HOT HOT HOT & time for another vacation

Buster Poindexter
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Class of '66 Reunion in July was definitely a high point this summer for me and the songs the DJ played have been ringing through my head for weeks.

Best slow song? Mel Carter singing Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me.

Best fast song? HOT HOT HOT with Buster Poindexter.

In case either of those songs doesn't spark any memories from the reunion, the slow song had everyone out on the dance floor in the firm grip of romance - sometimes even with their own spouse.

And HOT HOT HOT was the fast song that prompted a wild conga line.

The video of that conga line is pretty wild and will be heavily featured in the rockumentary about the reunion.

Here's a partial list of the songs that were played, which we might dub, the Class of '66 Soundtrack:

Tossin' and Turnin'
Mustang Sally
The Stroll
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me
The Wanderer
Start Me Up
Takin' Care Of Business
Mony Mony
Devil With the Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly
Where the Boys Are
(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
HOT HOT HOT
Some Kind of Wonderful
Shout

And now that I reread the list, I suppose I will have Shout stuck in my head for most of the day, replacing HOT HOT HOT and Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me.

Hmmm... Feelin' HOT HOT HOT... Nope, that one's still stuck in my brain.

This website will look pretty much the same - no, make that exactly the same - for a week or so, while Admiral Fox and I take our sailboat Sabbatical on a week's vacation into the California Delta area where - Gasp! - there is no internet service and cell phone service is pretty spotty. I'm taking along some old technology for amusement (books) and hope to come back refreshed enough to take on my new university job - and finish the rockumentary from our reunion.

But for your amusement, I pulled one still frame from the video of the conga line. In going from video-to-still, it didn't translate all that well, but you can get the idea.

The video version is quite clear and focused and five minutes long. Oh boy!

HOT HOT HOT Classmates!


The conga line at the Class of '66 reunion

Every reunion photo seems to full of smiles

Louie had a good time
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

MAYVILLE, New York - The most striking thing about virtually every photo that I've seen from our Class of '66 reunion from a couple of weeks ago is the smiles.

Everyone is smiling like they just won the California lottery or their work offered them such a great buyout they can retire right now.

Wahoo!

In this photo, Louie Acquisto is doing a Blues Brothers imitation and dancing with two gorgeous women. Way to go Louie. The video version of this scene is even more striking. With luck, I'll be able to share some of that later this summer.

I also received a number of smiley shots from Allan Winger, who apologized for showing his mug in almost all of the photos. I'm just glad he snapped so many photos and was kind enough to send them along.

Here's three from the collection:


Allan, Mrs. Keefe and Dan Keefe


Lee Anderson, Allan, and Greg Taft


Tom Priester and Allan

By the way, thanks to everyone who offered suggestions on what to put on the memorial brick for John Rupp. With 15 characters per line (including spaces) I finally caved in and did this simple inscription:

In memory of
John M. Rupp
Class of '66

No doubt the pain between my shoulder blades is John reaching from beyond to give me a kick (or a whack with a tennis racquet) for not writing some smart-ass thing on his brick.

But kee-rist! Fifteen spaces? Come on!

A little lake time was in order at the reunion

Jim Lindell hits the tube
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

LAKEWOOD, New York - As the photo with today's blog attests, I wasn't the only one who took to the water at our class reunion.

Jim Lindell went tubing on Saturday while I was out trying to upend the sailboat on which I was racing in the Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club Regatta. At least Jim meant to get wet.

Growing up - and living right on the shore the lake - meant that any day the weather was even halfway decent it was time to drag out the waterskiis and find someone willing to pony up some money for gasoline so we could zoom around for hours.

Today, while out test-driving a new auto (Do not get me started on that fiasco!) I drove past the twin of the boat I owned as a teenager - a 14-foot MFG with a 50 HP Mercury hanging on the back. Was it a sign from the heavens? Was it a hallucination after seeing the sticker price on the cars I was test driving? I think the second hypothesis is the most likely.

The last time I was on water skis I tried to do one of the few tricks I ever mastered - putting the tow rope between my knees while skiing on two skis. I made it about 50 feet before I crashed, all captured in living color on the video camera. We used to fall a lot when we skied - part of the fun, I suppose. Now, well, it can hurt.

The new technology of tubing looks like it's a lot of fun, particularly with the speed of boats today. While we were content with 40 mph, even jetskis can hit 70 now - and pull a tube I've noticed.

Jim wasn't alone tubing (hard to drive and tube at the same time). Among the other suspects with him was Louie Acquisto, though no photos of Louie crashing about the waters of Lake Chautauqua have made it to me yet.


Louis Acquisto enjoying the water

The part of the Class of '66 Reunion I missed

Jack Eckdahl gets teed off
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

JAMESTOWN, New York - I never played golf (the real kind, not the miniature version) largely because I didn't own golf clubs as a kid and the nearsightedness limited my ability to whack the little white pill very far.

I learned early what a divot was and my brief tryout for the golf team ended very quickly and with a lot of shouting on the part of Dick Shevalier, if my memory serves me.

So, I didn't get involved with the golfing Saturday at the reunion, instead I went down to the Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club and quickly hooked a ride on a sailboat as crew in the charity regatta going on. The whole club was buzzing with racers and if you haven't seen the yacht club in recent years, they have installed a large in-ground swimming pool. Very upscale.

I landed on a boat owned by Geoffrey Bond, who lives in the old Bootey house (we called it the Bootey mansion, when I was a kid) next to Lakewood Beach. We had two great sailing races (took a second and a fourth) and had I not almost swamped the boat in the second race, might have done every better.

Whatever. I did get a world-class sunburn on my face, which was exacerbated by far too many glasses of Pinot Grigio Saturday night during dinner and after in between dances. That song "Hot, Hot, Hot," is still stuck in my head.


Fitz & Captain Geoffrey Bond (center)

While I was getting ready for the race, I ran into Sharon Ticknor (Class of '69) who was crewing in the regatta also, but on a large cruising boat. My boat was about 16-feet long, a little tender and we forgot the cooler with the drinks.

No wonder pirates say Arrrrrgh - it's when they run out of beer!


Sharon Ticknor & her daughter

I've received several more reunion photos - thanks Randy and Allan - so I have an excuse to keep typing and avoiding the writing deadlines I have the rest of this week and next.

But if you didn't take a close look at the golf photo of Jack Eckdahl at the top, look at it again. What a great grin - at least before he takes the shot.

Easily recognizable, and still smiling after 40 years

Dan Beckstrom, Ken Sonne & Steve Sewell
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

MAYVILLE, New York - A few more photos have trickled out of my photo file from the Class of '66 reunion, including this shot of Dan, Ken and Steve at the dinner.

All three guys are clearly the people we graduated with - even Dan who is arguably a foot taller than I remember him as being! Steroids - or a late bloomer?

Ken Sonne is retired after a long and successful teaching career. Steve and Dan are still among the ranks of the employed, Dan with his own company (if I remember what he told me correctly) and Steve has a security clearance, I believe. You'll have to email Steve about what he does, I don't have a high enough clearance. In fact, as a journalist, I probably have a negative rating when it comes to security clearances.

I also found this shot of Craig Fransen, who was one of my closest friends growing up. In the early 1960s, Craig, Gary Shenkle, Tom Short, the late Ron Hurlburt and I would lift weights in his basement (Craig obviously kept at it and it shows) and then go upstairs to feast in his family kitchen.

One summer we all bought sweatshirts and used a Magic Marker to write "Fransen's Gym" on the front of them.

On the back we wrote "Bigger Biceps for '64"

I really wish I had kept that sweatshirt.

That winter I bought my own set of barbells to have at the house. It should have been a sign that I had to have someone carry the box from the store and put it in my car.


Craig Fransen

And lastly, here's yet another dance shot - nope, not Shelley Kales and I again (though I do have another one to post). This is another group shot, but of a circle dance... (As opposed to a square dance? Sorry.) And what exactly is Linda Davidson doing/saying in this photo?

Yes, more table shots and more dance photos

Dinner for five?
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

MAYVILLE, New York - The well is almost dry, but not quite, of contributed photos from the SWCS Class of '66 Reunion, held more than a week ago. In the top photo, Sue Guertin-Chandler (on the right), Marianne jim (seated next to her) and Gloria Boutelle Olson are all pretty recognizable.

I believe the blonde head belongs to Linda Davidson, but I can't be sure.

I spent a good part of today trying to figure out what to put on the memorial brick for John Rupp. I have space for three lines with 15 characters each, which is barely room for me to say hello, let alone craft a snappy brick-eulogy.

So, I'll take any suggestions. Limericks are ok, too. John would appreciate a funny ditty on his brick.

There once was a lad from Lakewood... (won't work - too long).

I finally watched the video of the dancing, by the way, and, well, mercifully enough the lighting is pretty bad. In other words, we all look pretty good dancing! I'll see what I can do with it when I try to import it into my movie program.

In the meantime, here's a few dance shot stills that I'll incorporate into the video.


Doing the stroll


Fitz & Shelley Kales


Kathy Lindstrom shows real style

Herr Pfaff made it to the Class of '66 reunion

Jim Nelson and Herr Pfaff
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

BEMUS POINT, New York - Jim Nelson sent along this photo yesterday of Herr Pfaff of Southwestern teacher fame, who made it to the See Zurh House Friday night but in the hubbub, I missed him entirely.

Damn! (How do you say that in German?)

If you look at his smile, you see he's the same guy - just add 40 years.

(Hmm... I guess that goes for Jim Nelson and the rest of us, too.)

Mr. Pfaff was my homeroom teacher senior year and always seemed to be busy and in a hurry, but never so busy or in a hurry that he couldn't take a minute to listen to my laments.

I had a serious case of senioritis our last year and wasn't particularly interested in anything other than the writing my gossip column (with John Rupp) called The Eavesdroppers for the Trojan.

I'm pretty sure that Mr. Pfaff interceded on my behalf with a couple of the teachers (like that maniac who taught French, Jon Giacco) to give me a break.

Jim sent along several other photos - plus I have more from Gloria Boutelle to post.

Here's a couple to jog your short-term memories about what we were doing a little over a week ago.


Dance, dance, dance


Jesse Dowd


Louie Acquisto and Larry Nelson

Gloria Boutelle Olson's camera comes through

Gloria & Marianne & Dianne
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The electrons were still spinning on my plea for more reunion photos when Gloria sent along a number of photos from Saturday night.

Her camera was afflicted with the same problems as mine, except many of her photos came out well within tolerable levels.

In fact, most of us will like some of the soft focus shots. Damn those wrinkles anyway.

So, Gloria, many thanks for the pictures and the Mallo cups!


Kathy Lindstrom dancing with her husband


Gary Lucas and his wife


The four amigos...

From Seneca Lake and the reunion to Sacramento

Seneca Lake scenic
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - It's 6:40 p.m. and it is 109 degrees outside. Yup, 109 degrees after nearly a month of basking in upstate New York's 80-degree days. And yes, you weather watchers, we have what's called 'dry heat' meaning that the humidity is only about 20 percent, compared to 99 percent sometimes at Seneca Lake.

But gawd, 109 degrees is hot... And the state is declaring a power emergency which could mean rolling blackouts. Better get the beer and wine on ice, pronto.

Already the memories of chatting with everyone at the See Zurh House Friday night and Saturday evening at Webb's seems like they are fading, at least until I flip back to some of the photos. I hope that people who used their digital cameras will send along some for posting - even if they seem repetitive. I've about exhausted the ones sent by Randy Carlson and Shirley Adams. If not, well, I guess I'll have to go back to the yearbook and start pulling out shots again.

After the reunion, Admiral Fox and I spent a nice week at Seneca Lake, boating and traveling to a few of the wineries frequented by Bob and Donna Swanson on their annual Seneca Lake wine pilgrimage with other area folks. I even shipped a case of New York wine back to California to give as gifts, one bottle of which I will be presenting to the president of my university who specifically asked me to bring him some of New York state's finest. (OK, I might not have gotten him the absolute best, but it is a notch up from Uncle Homer's Red. Sorry Bob & Donna!)

We also climbed a little waterway that runs right near our Valois house, called, appropriately, Breakneck Creek, to find a swimming hole we had gone to several years ago.

I could certainly use that swimming hole right now, though I am refilling my hot tub with cold water in anticipation of the air conditioning and electricity being dumped in the next few hours.


Breakneck Creek swimming hole


Admiral Fox tests the water...

In the reunion euphoria, there was a lot of talk about a 45-year soiree and then a 50th reunion, good goals both. But for either of them to happen, classmates, please do your best to keep in touch with each other.

And please remember, too, in the spirit of John Rupp and Kathy Widrig and all of our other amigos who have passed away, that there is a network of folks if you need to reach out. (Yes, those same ones who only a week ago were dancing and drinking and having such a wild time.) I know I'm already making plans for a return to Lakewood next summer for a mini-reunion and intend on pestering people via email from now on.

Live long and prosper, my amigos. And thanks for a great time at the SWCS Class of '66 40th Reunion.

It was, as we used to say, a real blast.

Class of '66 reunion - the party isn't over

Class of '66 group reunion photo
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

VALOIS, New York - There is a great scene in the movie "Animal House" in which the late John Belushi says, "Over? Over! It's not over until we say it's over."

I kind of feel that way about last weekend. I had so much fun - and so much fun reconnecting with people - that I don't want to let it go.

It's not over until we say it's over.

Ok, it's over for right now...

But, so is my New York trip for this summer, as the car is packed for the trip to the airport and tomorrow I will be in Sacramento where it is expected to top about 107 degrees. When I refill the hot tub, I won't bother to turn on the heater.

But I promised a number of folks at the reunion that I would keep posting photos and stories and news updates about classmates for a awhile.

And I still have a video to edit.

By the way, if you to to Flickr.com and type in SWCS or Class of '66 in the search you will pull up lots of the photos I have posted.

And if you would like the highest resolution version of the group shot at the beginning of today's posting, let me know and I will email it to you directly. Some folks don't have fast enough Internet connections to take the 1.3 MB file...

Great reunion amigos. More reunions, please.

Dance Fever Saturday gives way to skating & picnic

More Dance Fever
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

MIDWAY PARK, New York - The wild gyrations of dancing Saturday night (some of which is shown in the top photo) gave way to roller skating and a picnic on Sunday at Midway Park.

Admiral Fox and I had to pass on the event, heading back early to Valois to avoid the heat in our non-air conditioned Buick (which made the trip quite nicely, thank you very much).

The pictures below came courtesy of Shirley Adams. More skating/Midway pix and other shots from Randy Carlson should be posted in the next few days.

In the meantime, enjoy these.


Chowing down at Midway


Another lunch-in-the-park photo


Mick Olson skating by


Linda Hanson, Linda Davidson, Barb Bunce and Shirley Adams

Dance Fever hits the Class of '66 reunion

Dance Fever
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

MAYVILLE, New York - The dancers didn't care about the heat or the humidity in the back deck area of Webb's Resort Saturday night, while they twisted, did the fly, the stroll and who-knows-what else after dinner.

Mixing mostly fast-paced songs with occasional slow dances (so we could get our pulse rates back down below 100) the DJ did a fabulous job of keeping everyone going.

Those who didn't want to struggle with the elements stayed inside and chatted.

I received an avalanche of photos from Randy Carlson and look foward to receiving any others folks want to send along. Over a period of time, I'll be posting them and also seeing about transferring them onto a CD (or two).

And I did get a peek at some of the video I shot.

Oh boy!!!

I don't know about most people, but I didn't look carefully in the envelope Randy & Jim Lindell and the committee provided at the reunion Saturday, but there is a hilarious sheet of facts about 1966.

Did you know that Kiefer Sutherland was born that year? Or that the federal minimum wage was $1.25? Or that the number one song on Billboard's top 10 was The Monkee's I'm a Believer.

No kidding, I couldn't make up that thing about the Monkees.

So, check out that sheet, for sure, and look also for a forwarded email from me from Bud Hooper that he sent the day of the reunion. Good stuff.

Here's several more shots from Saturday night.


Bryan Larson, Svea Shellberg, Sue Howard and ?


(left to right:Ken Sonne, Steve Sewell, Mrs. Steve Sewell, Mrs. Dan Flanagan, Dan Flanagan and Mike Coon)

And a special thanks to Bud Hooper for grabbing me a brick from the rubble at Lakewood Elementary. Although I am purchasing several (one in honor of John Rupp) through Tom Priester, this brick will have a place of honor here in Valois New York at our Seneca Lake House.

It even comes complete with some mortar on it for authenticity.

SWCS Class of '66 Reunion: some Day 2 photos

Linda Davidson & Sue Guertin
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

MAYVILLE, New York - My photographic & technical incompetence remains, but I have been seriously bailed out by Randy Carlson and Bonnie Anderson already.

And, if you have noticed the photo at the top here, I hope to see some shots from Linda Davidson and Sue Guertin sometime, too.

My head is still reeling (and not just from the numerous $7.50 glasses of wine at Webbs). So many people, so many memories. I've been writing notes as fast as I could ever since we left, to jog my memory for future musings.

I'm posting just a few shots at a time and will try to figure out a rational (and easily accessible system) for people to find pictures.

One quick way to see larger versions of these photos is to click on them, which should take you to Flickr.com, where I have them all posted in their original size. The newest photos I am posting in full-size, so when you look at it (or download it to your computer) you should get lots of details.

My apologies to people who would like the photos to be just a little fuzzy. Sometimes technology is a little too good.

More photos later today or tomorrow, my amigos. It is already 90 degrees here in Valois and headed toward 100. Seneca Lake is callling.


(from the left) Bonnie Anderson-Byrne, Bryan Larson, Lee Anderson (seated) Mrs. Lee (Marge Anderson) and Sue Siecker


The Golfers - names to follow, but try your own hand at identifications...

A migraine kept Cheryl Towers from the reunion

Cheryl Towers
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

PITTSBURGH, Penn. - Three days of a migraine headache (leading up to this weekend's Class of '66 reunion) kept Cheryl from attending she told me today in an email.

I would have mentioned it earlier, but I was so flummoxed by the combination of my camera not working, endless glasses of Pinot Grigio at Webb's and dancing to "Shout" with Shelly Kales that I didn't post her news.

Sorry Cheryl, you missed a wild party.

And today a large contingent of folks were going to Midway Park for rollerskating and a barbecue.

Admiral Fox and I bailed, however, opting instead to getting back to Seneca Lake before the nearly 100-degree temperatures were predicted to hit. The Buick made it, though without airconditioning it was still damned hot the last hour.

I also neglected to mention that in addition to getting lots of kudos at the reunion for doing this blog, Gloria Boutelle presented me with an entire case of Mallo Cups as a special thanks.


Gloria Boutelle

Gloria, my dentist will probably hate you, but thank you, thank you, thank you!

Class of '66 reunion night II - Photography help!

Kathy Anderson & Bob Swanson
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

MAYVILLE, New York - The second night of the SWCS Class of '66 reunion was fabulous - a great cocktail party, followed by great food, followed by hours of dancing.

The only non-fabulous part was the camera I was relying on for this blog took the opportunity to take unusable photos. Not just fuzzy - totally unusable.

Merde!

But there at two pieces of good news:

First, there were at least a dozen other people taking tons of photos who, I hope, will forward me some shots by email for posting. I especially hope to get one of the group shot - even my fuzzy version is interesting.

Second, I took video (which worked well) of the dinner and a LOT of the dancing. I haven't reviewed the entire tape yet, but if it shows all the jumping and screaming, there will be some good stills to pull from it - and it might make just a good video to distribute if I can make it into a 'rockumentary' using some of the stills and music.

If you have photos from night II and could send me a couple via email, I would appreciate it.

In the meantime, here's two more photos from our earlier foray at the See Zurh House in Bemus.


Craig Fransen and Sharon Ticknor (Class of 69, I believe...)


Randy Carlson & Larry Nelson