Joe Rushin - the best doctor I ever had

Joe Rushin
Originally uploaded by Brite Lights photos.

JAMESTOWN, NY - In high school, when I had sprains and strains and all the things that happen when you run track (or have people wrenching on you on the wrestling mat) most often I would talk with Joe Rushin about what I needed to do.

He seemed to have a knowledge of physiology that say, Dr. Marvin Siegel, our family doc, was clearly missing.

I sure miss Joe right now, as my right knee is swollen like a football and the MRI to check it out is scheduled for December.

Yup, December. I just love managed health care.

Joe taught us how to use isometric exercises and how not injure parts of the body like knees. The ultimate though was to be allowed to sit in the whirlpool in the locker room if you had a sprain. You always had to have a spotter when you soaked, I guess because he was afraid you might fall asleep and drown. With the racket in the locker room, that seems pretty doubtful in retrospect.

Maybe I just need to break down and purchase a hot tub to soak. I could get one a lot quicker than December.

I ran across Joe's photo today when I was thumbing through the yearbook, avoiding all the work I need to get done today and this weekend for next week's classes and writing.

I always heard Flash Olsen and Dick Shevalier refer to him as director of athletics, but his title in the yearbook is administrative assistant.

Administrative assistant? Somehow, athletic director fits the Joe I remember a lot better.

Batting about .500 on names of people

One of those twins
Originally uploaded by Brite Lights photos.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Winni Anderson (on the Yahoo discussion list) gave me a heads up that the names of the twins I seem to be writing about every day in this space are Val and Vaughn, not Val and Vicki.

Oops. Sorry Vaughn. I still have a crush on you. Or maybe it was your sister.

But, in a more drastic goof, I said Winni's dad's name is Fred - but it's Syd. Fred Anderson was Nancy Anderson's dad. Confused?

So for roughly 40 years, every time I tell the story about the croquet hoops in the backyard, or make reference to Bud Hooper's NASA-style launch of his blue and white '63 Chevy through the Triangle Cleaners, I have called Syd by the wrong name.

Merde!

Some of my students read this blog by the way, and I expect to have a sign on my door when I get to the university today that says "Syd Called about Fred..." They're think they are sooooooo funny.

In the photo today taken from our yearbook, Val/Vaughn is standing behind the counter with I believe Andy Robinson. Given my recent track record on identifications, his name could be Stanislaus Phalegglast. But I'm pretty sure that it is Andy. And I'm pretty sure his last name is Robinson and he has an older brother named Steve.

Out front, standing on the right is Marianne Jim, and possibly Linda Hanson. But I won't swear to it and if I misspelled their names, too, I'll take one of my own remedial classes.

In the meantime, can someone find and please invite the twins (Val and Vaughn) to our reunion next year?

Today's song isn't from our high school days, but it fits, so what the @$%@#%#^:

Double Vision
by Foreigner

Feeling down n' dirty
Feeling kinda mean

I've been from one to another extreme
This time I had a good time
Ain't got time to wait
I wanna stick around
Till I can't see straight

Fill my eyes with that double vision
No disguise for that double vision
Ooh, when it gets through to me
It's always new to me
My double vision gets the best of me

Never do more than I really need
My mind is racing
But my body's in the lead
Tonight's the night
I'm gonna push it to the limit
I live all of my years in a single minute

Fill my eyes with that double vision
No disguise for that double vision
Ooh, when it gets through to me
It's always new to me
My double vision
Always seems to get the best of me
The best of me, yeah

Ooh, double vision
I need my double vision
It takes me out of my head
Takin' me out of my head
I get my double vision
Oh, seeing double, double
Oh, I have double vision, yeah
I'm getting double vision...

The conversation is lively over at Yahoo!

Yahoo logo for Class of '66
Originally uploaded by Brite Lights photos.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - So today I logged onto the Yahoo discussion site for our class and learned that Herr Pfaff was once principal of SWCS, back in 1991.

He was my homeroom teacher my senior year. (I think it was senior year, that's a little hazy.) I just remember he was one of the few teachers who I thought of as relatively young.

Guys like Byron Windoft were, well, ancient. And Pauline Cook. Jaysus, don't go there.

In the meantime, Randy Carlson has let me know the names of the two, tall gorgeous blonde candy dispensers (Val and Vicki Morris) whose names I couldn't come up with when I was waxing poetic about Mallo Cups and how I was afraid to go up to the window when they were working. They're probably both grandmothers now - gorgeous grandmas...

So while I'm wandering down that lane again, does anyone know what every happened to Sandra Carlson (aka Sandy) from the Class of '67? I've tried Classmates.com in the past, emailing some of her classmates but come up empty. She had an older sister, Cindy (Class of '64).

Sometimes the nostalgia actually gets to be a little too much for me and I remind myself that my philosophy is to look forward, not back. Lot of scary stuff back there, as well as those fond memories.

But as I was writing a short piece some time ago (for the book I hope to someday publish, though I think it's becoming more of a therapy project) I was laughing so hard my wife came in to check on me. It was about an episode of a group of Class of '66 miscreants 'sleeping out' at Randy Carlson's house, but actually wandering the streets, ending up at Linda
Anderson's house, only to be discovered by her dad Fred.

We ran like frightened gazelles through the backyards of Webster Street until we hit Sue Post's house where they had been playing croquet, the wire hoops still set up.

Ever hit one of those babies running full tilt?

Anyway, while you ponder 10 or 12 of us sprawled on the lawn, think about joining the Yahoo discussion group if you are not a member.

I sometimes migrate some of that discussion in this space, but more often not.

The url is:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/swcs66/

Or you can simply click on the button on the list of links.

Today's song?

Sunday Will Never Be The Same
by Spanky and Our Gang

I remember Sunday morning
I would meet him at the park
We'd walk together hand in hand
'Til it was almost dark

Now I wake up Sunday morning
Walk across the way to find
Nobody waiting for me
Sunday's just another day

Sunday will never be the same
I've lost my Sunday-song,
He'll not be back again

Sunny afternoons that make me
Feel so warm inside
Have turned as cold and grey as ashes
As I feel the embers die

No longer can I walk these paths
For they have changed
I must be on, the sun is gone
And I think it's gonna rain

Sunday will never be the same
I've lost my Sunday-song
He'll not be back again

I remember children
Feeding flocks of pigeons
I remember sunshine
And you were mine

Sunday will never be the same
I've lost my Sunday song,
He'll not be back again [...fade]