The message forum is an ongoing dialogue between classmates. There are no items, topics, subtopics, etc.

Forums work when people participate - so don't be bashful! Click the "Post Message" button to add your entry to the forum.

David Mitchell

Donna,  (sorry, if I cood tipe I'd be derangous)

 Neat little reunion. Carol doesn't change. She looks about 6 months older than graduation. The old geiser next to her looks somehow familiar but I'm just not quite sure.  

John Jackson

Thanks again to Donna and Julio for showing us around Barcelona and for a great dinner.  And, Dave, there's an old (and very wise) saying that goes something like "it takes a geezer to know a geezer"...

David Mitchell

Touche my friend!

James Hamilton, M. D.

Summer and Fall

It's official: autumn is here. That being said, summer still lingers in pockets throughout the mountains. It was cooler today and, not being a weekend full of "leaf peepers", I thought it might be time to get a glimpse of some of the aspen color change at some of the lower elevations (8000-9000 foot level). One of my favorite places to do that is a dirt road that runs off of the main route to Cripple Creek and goes by a little visited place called Dome Rock State Wildlife Area.

The weather was typical summer/autumn Colorado with blue skies transitioning frequently and quickly to whaite fluffy clouds and then thunderstorms. There were stands of aspens at peak color and some others that were totally green. The first picture demonstrates this well:

But just about 30 minutes later thunder could be heard in the distance and as I looked to the north I was once again reminded of that John Denver song, "Back Home Again" with the lines "There's a storm across the valley, clouds are movin' in. The afternoon is heavy on my shoulders."

And so I headed back home again and fotunately hit the asphalt pavement just as the clouds emptied their contents on me.

Jim

David Mitchell

Jim,

Thank God you posted those great shots when you did !

I had almost given up. I thought it was over. I really thought we had reached the end of our string. That we had said everything there was to say. That we had told every story, recalled every memory, and breathed our last breath of this crazy charade. And I got so depressed when I realized we would be assembling in Columbus for the 55th with absolutely nothing left to say. Nothing! That having said it all, we would only be able to sit there on our folding chairs, with our hands folded - fold your mind around that frightening thought.

And fold your teeth around one more of those cheese sandwiches (with the crust cut off please).

How horrid - except of course for those fortunate enough to have escaped the pull of this this evil vortex that  Janie has foisted on us in the first place (those lucky devils). How ghastly?  

* (you get these crazy ideas when you spend time in both "Portlandia" and Florida, all within the span of 60 days)

But then it hit me!   We arent' going to be in Columbus for the 55th are we? 

As I live and breath !   We are going to be at Donna's in Barcelona.

Oh joy! That will be cool. So refreshing! And no doubt it will inspire us to new highs in fascinating conversation. I can just see it now - Sangria from one of those chocolate fountain things - it just keeps flowing and flowing. Mike McLeod and I can lay under the edge of the table and catch the runoff while lying on our backs. And trays loaded with mountains of fajitas. (and Fred and I can sample the "guac" and bean dip to our heart's delight - wonder if they have "Lay's" brand dip in the big "B-town"? - And how do you say "bean dip" in Catalan anyway?). 

And once we really get going, a Macarena contest in the living room. I wanna see Tim up there with Beth or Clare - whoo hoo - no canes allowed. Wow, it could get crazy! Just imagine the next day's Barcelona "Dispatch" headlines -

"Police surround building as gangs of drunken gringos sighted driving golf balls off some white girl's rooftop balcony. Hundreds of innocent civilians dash for cover as the little white "pelotas" rain down on the Boulevards below. 

Oh, the Humanity !  (added later - Mark and Nina, you both missed my ommitted punctuation there) 

--------------------------

p.s. BTW Jim, do you ever get any nice shots of armadillos crossing over a scenic man hole cover at sunset?

David Mitchell

And a special early Birhtday shout out to my spiritual advisor, the Very, Very,  Reverend Father Mike down in Orlando. 

Go wild man!

Jump in your pool with your underwear on backwards.

Pour yourself a ginger ale neat - with no ice.

Watch cartoons with the volume all the way up.

Take your lady friend out for dinner to the Sonic burger and and tell her she gets to push the call button. 

Go ahead, put Mustard AND Ketchup on your hot dog - you're worth it!

Donna Kelley (Velazquez)

You're On, Dave!  You get things organized from that side and I will start making the Tapas.  Despite a few Cat-Mex mixed culinary metaphors your idea is a fun one. Let's see how many are up to crossing the puddle to put BWHS '66 on the Spanish map (while hopefully keeping out of the Spanish prison system).

Michael McLeod

John Jackson: You look avuncular. Better get with Dr. Jim and have that checked out.

Dave: We would not lay under the table. Not in my grammatical universe, anyway.

My mother loved to lecture about lie and lay. Once, in a class I was teaching, when a student confused the two -- as zillions of people do; it is very confusing - I picked up my cellphone, called my mom, deputized her to deliver the same lecture she'd given us kids a million times and handed the phone to the student. 

Mark Schweickart

Mike -- Happy Birthday 'Glid! You made it to the big 7-0, and am so glad you and the rest of Orlando somehow survived Hurricane Mitchell when he blew into town last week. As we can tell from the after-storm blather that was still pelting away yesterday in post 4056, it must have been quite an ordeal for you as you bravely took the full force of his mindstorm all by yourself. We can just see you hunkered down by your pool being unmercifully pelted with non-sequitars ranging from arcane religious beliefs, to the imaginary guacamole fountain of Catalonia, to driving range tips, to preferences in hotdog condiments. It must have been ghastly. Thank heavens you are all right. We were all so worried about you.

Dave -- great idea about descending on Donna for our 55th. (Oh, and please skip over the above paragraph, that was not intended for your eyes.)

Michael McLeod

Mark:

I'd be very, very careful about mocking Dave Mitchell if I were you. I am not sure if he is of this earth. That man never stopped jabbering from the moment he walked in my door. And yet, when he left, I turned, looked back at the table where we'd eaten -- and the pizza I had served him, as God is my witness, had somehow disappeared. 

James Hamilton, M. D.

A Girl and Her Horse

Another shot that I made yesterday in Dome Rock was this one of a young lady and her horse. I asked permission to take her picture with this beautiful animal and she agreed. (I pixilated her face since I did not have her sign a model release form and am putting this photo on this Forum.) Dome Rock has a number of horse trails which are easily found from from both signs and the horses' calling cards!

This is for all you equestrians out there (Peggy and any others) as I know nothing about horses!

Jim

Beth Broadhurst (Murray)

Tim  Just found out about this today. If I had known, I certainly would have asked my sons for this for my 70th.   A robotic mower that does hills and inclines. Such a fun solution to our grass cutting phobia.  Hope your leg has improved greatly. Perhaps Jack could find a snow removing robot for his roof. This new technology could help us get to the next decade intact and prevent a future of robotic arms, legs, knees and ankles.

Clare   I'm not sure they have developed a robotic for stringing Christmas lights---If I remember correctly you still get up on a ladder for stringing.  Accept a physical therapist advice. Turn in your ladder!!!!  Hope your knee is healed and you are back at your tennis.

Mike.    Wishing you a very Happy Birthday. Welcome to the 70 Club. Thanks for introducing me to Billy Collins. I have enjoyed many of his readings. As a mother of 4 sons I especially loved the "Lanyard" and having a hearty laugh.

Jack     Perhaps a sweat lodge in my backyard might have proved enlightening after locking my 4 devilish sons in and holding an interogation in the house afterwards.  Oh the things they reveal now as adults, that I didn't know then. Listening to them talk in our station wagon with their friends as I car pooled was often revealing. Its amazing how they forgot who the driver was. I thought I was so vigilant but those  eyes in the back of my head were only 90 percent accurate. But a sweat lodge with a hidden microphone during the junior high, high school years---------I wouldn't be asking myself now -----Where was the mom?

Larry. Thank you for continuing to post your sketches and watercolors. Your painting of Cincinnati reminded me that I have tucked away and forgotten my dad's drawings. He graduated from University of Cincinnati around 1920. There is a painting of his of the train station which I believe was converted into a science museum? I'm enjoying the wordsmith you had suggested.

Donna. I was  devastated last year that my trip to see you and beautiful Barcelona was cancelled due to the unrest.  I so looked forward to seeing you and enjoying a dinner.  If there is any type of reunion in Barcelona, count me in!

Dave   Are you planning this? Clare and I need to start practicing our latin dancing. 

David Mitchell

Beth,

Actually, Donna is planning it. Her fisrt priority will be a a big parade through the downtown streets of "B-town" with floats. 

Leading the parade wil be Dr. Jim, dressed as Santa, cracking his long camera strap over a sleigh drawn by ordinary deer.

Another one will be a giant remote control lawn mower with you and Tim waving to the crowd from a perch on top of the float - maybe with fancy hats - yea, I think that'd be good. 

An yet another will be me, dressed as Christopher Columbus, parading some Native Americans (played by Schweickart and McCleod) in front fo Queen Isabella. Their eventual martyrdom will consist of having to listen to me on the voyage all the way across the Atlantic.

Larry will have face painting booth at the party - 5 pesos @

Damn, this is going to be one hell of a party.

(Securty provided by Hummer and Maxwell)

David Mitchell

I forgot to mention (though I realize of course that you all knew it anyway) that the two Native Americans would be in chains, and I (Christopher Columbus) would be carrying a big long whip. 

Just keeping it real, ya know. Mark is such a stickler for historical accuracy. 

And back to the giant self mowing lawn mower float, maybe it would be better if we dressed Beth and Tim as King and Queen - with sparkling, sequined gold gowns. Tim would look great waving a scepter - don'tchya think? And Beth with that gorgeous smile - she can just smile and wave a lot. The crowd won't know what hit 'em.

Oh and Beth, did you mean latin dancing, or dancing in Latin?  I have to confess, I have actually forgotten the steps to "Confetior Dei omni potenti,,,,,,,,"

And I still haven't been able to find out how you say "bean dip" in Catalan. 

David Mitchell

Mark,

I went easy on Mike. I only lectured him on the first 14 books of the Old Testament, a study of Pre-Columbian Antediluvian art forms, the causes of hyper inlfation during the Weimar Republic in Gernany after WWI, and the history of dog cemetaries. 

 And heck, he was still breathing when I left. 

Janie Albright (Blank)

As always you guys have me laughing non stop! 

Count me in for Barcelona! 

Donna Kelley (Velazquez)

Whew....where to begin? Oh yes, Tim, I distinctly remember asking that you stop sharing your stash with certain classmates.    Tapas, Dave, I'm working on the tapas!  

David Mitchell

Good work Donna, 

Sure hope you have a big freezer.

But I do have one concern. If Frank is bringing the golf balls, won't he look suspicious going through customs with 600 golf balls and several bundles of funny little leafy plants?

Mary Clare Hummer (Bauer)

Dave, 

If you feel secure with a woman who’s only weapon is a peace sign and a man wrapped in a blanket smoking who knows what, then I accept the position. If you’re not, then I’ll make cream puffs and help Donna with the tapas while practicing the steps—una, duae, cha-cha-cha. But you’ve left out some important players in your scenario. Perhaps Mary Margaret and Debbie A. could arrange a side trip to visit all the churches & cathedrals. (Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it. The architecture alone is enough to give you religion!). And what about the Kathies W?  Wiener can conduct a tour of all the bat#%*@ crazy places we didn’t know we wanted to see. Wintering & Jeanine could team with Mary Ann N. on the hospitality front. John Jackson has been everywhere in the world so he can plan our “must see” tour. Joe Mc. seems to know the best ways of getting from Point A to Point B (using algebra, of course!) so he can deal with the logistics of getting to all these places. And Tim (Mr. Logistics, himself) can come down from the throne to help if Joe gets stuck. Janie can easily handle our reservations everywhere. And What the Frank?  There are still positions to be filled.  Dave F,  Bonnie, Barb, Joe G., Danny, Sheila, anyone who lurks—are you in?  It might be our greatest adventure!!

Clare

PS  I promise if I win the lottery I will make this happen for all interested parties!!! 

PPS This is what happens when you’re awake at 3AM & check in on the forum!!!

Mark Schweickart

Don't know how many of you were fans of the terrific comic musical duo, the Flight of the Conchords, who had TV series about 10 years ago, but they made an appearance on Colbert the other night and sang a new song. As someone who was a divorced single-dad back in the eighties, with a son now in his 30's, this hysterical song hit home more than a little bit. Enjoy!

Lawrence Foster

I was going through my "life box" the other day and came across a speech I had written and presented in 1981 when I was in a Toastmaster's club.  I made some changes and a few additions to make it more current.  I posted it over on the User Forum.  The title is "Graffiti, The Scrawl on the Wall."   Hope your get a chuckle out of it.  

David Mitchell

Clare,

I'm sitting here in the sweltering heat, sipping my mint julip, (not really - I'm on lunch break form the  office) asking myself, what the hell were you doing playing Tammy in that play, when you should have been directing the whole shebang? So now, in the absence of Sister Constancia, you may have a point. And besides, Donna may still be tied up in her kitchen finishing up the very last of her tapas. 

I say go for it  - Girl, you rock!

I'm okay with you wearing (almost) anything, riding on any float, but then we have to move Beth to the back of the parade and put her in an old cheerleader outfit? One thing I'm NOT okay with is having any of you ladies (you, Beth, Mary Margaret, Kathy, or anyone) jumping up and down in short skirts and doing splits on a moving float. If you jump too high while the damn thing is in motion your landing spot could change and that might be really frighteneing.

And silly me, trying to sew sequins onto those Eagle sweaters might ruin the authenticity - and you know how pissed Mark would get at such "revisionist" costumes. 

* if all else fails, you and Jack could string the party lights.

Donna, how do you say "okay Bozo, move the ladder" in Catalan?

John Jackson

Can't help myself - I'm watching Trump's news conference and he just said "The Chinese have tremendous respect for Donald Trump and my very, very large brain".  You can't make ths stuff up.  The truth is indeed stranger than fiction...

David Mitchell

Thought I saw a popcorn sales guy going down the aisle at the UN?  

Mary Ann Nolan (Thomas)

John, glad to see you back here on the forum. I value your thoughts.