OMG, I just found "Show Yearbook Photo" . . .
LMAO! Have any of you pitiful few who read this tried out the "Show Yearbook Photo" button yet? I think I looked at it long ago when I was evaluating whether or not we wanted to buy into this system, this engine through which we bring you the Reunion website and all it's fabled wonders but I had forgotten about it. If you haven't, do try it. At least try it out on the "Attending Reunion" list. Now that we have a bigger group identified to attend the Reunion (although not all have registered which is worrisome) we are starting to see something coalesce. And having a picture of every person who's going to attend would be quite enlightening. If you haven't tried it, the system will build a page of yearbook photos of everyone who's signed up to go. Now how cool is that? Does everyone else see it? I have different permissions from all of you (except, of course, Debby Rimmer nelson who's my back-up. Back-up. Ha! Debby can sling code with the best of them.) and I forget what the users see. Hmm. I think that it should become a priority to post a yearbook for every person who has signed up to attend. The rest maybe can be filled out a little bit at a time.
The product that we use, by the way, is called Classcreater.com and . . . well you can see what capabilities using it has brought to the table. That first website we had, that kludged-up code I slung out onto a server? Ha! You're lucky I was able to give you what you had; I was hand-jamming code and names into that system on a daily basis. But this product? I have no complaints. I am able to bring things on-line with a mere "click" of a button and it happens, just like that. (See, Bonnie thinks I know more about it than I really do . . . let's just let her keep on believing that.) Truly, I would heartily recommend ClassCreater.com for any of you who might need a system like this. And did I mention that we don't pay ANYTHING for this? We could, it is true, buy an upgrade for about $100 a year that would put us in a position to bring even MORE on-line with an enhanced package. They're bringing on new stuff every two-three months or so and I'm pretty impressed so far. With such a wide range of applications to use, we do lose a lot in the way of customization though. I mean, there's some real estate (sorry, programmer-talk) I just can't touch. But I wish I could change that awful GREEN theme color. I'd rather see something a little more on the hip side. What do y'all think? I may change it anyway and then ask for feedback.
But people, please don't look at our class website as a done deal when the Reunion's over. I would expect that there'd be a great deal of interest in maintaining it for quite some time. We've established lines of communication that many thought were only pleasant memories. With this simple, free engine we have spun a very elaboate, but quite efficient network of all those people that we can contact. You see, we've gone global this time. I see that the simple email system we use here on the site really gets a lot of use. I send out a lot myself; but mostly an ash and trash detail having to do with the site. (At first I tried very hard to send out a message to everybody when they registered but got quickly overwhelmed and somehow just . . . stopped. I really need to get back into that.) A lot of other people are using it too. Now that we can connect so easily, what's to stop a group of people in California from having a small Reunion out there or one in North Carolina? There certainly seem to be a lot of our clasmates who live there. Maybe I should go and look at the map again on the home page. Isn't that cool? Just another automatic function we get to use here. Nah. I'm to lazy to flip to that window and break my train of thought. . . . stream of consciousness . . . Mr. Taylor would have called it.
Pictures. THAT'S the task I really need some help on. I joke about how much of this is just a choice on a menu, but there really is a lot of work associated with it and I'm kept quite busy. I really could use an offer from someone to scan pictures out the yearbooks for me so I can post to the classmate profiles. Someone who knows their way around a scanner because I need hi-res and all the same size, resolution, and "look," with maybe some PhotoShop thrown in if necessary. They could be emailed to me a little bit at a time so I can post them. If there's anyone out there who'd like to take this on, it would be greatly appreciated.
I did say at the beginning of this blog that this was going to be a way for you to see behind the scenes at what goes on to put the Reunion together. Here's what happens at a typical meeting: we meet say, every couple of weeks and go through an agenda of action items and report submissions on new members, Reunion registrations, checks received, review the contract with the hotel, the contract with the band, raffle ticket sales, $$ in the bank accounts, and so on. Oh yeah, there's a lot to keep track of. Last meeting we addressed and stuffed envelopes with flyers and sent them out to lost classmates' last known addresses. (LOL, if you're reading this blog don't expect to get one. We know where YOU are.) We haven't had a meeting since I started writing this so there's not been anything to report. We have a meeting coming up soon I think. Bonnie keeps us all up on when and where to meet. Maybe we should include a copy of the agendas on here from now on. Anybody interested in seeing them?
But at the next meeting, I have an idea I'm going to propose. I'm not going to say what it is but I'm going to push hard for something I think will be a smash hit if I can get Reunion Committee buy-in and cooperation. Trust me! You'll love it!
But I've rambled on here long enough. Next time.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Third Post
60 is the new 40.
It's the typical story. First it's the career. Then comes marriage, followed by kids. Your time is no longer your own, and you resign yourself to "maturity," "filling out" or whatever euphemism for middle age that gives you what passes for peace of mind. My experience with this was during a 20 year Army career. And then I retired in 1996 and soon fell into the trap. Since I didn't HAVE to do any exercise, I didn't. Fast forward to 2006 . . . I was visiting some friends in Wilmington, NC and we had gone to an International House of Pancakes (like I NEEDED any pancakes, LOL). Gene stood up and took a picture of Anita, Cheryl, and I at the table . . . our food came and we ate and ate and ate. I came back up here and Gene had emailed me the picture thinking maybe I'd like to have it as a reminder of the great visit we all had (old Army buds, maybe some of you will understand.) I opened it up and there I was in all my megapixel glory . . . at 225 pounds. It felt like a sledgehammer blow to my chest. I was stunned at seeing those little piggy eyes set in my bloated face above about three chins. I was overweight, unfit, and unhealthy.
So I did something about it. It was pretty hard work and it didn't happen overnight, but I have whittled off about 65 pounds now. I feel better, I sure as hell hope I LOOK better, and I have more energy to combat the twin evils of an embattled family on the home front (oh yeah, my life sucks) and working in a &^%$ 'ing war zone Monday through Friday. So yeah, 60 is the new 40. And I'm okay with that. I'm a better, leaner, smarter Jerry than I was before. Just because I'm "getting" old doesn't mean I have to "be" old. You'd be surprised at the "interests" that been revived for me since I started taking better care of myself. I don't subscribe to the "Live to eat." school of thought anymore, for me it's now "Eat to live." I'm not quite 60 yet . . . two more years to go . . . but I think I'm going to make it. You be 40 too.
Men and women in the industrialized countries (that's US, folks) are now living into our 80's with bodies that are designed to last between 40 - 50 years or so. Any physicians out there who'd like to argue that point are welcome to correct me. So we as a group are already past the "higher end" of the old life span scale and have dropped into the gray zone between 50 and 80-ish (the apparent "upper end" of the new life span scale.) Lifestyle will come into play here in a major way . . . so all that deep-fried Southern cuisine we all know and love could mean that we're literally digging our graves with our teeth. (WHAT an image THAT conjures up!) So the bod will let YOU down if you let IT down.
But what about our mental acuity? You know what? It's not just about keeping yourself fit and occupied . . . it's about letting your hair down and going to one hell of a good party from time to time. And let's face it, how many more times in our lives can we expect to have an opportunity like the one that will present itself in October of this year - the 40th and 41st Reunions for the 1969 and 1968 classes. People, this is going to be THE party and you shouldn't miss it. It is my sincere hope that it is so much fun that the Police have to come check it out . . . twice. If even HALF of what we envision comes to pass, there won't be an unsatisfied person in the house.
It's all about being uplifted. That's it is a nut shell. And I do not intend any religious overtones when I use that word as the descriptor. Is there anyone out there who couldn't use a smashing good time? Alcohol, as always, is optional. And let me elaborate on why I think that attending the Reunion will be such a positive experience for everyone; you're going to be around people that you knew when you were young and will be around your very own age. You're going to feel younger just being with the old crowd again. Now what's that worth to you?
And we know that people are thinking about coming . . . there's a sort of "smell" in the air about the Reunion . . . kind of like when a new Broadway play opening in Newhaven is said to have "legs." I got a call the other day asking if we knew what kind of food we'd be serving. And that's a good question. For what we have to charge for the Saturday Night event (we need a name for that. ASAP), I'd ask what kind of food we'd be having too. This particular caller was concerned that it might be seafood. Well, the answer is that we're not having a sit-down dinner; it's what the women on the Committee (henceforth known as "The Women") tell me is called heavy hors d' (*&^%, now I have to stop and look it up) hors d'oeuvres. There. I said it. So the answer is there'll be a lot of everything so you can take your pick. And dancing. Oh-h-h-h! Will there be dancing!
Speaking of an "uplifting" experience check this out this YouTube video of a recent wedding in Minnesota . . . and crank up the volume.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0
It's the typical story. First it's the career. Then comes marriage, followed by kids. Your time is no longer your own, and you resign yourself to "maturity," "filling out" or whatever euphemism for middle age that gives you what passes for peace of mind. My experience with this was during a 20 year Army career. And then I retired in 1996 and soon fell into the trap. Since I didn't HAVE to do any exercise, I didn't. Fast forward to 2006 . . . I was visiting some friends in Wilmington, NC and we had gone to an International House of Pancakes (like I NEEDED any pancakes, LOL). Gene stood up and took a picture of Anita, Cheryl, and I at the table . . . our food came and we ate and ate and ate. I came back up here and Gene had emailed me the picture thinking maybe I'd like to have it as a reminder of the great visit we all had (old Army buds, maybe some of you will understand.) I opened it up and there I was in all my megapixel glory . . . at 225 pounds. It felt like a sledgehammer blow to my chest. I was stunned at seeing those little piggy eyes set in my bloated face above about three chins. I was overweight, unfit, and unhealthy.
So I did something about it. It was pretty hard work and it didn't happen overnight, but I have whittled off about 65 pounds now. I feel better, I sure as hell hope I LOOK better, and I have more energy to combat the twin evils of an embattled family on the home front (oh yeah, my life sucks) and working in a &^%$ 'ing war zone Monday through Friday. So yeah, 60 is the new 40. And I'm okay with that. I'm a better, leaner, smarter Jerry than I was before. Just because I'm "getting" old doesn't mean I have to "be" old. You'd be surprised at the "interests" that been revived for me since I started taking better care of myself. I don't subscribe to the "Live to eat." school of thought anymore, for me it's now "Eat to live." I'm not quite 60 yet . . . two more years to go . . . but I think I'm going to make it. You be 40 too.
Men and women in the industrialized countries (that's US, folks) are now living into our 80's with bodies that are designed to last between 40 - 50 years or so. Any physicians out there who'd like to argue that point are welcome to correct me. So we as a group are already past the "higher end" of the old life span scale and have dropped into the gray zone between 50 and 80-ish (the apparent "upper end" of the new life span scale.) Lifestyle will come into play here in a major way . . . so all that deep-fried Southern cuisine we all know and love could mean that we're literally digging our graves with our teeth. (WHAT an image THAT conjures up!) So the bod will let YOU down if you let IT down.
But what about our mental acuity? You know what? It's not just about keeping yourself fit and occupied . . . it's about letting your hair down and going to one hell of a good party from time to time. And let's face it, how many more times in our lives can we expect to have an opportunity like the one that will present itself in October of this year - the 40th and 41st Reunions for the 1969 and 1968 classes. People, this is going to be THE party and you shouldn't miss it. It is my sincere hope that it is so much fun that the Police have to come check it out . . . twice. If even HALF of what we envision comes to pass, there won't be an unsatisfied person in the house.
It's all about being uplifted. That's it is a nut shell. And I do not intend any religious overtones when I use that word as the descriptor. Is there anyone out there who couldn't use a smashing good time? Alcohol, as always, is optional. And let me elaborate on why I think that attending the Reunion will be such a positive experience for everyone; you're going to be around people that you knew when you were young and will be around your very own age. You're going to feel younger just being with the old crowd again. Now what's that worth to you?
And we know that people are thinking about coming . . . there's a sort of "smell" in the air about the Reunion . . . kind of like when a new Broadway play opening in Newhaven is said to have "legs." I got a call the other day asking if we knew what kind of food we'd be serving. And that's a good question. For what we have to charge for the Saturday Night event (we need a name for that. ASAP), I'd ask what kind of food we'd be having too. This particular caller was concerned that it might be seafood. Well, the answer is that we're not having a sit-down dinner; it's what the women on the Committee (henceforth known as "The Women") tell me is called heavy hors d' (*&^%, now I have to stop and look it up) hors d'oeuvres. There. I said it. So the answer is there'll be a lot of everything so you can take your pick. And dancing. Oh-h-h-h! Will there be dancing!
Speaking of an "uplifting" experience check this out this YouTube video of a recent wedding in Minnesota . . . and crank up the volume.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Second Post
Ha! had to play around with the Blogger.com and the ClassCreator.com code for quite a while before I was able to get this to embed properly. Now we're cooking with gas!
But back to planning the Reunion . . .
We have plans to have have a photographer on site who will take individual or group shots against a background . . . in addition to the panoramic photo we always do. Now how cool would it be for three (or more) women who were best buds (or Sorority sisters) to have a group photo taken at the Saturday night event? Or three men? Or whatever combination you can come up with? I think that we should have a videographer too. Then we can capture short interviews and/or greetings and post them to YouTube for those that are too strung out (LOL - geographically speaking) to attend the Reunion in person.
We have quite a diverse group on the Committee. Bonnie Bridger Mittelmaier (69) and George Nichols (68) are the co-heads and are ably assisted by:
Yours truly (Jerry Quinn) (69)
Pam Mauld Strahorn-Roe (69)
Paul Roe (69)
Al Mittelmaier (68)
Vonnie Bertoci Wray (69)
Irene Fowler Griffin (69)
Anne Hundley Rutherford (69)
Dorothy Harris Silverthorn (68)
Fred Eubanks (68)
Bill Wilson (68)
Andrea Cantrell (69)
Linda Harris Morrisette (69)
Gayle English Cozzens (68)
We're all determined to make this the finest Reunion celebration that ever was. Don't miss out!
But back to planning the Reunion . . .
We have plans to have have a photographer on site who will take individual or group shots against a background . . . in addition to the panoramic photo we always do. Now how cool would it be for three (or more) women who were best buds (or Sorority sisters) to have a group photo taken at the Saturday night event? Or three men? Or whatever combination you can come up with? I think that we should have a videographer too. Then we can capture short interviews and/or greetings and post them to YouTube for those that are too strung out (LOL - geographically speaking) to attend the Reunion in person.
We have quite a diverse group on the Committee. Bonnie Bridger Mittelmaier (69) and George Nichols (68) are the co-heads and are ably assisted by:
Yours truly (Jerry Quinn) (69)
Pam Mauld Strahorn-Roe (69)
Paul Roe (69)
Al Mittelmaier (68)
Vonnie Bertoci Wray (69)
Irene Fowler Griffin (69)
Anne Hundley Rutherford (69)
Dorothy Harris Silverthorn (68)
Fred Eubanks (68)
Bill Wilson (68)
Andrea Cantrell (69)
Linda Harris Morrisette (69)
Gayle English Cozzens (68)
We're all determined to make this the finest Reunion celebration that ever was. Don't miss out!
First Post
First entry in yet another stopping place in the blogosphere. Blogs. Who would have thought back then that there would be such a thing as a blog? But I'm starting one now as a venue to keep you abreast of what's going on behind the scenes to make the upcoming Reunion something to remember. I'm going for an aimless, stream-of-consciousness ramble down through the processes. Join me if you like. We'll see how long I can keep this up.
If you were able to attend the last Reunion, you'll have a better appreciation for what we have planned for the party we have planned for October. Fun, but not quite free-form either. There'll be something for everybody; a Friday nite come-as-you-are at the outdoor bar at the Crowne Plaza hotel, and an elegant, dressed-up-to-the-nines party on Saturday night. There's a Sunday Buffet planned . . . but figure the odds after the bash we plan for the night before. We haven't really gotten much farther than that in actually planning the events; there WILL be a theme, we WILL work with the hotel catering staff and finalize all that (a good five meetings on just the food, I'm sure), HOW we want the rooms arranged, all that.
That's the easy part. The REAL work is in lining up a place to have the Reunion and working out THOSE details . . . and finding a band. One night at a Committee Meeting when the band was up for discussion for about the 4000 th time, I actually said to one of the women - I think maybe it was Andrea Cantrell - "What would happen if I suggested that we just dont have a band?" LOL. The look I got in return left no doubt in my mind what the answer to my question would be. Men, the women on the Committee are the driving force behind all this so there WILL be a band. Okay? Which means that there WILL be dancing. I know. At our age. But there's just no help for it so get over it You ought to hear the discussions on the dance floor area. I mean, my first inclination was that - if we have to dance - what's wrong with just the carpet? One thing I have learned over the years is to learn from my mistakes . . . and I wasn't forgetting the one I made over the band so this time I just kept my mouth shut. Did you know that you have to have things called "squares?" Apparently the interlock together and you configure them into dancefloor areas like 9'x12' or 15'x20'. I think that we're going for a 16'x16'. My question now: Is that going to be BIG enough? I mean, few if any of us weigh the same as we did 40 years ago . . . and we will probably take up more space too.
The other thing that we spend a lot of time on is tracking people down. Although we didn't realize it when we were in school; many, many people in both the '68 and '69 classes were from military families and their presence was greatly influenced by the proximity of both Ft. Monroe and Langley AFB . . . and their summer PCS rotations. People whose parents just happened to be stationed here and living in the KHS school zone during their Senior year. Oh sure, some had lived here all their lives (and in many cases still do) but a very great percentage were mobile. And tracking down the women has been even more problematic - they would have married and changed their names and quite simply vanished off the face of the Earth. We work at it though, constantly badgering people to contact other people they might know. And we're not getting any younger either. Take a look at the page we have set aside for our classmates who have passed away . . . and those are only the ones we KNOW about.
More later . . .
If you were able to attend the last Reunion, you'll have a better appreciation for what we have planned for the party we have planned for October. Fun, but not quite free-form either. There'll be something for everybody; a Friday nite come-as-you-are at the outdoor bar at the Crowne Plaza hotel, and an elegant, dressed-up-to-the-nines party on Saturday night. There's a Sunday Buffet planned . . . but figure the odds after the bash we plan for the night before. We haven't really gotten much farther than that in actually planning the events; there WILL be a theme, we WILL work with the hotel catering staff and finalize all that (a good five meetings on just the food, I'm sure), HOW we want the rooms arranged, all that.
That's the easy part. The REAL work is in lining up a place to have the Reunion and working out THOSE details . . . and finding a band. One night at a Committee Meeting when the band was up for discussion for about the 4000 th time, I actually said to one of the women - I think maybe it was Andrea Cantrell - "What would happen if I suggested that we just dont have a band?" LOL. The look I got in return left no doubt in my mind what the answer to my question would be. Men, the women on the Committee are the driving force behind all this so there WILL be a band. Okay? Which means that there WILL be dancing. I know. At our age. But there's just no help for it so get over it You ought to hear the discussions on the dance floor area. I mean, my first inclination was that - if we have to dance - what's wrong with just the carpet? One thing I have learned over the years is to learn from my mistakes . . . and I wasn't forgetting the one I made over the band so this time I just kept my mouth shut. Did you know that you have to have things called "squares?" Apparently the interlock together and you configure them into dancefloor areas like 9'x12' or 15'x20'. I think that we're going for a 16'x16'. My question now: Is that going to be BIG enough? I mean, few if any of us weigh the same as we did 40 years ago . . . and we will probably take up more space too.
The other thing that we spend a lot of time on is tracking people down. Although we didn't realize it when we were in school; many, many people in both the '68 and '69 classes were from military families and their presence was greatly influenced by the proximity of both Ft. Monroe and Langley AFB . . . and their summer PCS rotations. People whose parents just happened to be stationed here and living in the KHS school zone during their Senior year. Oh sure, some had lived here all their lives (and in many cases still do) but a very great percentage were mobile. And tracking down the women has been even more problematic - they would have married and changed their names and quite simply vanished off the face of the Earth. We work at it though, constantly badgering people to contact other people they might know. And we're not getting any younger either. Take a look at the page we have set aside for our classmates who have passed away . . . and those are only the ones we KNOW about.
More later . . .
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