8/18/01
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PHS Bulldogs On-Line Aug 18, 2001
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6 Bulldog alumni notes today:
Ron Dupuis (62)
Sandra Green Reuther (63)
Pat Fleming (63)
Bob Coffey (63)
Ginger Mitchell Wedin (64)
Rick Sandquist (66)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
==============================================
From: Ron Dupuis (62)
To Alan Taylor:
I don't remember having to use the same phone line at all.
To Paul Case:
I do remember Linda. She was in a class of mine when I was a junior and she was a senior. Where are she and Dave now? I believe that Linda went with Ron Bracy's brother (Jerry) in high school. She was a good looking girl back then and she probably still is. I have really enjoyed reading all of your messages. This is a wonderful site.
Take care.
Ron Dupuis (62)
Snohomish, WA
==============================================
From: Sandra Green Reuther (63)
Patti McMahon Berg (63) sent this to me. It seems appropriate for a number of classes - so thought I'd share it with you. Hope no one is insulted.
Class Reunion of a 50+ year old woman
I had prepared for it like any intelligent woman would. I went on a starvation diet the day before, knowing that all the extra weight would just melt off in 24-hours, leaving me with my sleek, trim, high-school-girl body. The last many years of careful cellulite collection would just be gone with a snap of a finger. I knew if I didn't eat a morsel on Friday, that I could probably fit into my senior formal on Saturday.
Trotting up to the attic, I pulled the gown out of the garment bag, carried it lovingly downstairs, ran my hand over the fabric, and hung it on the door. I stripped naked, looked in the mirror, sighed, and thought, "Well, okay, maybe if I shift it all to the back..." Bodies never have pockets where you need them. Bravely, I took the gown off the hanger, unzipped the shimmering dress and stepped gingerly into it. I struggled, twisted, turned, and pulled and I got the formal all the way up to my knees... before the zipper gave out. I was disappointed. I wanted to wear that dress with those silver platform sandals again and dance the night away. Okay, one setback was not going to spoil my mood for this affair. No way! Rolling the dress into a ball and tossing it into the corner, I turned to Plan B. The black velvet caftan.
I gathered up all the goodies that I had purchased at the drug store; the scented shower gel; the body building, and highlighting shampoo & conditioner, and the split-end killer and shine enhancer. Soon my hair would look like that girl's in the Pantene ads. Then the makeup - the under eye "ain't no lines here" firming cream, the all day face-lifting gravity fighting moisturizer with wrinkle filler spackle; the all day "kiss me till my lips bleed, and see if this gloss will come off" lipstick, the bronzing face powder for that special glow...But first, the roll-on facial hair remover. I could feel the wrinkles shuddering in fear.
OK - time to get ready...I jumped into the steaming shower, soaped, lathered, rinsed, shaved, tweezed, buffed, scrubbed, and scoured my body to a tingling pink. I plastered my freshly scrubbed face with the anti-wrinkle, gravity fighting, "your face will look like a baby's butt" face cream. I set my hair on the hot rollers. I felt wonderful. Ready to take on the world. Or in this instance, my underwear. With the towel firmly wrapped around my glistening body, I pulled out the black, lace, tummy-tucking, cellulite-pushing, ham hock-rounding girdle, and the matching "lifting those bosoms like they're filled with helium" bra.
I greased my body with the scented body lotion and began the plunge. I pulled, stretched, tugged, hiked, folded, tucked, twisted, shimmied, hopped, pushed, wiggled, snapped, shook, caterpillar crawled, and kicked. Sweat poured off my forehead but I was done. And it didn't look bad. So I rested. A well deserved rest, too. The girdle was on my body. Bounce a quarter off my behind? It was tighter than a trampoline. Can you say, "Rubber baby buggy bumper butt?" Okay, so I had to take baby steps, and walk sideways, and I couldn't move from my butt cheeks to my knees. But I was firm!
Oh no...I had to go to the bathroom. And there wasn't a snap crotch. From now on, undies gotta have a snap crotch. I was ready to rip it open and re-stitch the crotch with Velcro. But the pain factor from past experiments was still fresh in my mind. I quickly side stepped to the bathroom.
An hour later, I had answered nature's call and repeated the struggle into the girdle. I was ready for the bra. I remembered what the saleslady said to do. I could see her glossed lips mouthing, "Do not fasten the bra in the front, and twist it around. Put the bra on the way it should be worn - straps over the shoulders. Then bend over and gently place both breasts inside the cups." Easy if you have four hands. But, with confidence, I put my arms into the holsters, bent over and pulled the bra down...but the boobs weren't cooperating. I'd no sooner tuck one in a cup, and while placing the other, the first would slip out. I needed a strategy. I bounced up and down a few times, tried to dribble them in with short bunny hops, but that didn't work. So, while bent over, I began rocking gently back and forth on my heel and toes and I set 'em to swinging.' Finally, on the fourth swing, pause, and lift, I captured the gliding glands.
Quickly fastening the back of the bra, I stood up for examination. Back straight, slightly arched, I turned and faced the mirror, turning front, and then sideways. I smiled. Yes, Houston, we have lift up! My breasts were high, firm and there was cleavage!
I was happy until I tried to look down. I had a chin rest. And I couldn't see my feet. I still had to put on my pantyhose, and shoes. Why did I buy heels with buckles? And then I had to pee again.
I decided to put on my sweats, go fix myself a drink and skip the reunion.
Sandra Green Reuther (63)
Boulder City, NV
==============================================
From: Pat Fleming (63)
Don and Joe Stephenson were younger than the class of '63. I'm thinking '64. We ran around together because they were really big. Joe died a few years ago and I ran into Don, again, a few years ago. Don and I didn't get along after he took out my girl friend (wife now). The Stephensons had a 55 Ford with a CBC decal in the back window and everybody thought they were older.
Jim Dean was in my class too. He had a sister, Joan I think, who was around '61.
My big brother, Tom, was in the drum and bugle corps. He drummed and practiced in the Sears parking lot. I and a bunch of little brothers would ride around the lot on our bicycles and throw apples, from the neighbor's tree, at each other until the leader of the D&BC would yell at us. He was scary!
I must say it is a pleasure teaching at Kennewick High School. Last Summer Kennewick High had an all year reunion. It was fantastic. They took over the entire down town area. They rented a building at the fair grounds and had activities at the school and other places. Because of my position at KHS I was asked to help with the sidewalk drawing contest. Rita McClendon (KHS 63 and St. Pats alum) ask why a PHS alum was working a KHS event. I told her that "a man never looks taller than when he stoops to help the less fortunate." Actually I just thought of that. The next time I see her I'll tell her that.
Anyway an all year reunion sounds really neat. I think we should get the PHS class of '63 people who live in Portland to start arranging it. After all they did such a good job of organizing our 36th yr reunion! We could rent a hangar at the airport or maybe the entire Double Tree (Red Lion). I know I'm too busy to work on it but my wife and I would attend.
p.s. Speaking of multiples, I wonder how many Pat Smiths there are.
Pat Fleming (63)
Kennewick, WA
==============================================
From: Bob Coffey (63)
To Tom Brandon:
That police officer was my little brother Randy (73) who helped your son-in-law out. He is getting ready to retire and move to the Spokane area. You may have run into him because he and my little sister and my mom and dad lived across from you on Howard Street back in the 70's, just around the corner from Mr. Carter. I was visiting my folks and remember you mowing your yard one day. They left Pasco and moved to Anchorage in 1973 after Randy graduated from school. You're right - small world. Glad to hear your reunion went well, you had a bunch of nice people in that class.
To Ron Dupuis:
You and Loren come over any time - question is, is Scotland ready for us??? I also remember Dave Zank driving that ugly big black car of his - he would wear a German helmet and had a phony machine gun mounted on the hood.
To Alan Tylor:
1961 was the year Doyle and I left the corps. He and I, along with Dan Holmes, were known as the Kim-Kam Brothers and the Pasco Drum and Bugle Corp went through a lot of changes over the five years we were there. The first bugles we had were plastic and all the parents who could do so would drive us to each parade or competition and we would compete against senior bands because we were one of the first Jr. Corps in the Northwest and that was our only competition. We lost all our equipment in a fire at the VFW, which I believe was on south 4th street, and had to hit the streets begging for money to buy new instruments. We all worked hard, and ended up with flashy new chrome, single valve horns and red drums. Sorry to hear about Jeff and Jimmy.
To Pam Routt:
Hi Pam - hope everything going ok with you - its been a few years.
Bob Coffey (63)
Crieff, Scotland
==============================================
From: Ginger Mitchell Wedin (64)
Email is great!
After being "born again" (an overused phrase now), I have been a follower of Jesus - what an adventure. If you are a seeker, or just want to talk about anything at all, email me.
I still do sports :) Married 35 yrs Aug 20, 2001. Did you know my 3 brothers, John, Jim and Pat? All are doing great.
Ginger Mitchell Wedin (64)
Highlands Ranch, CO
==============================================
From: Rick Sandquist (66)
What a treat to read these stories and remembrances from folks about the way things were in the 1960's in Pasco. I remember many of the things others have written about and they bring a smile to my face after so many years.
One thing I remember doing was sneaking into the Riverview Drive-In. On one occasion, when Ed Hines and Bill Beaty were in the trunk of the car, we pulled up to pay the admission but the guys in the trunk were making a lot of noise. I thought we were busted for sure but they let us in and we drove to the back row, opened up the trunk, got the beer out, and watched the movie.
I also recall having a study hall in the PHS lunch room that was run by Mr. Vincent. He would sit up on a small dais and try to keep people from sleeping and talking - remember this was supposed to be a study hall. If you could come up with some kind of song and dance about why you need to carry on a conversation, he would allow you to go into a small room where you could talk. It seemed like there was always the same group of people who requested access to this room and eventually it became a place where we would tell stories and try to "cut each other down."
One day, we were in fine form and ended up making too much noise. Suddenly, the door flew open and there stood Mr. Vincent. He was not pleased. I recall a tongue-lashing and his penalty that each person do some unspecified number of push-ups for punishment. We all lined up to start the exercises but he left before we got started so we gently closed the door and started off on each other again. That was the last time that group of people got to use the room during study hall.
Does anybody remember KALE radio? I don't think we had FM radio in the Tri-Cities at that time and I can recall hearing all the great rock and roll songs coming from the radio station out on Court Street.
PHS was a good time and I enjoyed it. It gave me a good start and I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to attend that school during that time.
Rick Sandquist (66)
Swedesboro, NJ
==============================================