Sorry, I don’t do many selfies, but if *nobody* got my strutting to entertainer John Eisenhart’s version of ‘Bad to the Bone’ at 50th Reunion, where has our national penchant for wanting to capture *everything* to somehow overlook me & The Hat? Pete Z., you’re a standard-bearer for Forever Young Boomers. John N. great to hear your running-career story re: teaching/sports marketing. Mini! and Linda N., Danny Smith’s date Janie and a visit to FL..? Jean Tafler+, carry on Good Woman and Actress.
Yes, a good time was had by those present. Can’t argue with that. Yeah, Linda and John Zampella are still looking that like fine wine aging deal.
With tennis racket and ‘letter jacket,’ Jock & Journalist
Friday evening was a successful warming up about possibly identifying faces, at ‘Horses (rear end logo)’ on McClellan. I gave Belle Waddington an early AttagalPerson! for the communications and getting a group together. I styled a suitably colorful Tommy Bahama shirt with Hugo Boss blue jacket, Nantucket Red faded pants with sneakers, varsity L with racket, vintage Steffi Graf G200 (small head!) racket slung over shoulder, and yes, The Fab 50th Hat.
On Saturday, Janelle R., another primary org asset for Class of ’75 reunion, (I’m smiling) caught me just *after* they took group picture of Central Park people who went to Linton – but that’s inadequate to explain the lack of coverage for Saturday night reunion gear. Yeah, yeah, sounds like a diva, but maybe its just Colbert. Given that EVERYBODY has a camera now, if somebody captured my dancing, send it along please!
Okay, everybody liked the fedora with bead of ’50’ medallions, and light key-lime green, soft Panama jacket with splashy blue-blue Bugatchi shirt and outstanding yellow-multi-color Garcia tie as Ukraine sympathy symbol plus ‘dancing shoes.’ Nothin’?
Brother David came in a tux- but I did that for 40th. Mini! & Melissa Schein- ?, thanks for dancing near me. YAY! to Tony Malitzia for a welcome report about Bob Massaroni’s heart and him doing well two years after transplant.
LOL Alex Chrys, though not in attendance, donating a second hour of open bar was welcomed by the 90-odd 1975 grads and significant others. Food was finger stuff, all of it tasty-desirable and no mess. Chuck Mohlman says he never chewed glass off a cracked glass at one of those early college year returns to Schenectady, so memories become maybe rumors others buy into. Could have been Comely… Brother David indeed told the story of a Sunday morning tackle game with college-HS buddies, messing up a 3″ wet snow Linton field before ’75 Election Day game vs. MP. Ooops.
The only thing un-great about whole reunion event was the speeding ticket at end of I-88 going home, but ticket wrecking my super-Attitude for the trip? Uhhh, I got ahold of a guy and its working out) I’ve loved checking the mileage and point-to-point-and back, and LeShork wasn’t only one running hot the whole way. Zoom-zoom,12.5 hrs., appreciated thinking time and rock & roll tunes back to Charlotte.
Politics didn’t really come up with anyone I talked to, Dave Ryan’s slant on local control and open to all ideas for better governance in Denver vs. Dem & Rep rules and attitudes, more power bro. Almost exactly zero Charlie Kirk, and (Army Major) nephew gave me straight-up, kitchen-level to locked in believer in him as representative of military, every reason to believe nothing exotic was going to come from star-level officers being assembled from around the world. (On Fri., agree True dat.)
No posing a threat, military would never be stupid about bending any (bleeping) knees. Other than FUBAR, stoic silence worked good by me. Just sayin,’ can bad guys track ‘US Importants’ easier after Hegseth’s 1500% (that’s good, right?) failed rah-rah?
Tennis worked out Great!
No golf or racetrack this time, but got out twice for tennis with my brother David, discovered whatever discomfort I sometimes get in right wrist (yes, I’m officially old, but a fact, not complaint) doesn’t cause actual pain except with mishits when I don’t set up right. What *seems* like a rejuvenated right shoulder meant a LOT better serving than hesitant previous time.
Having played long enough, you can assess what doing wrong/right, and I’m giving a month-plus worth of Tibetan monk circulatory assist exercises on YouTube credit for shoulder strength. There was no throwback clanking in shoulder from major 2020 bike accident. I actually placed serves with pace, gave Dave some trouble. At sixty-eight, out of the tennis closet and ready for Fall leagues in Charlotte!
I’ve previously mentioned how the Central Park courts where I played growing up, and where a big time former event OTB Open was held before the US Open, were end of street and through woods- whole operation is currently dug up. I’m smiling about early days on local backboard, high fencing and balls still making it into often muddy area behind.
It turns out, running has helped bone regeneration in Dave’s left leg, and since last year, he’s played regularly with a buddy. This was first time in years I’ve done more than pound a wall, hitting with ‘live ammo’/spin/location, I’m gratified about the results. Bicycling has kept me within five pounds of best rugby weight (188) for 35 years, tennis is an important social addition. I’ll gladly play doubles there than plock! plock! I can hear from a block away at Myers Park CC pickleball courts. How quickly I’m regaining muscle memory on groundstrokes with pace, yay!
Marking the Difference, 50 years and Always, Family & Relationships
I’ve barely written anything solid for most of two weeks, just taking in the social uptick vibe (Come on, Janie!) I count getting invited to Panthers terrific home victory vs. ATL before making 800 mi. trip up on Mon. 22nd in my positives, feel no great sadness NOT seeing more than flashes of New England game while chowing wings (12 meaty ones for $15!) at bar from Reunion on Sunday. Saw that bang! bang! scoring in second and didn’t worry about it further. Laura was the bomb on service, FULL pours on wines and brews at Horse’s +logo was noticed.
That second quickie set of tennis before my heading back Tuesday 30th, and lunch + extra time with Aunt Carol, whom I hadn’t visited in years, cousin Joe staying for a beer Friday, and our scholarly professor-dude nephew (and ex-rugger) Spencer making *excellent* exotic natural mushrooms! pizza was better than prowling Saratoga. I drove by the old house on Lakewood, otherwise soaked in the family/familiarity of life in David and Donna’s house I helped build, before moving to Charlotte in 1995.
Two small kids in cellar was a rare treat, just walking (and crying after long travel upset sleep schedules) was first time seeing as great-uncle. I had small gifts for them, a super-colorful umpire’s coin for heads-tails, and a 100 year old book of childrens tales for future read-alongs. Its obviously way ahead of four-year old AJ now, just following at this point is a start. I’ve always been an advocate for kids reading and writing programs, no reason to fumble the opportunity for passing along a Special old one. https://cdtalententerprises.com/2019/06/28/well-delivered-messages-work-wonders-at-all-levels/
Stephanie said they’ll find a place to bring along a Santa Claus with sack full of teddy bears-ceramic statue I painted decades ago as family gift. Legacy? Wellll, sure hope so. We all know about favorites, Curtiss has been mine, the only one I really put to sleep at night. My mantra for him: Give up the ball early on the 2-1 break, you should get it back. Hit it to their backhand until they prove they can hit it back. His video games and watching an array of dials was probably more applicable Army training.
Doing some smaller stuff with good intentions, it still counts. I’ve choked up a little at times when I describe walking two blocks to a bookmobile, parked in the bank parking lot *every other Friday* during early reading years. Yes! I read ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,’ and ‘Robinson Caruso’ too. Profile in Courage and Mark Twain! A ton on Monument books, they let me get as many as I wanted. When 7-9 of us guys at St. Helen’s vied for reading volume, Hardy Boys as often as Franklin W. Dixon cranked them out, and individual quiz A’s (20/20 or they had a better A) yeah, we felt like a pretty smart bunch. High school wasn’t like that.
I admit feeling realistically elite more completely as a three year-Journalism Person than HS Jock I faux-projected with tennis racket and varsity letter Friday. Honest George, you reminding me about McKiernan and Journalist of Year award, which my brother Mike received the year before, does bring back a Whaaaat? memory. Guess I was happy enough with unexpected Sportmanship award for Swim Club.
Still think there should have been more group input on the vein of cursive writing through yearbook by Liz. Just sayin.’ Nobody asked about her and a tennis finale-the Sports Banquet, so I only told that story once.
Class Scribe, Maybe
JOURNALISM and producing a documented, award-winning product every two weeks, that’s truly meant something all these years, and 1st Amendment free speech is HUGE by me. It was lots more than yellow hall pass elitism back then, more like Ray Patterson and WE created some Journalism history at Linton. Isn’t there a John Carter wing of Schenectady HS? I was an enthused and legitimate part of the huge post-Watergate Journalism major group (double major with Business/Marketing) and still consider myself a writing resource in several areas (sports wagering), but yeah, three days of paste up with Bundo was a standard. Good memories for Brian Pollock as a J-man.
Oh for the glory of the grade! but all too soon the glory fades. He who works, gets the credit, he who doesn’t, also gets it. So if and when you get an A, chalk it up to Ray’s Fair Play. -Having a decent RCP signature wasn’t necessary, neither was a date for pass. Our reading list included a lot of Vonnegut. You know ‘Player Piano’ was about GE, right? Yeah, sometimes we took tests, Writing and certain faded jeans was enough for A’s. GShork, Editor- I ramrodded two issues in 10 days vs. 2 weeks as Editor. Bless me for majorettes piece Karen- just sayin’…Karowe, Alper, Syracuse Convention, Hungry Charlies, borrowed pencil from Nazareth girl. Big poker winner, wicked hangover.
There’s no telling how much longer I create as a Writer (nail lid on…), perhaps next book is just a particularly Inspirational Woman for a legend-in-his-own-mind Romance Writer away. I can imagine that working…
Keyboarding is MUCH better than typing, but thanks to Mrs. Eidens and ability to effectively transfer ideas and facts into production/sometimes a living as an admin. Pasting in a specific paragraph and tapping ‘Print Pages X range’ vs. retyping all 9 affected is a God-send for editing.
I mentioned those parochial school years- my folks paid PUBLIC SCHOOL TAXES *AND* extra tab at St. Helens- and top guys like Rooney, Trumble, Ryan, myself, we didn’t care how or what the girls were doing, we judged ourselves absolutely at peer level. While invoking a particular favorite teacher- who also trained all of us as altar boys- and often allowed for second ‘right’ answers if argument was compelling evidence you’d been paying attention, fellow Linton grad AnnMarie DeJohn Kinzel stated flatly Saturday, “No, we girls didn’t do any negotiating extra right answers with him.”
Ahhh yes, different times. The geek captured on my first Linton ID (1972-73), but with Mr. Dieck’s big black signature covering most of me, is an ancient mystery to me . I think there were seven guys I played Pop Warner football with in Saturday group. Bob Houlihan, about PR writing and that Hartford project…? Did I hear that Steve Lussier is some kind of great surgeon, or was I mixing that with Scott Grayman not making it *because* of surgery? Thanks for the drink Mike Osborne. Nate Manley still looks like yearbook photo, which was Christ-like with bandana. Cagnina tried to grab my hat during some pictures, sorry, not happening. Danny- oooo! A *serious* date.
Just for rounding out some Catholic school stuff, 1) I was definitely better prepared/ahead when I changed to public school in 8th grade. Instead of excelling because I knew the material, I sloughed off. We can’t afford to let public school education be buried by a lack of resources. 2) Not too awful long after I left, maybe still in high school, one of the nuns from 6th grade and a priest left together for a different life. Just sayin.’ Oh, never stole hosts, drank wine, or got molested.
My brother Mike and I were also first altar boys ‘when things started changing’ in Sixties, to NOT wear cassocks and surpluses for Mass. Priest came in, said, “Don’t worry about those, you guys look fine,” and out we went. I still wasn’t aware of Vietnam except totals of casualties that was on Nightly News. It was essentially Kent State where myth, “We don’t shoot protesters in America” FACT was destroyed, at least when white protesters got an uncomfortable blast of Reality.
Knowing about that, with armored-up and mask-wearing, heavy ordinance-carrying, National Guard troops in our streets despite a specific Constitutional law against that, means negatives can happen. Stay frosty and strong America, and may the 3.5% Rule start kicking in soon. (fyi- Its about people in the streets)
If there’s a sense of What’s Next after a 50th Reunion, thats probably natural. Having fully participated in the national crisis that was Vietnam for so many, it passed over us as the North overran the South- when they understood US Air Force wouldn’t bomb the shit out of them- Spring of ’75 senior year. There was HUGE violence besides war, which We, the #BoomerwithAttitude I still cop to, still believe we’d FIXED with civil rights all around and ecologically DOING BETTER back then to survive. This constant rending/debasing of all that for politics sake just doesn’t square.
Is that the hill you want to die on? First Amendment- Actually, Yes
If the bottom line is still, ‘Is that the hill you want to die on?’ we’ve seen some awful times along the way. Part of the Boomer ‘tude is “Our music was better,” and no matter what its called, its what they play *loud* in every arena in every non-game situation, along with participation stuff. Sometimes I’d prefer to just talk about game situation or whatever with person next to me.
Maybe next year I’ll officially register as a cranky old man based on that. Right now, I’m ready for a Fall season of tennis. The serve is Quality, cagey veteran stuff, I’m back into social swing and competitive. I trust the military to keep being serious about what Now and 2026 looks like. I’ll do my part, third time as Precinct Judge (D) on Nov. 4th in Charlotte.
My mantra remains, ‘Never let it be said I didn’t do the least that could be done,’ especially for youth reading-writing programs. I believe I have a God-given talent for putting ideas into good form for various reasons, and failing to utilize that Writing strength is poking Somebody in the eye. There is still a Passion Project with a STEAM Academy and READ Charlotte, maybe you’ll hear about child artwork, Aesop’s Fables like-read along book.
In real estate years ago, the word was never talk Retirement with Boomers, the Forever Young. Hence, the rise of 55+ communities with lifestyle choices. We Boomers will always own Man on the Moon. I recently put a Graduation Card/15 pc. puzzle project on ETSY, just sayin’ Creativity isn’t age specific. My niece is finishing a last semester for an art-related Major. We all know its a mo’fo’ of a job market, oohhhh BOY! is it ever. Best wishes to all, my Good Week-plus of calm and camaraderie (gotcha Dave Ryan, and same Goodness for long walks with Hank, Dave’s border collie) for 50th was worth the effort, may you peeps help these Next Couple Gens survive.
Have to admit, I haven’t been subjected to that slack-stare thing so many mention about ‘this generation’ too often. On LinkedIn conversations and general discussions, engaging is still about active communications, and I am great 1-1 from sales and interview situations. I concur with opinions regarding those inter-personal skills vs. reliance on texting. Just sayin,’ ain’t thrilled with AI or (bleeping) Miller neither.
WE can’t 100% rely on the courts to maintain ‘order’/all craziness that continues to crop up, but that’s material for another day, along with something like disappointment by Carolina Panthers and New England. 31st year for them and myself here, they still get benefit of the doubt for the season.
Post-a significant mental respite around 50th reunion trip, now done and done, where and what should become an extension of ‘Many Quality Experiences’ for the Now of 2025? Think I’ll check out that Springsteen flick. Best Ever Luck: Got offer of $100 ticket same day for BRUCE! *local* after 25+ years. Memorable 3 hr. concert during Great Recession, paid over 2 paydays.
Congrats again to the whole Class of ’75 Reunion org group for getting things so right for two nights. I’ll have memories way beyond that single event at end of I-88 (still making it back in a VERY solid time, 12.5 hrs), and I got a guy on that. Jean Tafler, no, we didn’t really intersect long ago, but such good communicating while hanging out- thanks so much for chatting at length. Melissa Schein, enchante! Will it be possible to encourage some e-mail or regular addresses/best practices, I wanted to send couple ‘Welcome to Real World’ puzzles to worthy attendees.
*Hopin’* somebody has a video slice of my stylish behavior to send along, and I *know* I was in front ranks for outside pictures, surprised myself about not taking any…
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