house is a little over decorated" I loved it! Janice has these really nice old dishes and such, and hangs valances on the curtains. I’m not an expert, but I do know something about decorating (after those years at PacFab) and antique plates, and I had a nice talk with her while Lorna bathed and got changed. Then I got MY motel room, and got bathed, and likewise into something fresher. It was in our old neighborhood, and when I came out, Lorna had taken off hiking to see our old houses. Gosh I should have given her the keys! In Europe they walk or ride bikes, so I should not have been surprised that she took off on foot.

Anyway we ran late to get to Lucille’s but it turned out that there wasn’t much of a turn out anyway. Mark Safrick (and Mrs. Safrick), Scott Schroeder, me, Lorna, and Bob Cusack (?) turned up. We got some food (barbeque, and it was overpriced) Lorna snagged beer, I drank ice tea (it‘s a Southern thang). Scott ate some appetizer. Mark’s wife seemed really nice, first time I’d met her. The music was just tuning up as we left, it would have been nice to just stay there all night I think. Later Malcolm would say, considering the low turn out we got, the whole group could have easily fit into the Bahooka. Well, that is what I wanted to begin with!

Onward to the Moose Lodge. Scott told us he had a "loaner car" a Jaguar! Heheh. Didn’t have the heart to tell him my cousin Dinah had been driving me around in hers: apparently Jaguar has been taken over by Ford, which explains Dinah having one (they are a staunch Ford family). Anyway Lorna followed Scott and jumped in with him to ride to the Moose Lodge! It was really off the beaten path, and I would have missed it several times had someone not mentioned the Moose topiary bush out in front. It was all we could expect; the place smelled like "old building" and it was wearing the same paint it wore thirty years ago. $4 for a small plastic cup of wine cooler, of which I only had two. Bob did a great job on munchies, so that part was ok, and the karaoke/band was ok too, they did great.

But it was definitely not the turn-out we got for the 30th. The essential stories:

Curtis Buck, Judy Harliss Elving, Debbie DeVito Hurd showed up, in addition to those mentioned elsewhere. I bet I missed people, but no one signed the guest book. I think most were in shock.

Jon Bouvier told me he had encountered Cathy Wright some years after graduation, met her as she played a guitar gig in some place in town, rather enjoyable as Jon said, good musician. He went up to her after the performance, asked if he could buy her a drink. Somehow it turned out she asked him to buy some Glenfiddich and she proceeded to drink the WHOLE BOTTLE. You can get the finish to the story from Jon, I’m still having trouble believing it! (or Cathy herself if you know where she is…… she sure hasn’t checked in with me!)

Bob Everett was indeed married to Peggy Trigg for 18 months after he last reunion, and they are no longer married. Again I would refer you to Bob or Peggy for the rest of the story.

Lorna and Kurt Beener made eye contact, and Lorna got a grim look on her face. The 70’s story came out, involving the two of them, Lorna’s mad Irish boyfriend (that tells you a lot right there) and some hoe Beener had in tow. I’m glad I wasn’t around for that one, Lorna gets vicious when upset, and I bet that hussy is still looking for some of her hair. I think that was a Monterey story. Lorna lived in Santa Barbara, and then in Monterey for a while, she met her husband Frank in Monterey.

Roberta Halog arrived at the Moose Lodge, and had a very foxy gent in tow herself!

Leslie Harris of Class of ’73 was there, she is sister-in-law to Vicki Schultz Harris (they married brothers, Brian being Vicki’s husband) her report is that Vicki and Brian are fine, have a big home in Eugene area. I directed her to Lorna, as Lorna and Vicki were pretty thick during and after school.

My myspace friend Malcolm showed up! What a sweety he is! He ran around taking pictures, I haven’t had the courage to check his website yet. I’m sure I was the subject of some, and it scares me. I remember telling him "don’t chase the horse" as that was an I Ching reading I got regarding my own love life……..

Paul Simon was there (he is a teacher, works with troubled youth), and Dale (?) Parent…….. I finally recognized him, he was the guy who hung out in Mr. Logan’s back room, his TA/lab assistant. He’s gone on to be an engineer, and was rather a funny guy. There were some other folks too, I didn’t know but were attached to Bob somehow. Some even got up and sang Karaoke. I confess I was dancing a bit, because the music WAS good, but I wasn’t drunk, honest. I dance even when I’m sober. No one else would dance though, sad face.

By 10 o’clock people had had enough, and were peeling out. I gave Lorna a big hug, and off she went with her big sister Janice, and I won’t see her again for a long time I suspect. Darn I wish my good friends lived closer.

I’d say about 30 people showed up, including those not actually in our class. I see now why Great Reunions doesn’t do 35th, as no one shows up for those "in between" parties. I left about 10:30 and handed the (empty) memory book to Scott to take to the picnic. Then it was back to my motel, for some sleep and laundry in the bathtub. After being disgusted by Jay Leno’s guest (Michael Moore) I flipped over to a very funny Jimmy Kimmel show, wherein they were doing some Roundtable format (reminded me of The View, only the comedic male version). Baltimort became Lord Voldemort, and Dumbledore became "Four Doors" etc. (they were reviewing the latest Harry Potter movie). THEN Cousin Jimmy introduced a group from BRUM The Editors, very good, young man with a very deep voice as their lead. Goth/New Age/Rock, they had Pontiac as sponsors. I think one was wielding a Blue Gibson 335. Kimmel is obviously tapping his daughter’s brain, I think he has them linked on jimmykimmellive.com

Anyway with my clothes drip drying over the air conditioner, I nodded off to a much needed sleep.

August 18: I had this day slotted to go to Disneyland, I hadn’t see California Adventure, and was curious. I don’t know why, I’m sorta a Disneyland buff, and love the history and concept of the whole thing, some latent architecture bug in my soul I guess. SO I sorted out my cr*p, went to the train station, and (having packed all really non-essential things and dirty clothes into the large duffel bag) checked it in a day before I wanted to leave. Whew! That monkey was off my back! Then I paid another $100 to go home a day early, because in the midst of all this, I not only did a phone interview for a job (I did that while Lorna and Cathy ate chili rellenos in a very neat Mexican foot place in Escondido); I also gleaned an interview on the 21st. Aren’t cell phones wonderful? They can find you anywhere!

This meant missing the picnic on Sunday, but after the thoughtlessness of the second last-minute reunion at Homecoming, and then the poor turn out at the Moose Lodge the night before, I was really not into any more Reunion didoes. I’m feeling so nasty about it I may skip further encounters, but 2012 is a long way off and there is time to rethink it all. Other people were disgusted too. We discussed the "splinter" reunion groups when we planned the 30th reunion, and I still can’t believe it happened this time.

Anyway having pared my luggage down to a back-pack and a purse, I dropped the backpack at Dinah’s house…….. Bless her heart, she let me drape my damp cargo pants on a chair so they would dry. The other damp clothes I actually put on, because they dry quickly when you wear them, and I wore those to D-land. Dinah even said she would come pick me up from D-land (don’t walk!!! She chastised me after the walk I did from the train station). And then I dropped the car at Avis a day early, and hiked off with a very light load for Disneyland.

It has changed a lot since I was there before.

>>>>>>>>>>>go right ahead to the next chapter, the Magic Kingdom!