Bob Tyler sends his regrets - can't attend reunion

Bob Tyler at 25th reunion
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

RICHMOND, Indiana - Bob Tyler has sent along his regrets that he won't be able to attend our reunion in less than a month...

We'll miss you Bob!

Here's the email he sent out:

====================

To the great Class of 1966!

First of all, thanks to Mark Swanson for tracking me down in early April
regarding our 40th Reunion! Thereafter, I had planned to forego a " Promise
Keepers " event in Columbus, Ohio to attend our Reunion. Then my Mom died,
our new home construction was completed early and our 4th grandchild is due
in mid July.

Sally and I wanted and planned to attend, but regretfully we cannot. We were
married in August '69 and have three children: Rob, 33, has his own business
as a Financial Planner in Muncie, In. ( you know he didn't get that from
me ); his wife Julie is expecting their second child in July - Madeline is
3. April is 30 and enjoys scrapbooking as a homemaker. She and her husband,
Doug, have 2 girls - Ruthie is 6 and Lily is 3. They also live in Muncie,
In. Our youngest son, Andrew, is 28 and also works in the financial arena
for American Funds. He lives in Indianapolis and seems to be getting more
serious with Erika, originally from State College, Pa. ( Go Penn State )!

We live in Richmond, Indiana - hometown of Bo Van Pelt, PGA, who
seems to be on the rise - made 16 cuts including the U.S. Open. Have you ever heard of him Dan Loucks ( No. 1 SWCS golfer )? I guess I haven't ever improved with my " run-on " sentences!

Sally is in Cincinatti tending to her sister who had major surgery. Right
now, we're hoping and praying our existing house sells soon, especially
since we just closed on our new home ( two doors away )! ,,,," still sitting
on the edge " just like the old days at State Line Speedway!

Even though we will not be able to attend the 40th reunion, we need to tend
to family property on Ramsey Road sometime in the near future.

Great Job Fitz, Flapper and crew in planning, organizing and promoting this
eventful weekend! Again, Mark, thanks for the call and I'll contact you when
we can come out.

Have a great time '66ers!

Bob Tyler

A painful shoulder injury gets cured with needles

Shoulder injury
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - My shoulder had been killing me for nearly two months, a side effect of using the computer too much and also not having the work station set up properly.

But after I could barely steer my sailboat with my right arm last weekend, I knew it was getting serious.

Next thing, I wouldn't be able to lift a wine glass.

But my medical doctor looked me over and told me to take three Advil, three times per day and do some minor stretching exercises - for three weeks. I made it one week before my stomach cried out 'no mas!'

And my shoulder hurt worse than ever.

So this week I went to see an acupuncturist, whose office is actually within walking distance of my house.

I had high hopes that she might be able to give me some relief, but I never thought that she would be able to basically free up the knots in my shoulder and arm within minutes. Four needle pokes - and a short nap on her examining table - broke loose what a week's worth of pharmaceuticals couldn't touch.

A massage therapist then spent about a half-hour working all the tight muscles. That hurt!

But today I have about 90 percent use of the shoulder and arm and with stretching get pretty close to 100 percent. At 57, getting close to 100 percent is close enough.

Interestingly, the doctor also checked me over and told me that I had low energy because my kidneys weren't working quite right. She was right about the low energy, but I didn't know what it was coming from. So as soon as I finish this missive, I have to take six pills - a Chinese dietary supplement that is supposed to boost my energy and simultaneously strengthen my kidneys.

Oh, and when the doctor cured my right shoulder with those four needles, the needles were put into my right ankle and right forearm.

Yup, nowhere near the aching shoulder.

Whatever. It worked.

Services will be June 20 for Kathy Widrig

Kathy Widrig at 25th reunion
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

JAMESTOWN, New York - A memorial service for Kathy Widrig will be held Tuesday, June 20 at 3 p.m. at the chapel at Sunset Hill Cemetery on Hunt Road in Lakewood.

She died June 12 of a heart attack, our classmate Gloria Boutelle said.

Sunset Hill is where I buried my mother many years ago in a cold December ceremony, most of which I have completely blocked out of my memory.

I don't know much about how Kathy lived her life. But at the 25th Class of '66 reunion, she was perched on a barstool at The Main Event bar down near the railroad tracks, having a great time I remember. Her smile hadn't really changed much in the 25 years.

And you could hear her laugh all over the room. I talked with her briefly at the reunion and realized that I should have gotten up my courage 25 years before and asked her to dance when I had the chance in our senior year.

Kathy's sudden passing is a good reminder for me to get up from this keyboard and go back out into the world. Who knows how many chances you get to hear the birds chirping or enjoy the warmth of the sun?

Take some time off today in Kathy's honor.

I'm punching out right now, amigos.

Classmates: Kathy Widrig has passed away

Kathy Widrig
Originally uploaded by Brite Lights photos.

ROCHESTER, New York - I don't have any details, but Gloria Boutelle has let me know that Kathy Widrig passed away Monday in Rochester.

Kathy's sister was headed there and will relay details to Gloria about services, which I will relay to you in a timely fashion. I don't know the cause of her death.

It was only a short time back, that I had Kathy's photo up, because her emails started bouncing several months ago from her work.

Damn! Obviously something was going on with her and now she's gone.

Kathy and I exchanged emails several times in the past year - she was working as some kind of a manager at a manufacturing firm. She thought her high school picture was the best photo ever taken of her and was pleased that it got posted on the class website.

If you can excuse my getting up on the high ground here for second, I would like to offer this:

Don't be sick alone. Don't be sad alone. Don't sit home depressed alone.

At the very least send an email to the class. Send an email to me and let me post it here.

What help can your classmates of the Class of '66 be? Maybe nothing. Maybe a lot.

In Kathy's case, I know many people who live not-to-far from Rochester who I would have dispatched in a heartbeat to help her out.

But now I can't. Damn.

I don't expect to be challenging John Rupp to a tennis match in heaven anytime soon, but I guarantee that when he and I do start whacking the celestial tennis ball around I'm going to give him a stern lecture for not telling me he was sick until it way too late for me to help, and way to late for me to get to him.

Sorry to pass along this bad news, amigos. But let's raise our glasses for Kathy today. She will be missed.