Date: 5 April 2004
From: Bonnie

Florida Fling, 2004
THE ALE HOUSE, Part 2

---As we wound our way through the week leading up to the beginning of our festivities, I couldn't help but think that we WC folks are simply the masters of making a single event into 3 or 4 or 5 events. We seem to do that with every gathering. So that tells me something wonderful We like each other, we really do, and we want to spend as much time together as we possibly can. What a great and wonderful feeling!

However, once I had accepted the initial disappointment of losing my very desired houseguests at this point, who consisted of the aforementioned Dee and Donna, I tried to be positive and look forward to the ones who WERE going to be here and they were BRUCE CHENOWETH and SHIRLEY TUDOR. To my delight, Bruce arrived a tad early, rolling in on Monday, March 22. This was just great because we got to spend some extra time visiting and catching up on everything. So I was delighted. The week rapidly evaporated into thin air, though, and it was soon Friday. We found ourselves going to breakfast before Bruce's departure to Tampa and were gone but about 45 minutes to an hour. Surely enough, when we arrived back home, there was Shirley exiting my front porch. She and friend John Combs had driven through the night. We caught them just in time, although I'm sure she would have returned.

Bruce was gone within the hour, off to a dinner date with the Fees and Bill Howard, on the "left coast" of Florida. Shirley and I visited for a spell after taking Bruce for a loaner car. His was having a new a/c unit installed. She looked great and we always talk incessantly. She finally decided she really wanted to see Disney World, so she opted to go on over to Orlando and we'd see each other the next night, at the Ale House.

Before I knew it, it WAS the next day and it was time to leave for the Ale House. I was terribly excited and didn't have a clue who would be showing up over there. But I walked in promptly at 6 pm and went through the entire place and didn't see one, familiar face. I was crushed, hoping that someone was going to appear. How little did I know! Within minutes, I spied the familiar face of JOANN K. STEMLEY and husband Ronald Hall. Right behind them was JUDITH A. STALDER with husband Jerry DeAngulo and this just the beginning. All of us sat together and the chatter began. It was the beginning of what was to become yet another terrific WC evening of fun!

Soon, SHIRLEY TUDOR entered, looking radiant and smiling broadly. Almost right behind her was STEVEN M. KOKOT and his vivacious spouse, BARBARA T. O'NEAL (note: f/k/a Barbara Thomas, for those of you who may be wondering, but I've recently learned that her OWN maiden name was O'Neal, not Thomas, so all future bulletins will refer to her with her own correct name), PAULA WILSON, and DONNA J. RICHARDS. As the evening progressed, it became apparent that Steve would have his capable hands quite full and it was a role he handled with panache and aplomb!

Next came MADELEINE D. CAMPBELL with husband William D. McDaniel. Everyone was just thrilled to see Madeleine, after all these years. We're all SO happy that you were there with us, Madeleine! Bill, you simply MUST get Madeleine to the alumni gig! We soon laid eyes on our popular and glamorous 1960 class member, NANCY E. "COOKIE" BOWIE, all the way from Eatonville, Washington. It was truly a special treat to see you, Cookie! By the way, folks, Cookie is still popular, glamorous, humorous, warm, and funny.

We no more than looked around and there was 1960's shining example of the "serious and studious" set, none other than ROBERTA A. RICE. Roberta, you were no less than a delight and such fun and so interesting. I'm sure everyone enjoyed your company just as much as I did. We want you to attend EVERYthing, from now on, okay? Roberta also looks marvelous, folks. Check her out on NANCY ERTEL's website! She sure wasn't serious and studious on THAT evening!

A tall, lanky, silver-haired, handsome fellow appeared in our midst and that turned out to be our own RICHARD KNEER with his charming spouse, Becky, who was patient as the day is long, with all this WC stuff. I recall Dick as one of our basketball stars. He was witty and funny and we were all happy to see you, Dick, and to meet you, Becky. We hope to continue to see both of you at all WC functions.

At the very next table was a very attractive lady, whom I didn't recognize at all. It was SANDRA L. BARSALOU, Class of 1958, with spouse Mike Donisi. Sandy and Mike had driven up from South Florida, making a weekend of it, as did a number of people. Soon, I saw a familiar figure, winding her way toward our group. It was that fun and funny and down-to-earth enjoyable lady from the 1961 class, LYNNETT GARRETT, with husband Frank Hawvermale. Darnit, Lynn, we didn't get to visit very much! You be sure to call me the very next time you're down here. I want to have another visit like the one we had when you came here and I went up there, okay?

Also appearing were two of my very favorite fellow 1960 classmates, GERALD A. FULLER and BOYD H. JENKINS. Believe me when I tell you this, you two were simply two of the nicest and dearest most memorable of the members of our class. I'm so happy each time I see either of you and I do so hope your dental work is all well now, Boyd, and that you're feeling much better. For those of you who are unaware, Boyd had recently had extensive dental work done and wasn't at his very best. But the good news is, even in a GRUMPY mood, Boyd Jenkins is nicer than most folks you meet who are in a GOOD mood! Boyd's looking pretty good these days, too, girls. He's been a widower for about 13 years now and I'll be darned if I can figure out how he's done THAT. Boyd, you must be able to run awfully fast, that's all I can say.

Jerry Fuller and I are, and will forever be, practically "genetically connected." We're both Miami Shores kids, we went through school from day one to day last, at the very same schools, all the way through. Seeing him is like seeing a family member. If you don't remember who he is (and I can't believe anyone doesn't), just check the Piratan. Jerry's one of those who looks identical to his WC class photo to this very day. Jerry made a HUGE donation to what I've come to call, "The Alumni Fund," for lack of a better term. He said it was for postage and printing costs, but Jerry, I don't mail anything to YOU! He was very insistent, though, so I've thrown that in the kitty and will use it only for related expenses. Many thanks, Jerry. That was a very magnanimous gesture. Jerry, by the way, has missed not even ONE of our functions! Boyd, you seem to make everything, too.

Then came "Mr. Golfer," GARY L. WARLAUMONT with wife Jill. As I told you all before, God has been good to us and has finally endowed Gary with a wrinkle or two. But it's nowhere NEAR what it SHOULD be, so I'm not going to be too smug about it. You know I'm only kidding, Gary, and we all love you. We just wish you would be able to come to more of the gatherings. For those of you who do not know, Gary flew over to Ormond Beach on Tuesday, March 23, to "pick up" Bruce and fly him back to Apopka for a day of golfing. In fact, on the same day we all gathered at the Ale House, a group of our WC folks played golf together over in Tom Fee's neck of the woods, Tampa. RONALD D. "TOM" FEE, Class of 1958 (once removed) put together a golf outing for the alumni to compete together. It was apparently quite a day. We'll have more on that in the next chapter. He was lightly assisted, I believe, by WILLIAM R. HOWARD and BRUCE E. CHENOWETH, Class of 1958 (both). Now there are three MORE guys who never miss WC stuff, by the way.

It was a wonderful treat for me when the ever-gracious and way-too-nice WILLIAM O. WALKER, came strolling into the Ale House, with his just-the-same spouse, Karen. It had been over a year since I'd seen them and they're truly dear folks. This was turning into a great gathering and every person was having a great time. As I talked to Bill and Karen, I noticed a terribly attractive blonde lady at one of the tables and that turned out to be none other than LINDA L. MCAFEE, Class of 1957, and I'm here to tell you, folks, Linda looks positively GREAT! I was delighted that you put forth the effort to attend, Linda. Since you and I aren't that far apart, we have to get together and shoot the breeze, really soon.

Soon joining us were also Bill Howard and Bruce Chenoweth and when they came in, I looked at the crowd and thought to myself how wonderful this all was. Here we were, some forty-odd years after graduating, a thousand miles from the location of our Ohio school, in sunny Florida. We had about 20 WC alumni gathered in a big bar/restaurant in Orlando. At least 11 of those folks had come down from Ohio to attend this and there was Cookie, all the way from Washington, God bless her! Everybody was talking very animatedly to everybody else and we had class years ranging from 1957 through 1962. The table-hopping was like a race track! Was this great or what?

The entire evening was a wonderful success, to say the very least. The mix of personalities was nothing short of perfect and everyone was delighted to see everyone else, of that there was no question. "The girls" (Barbara O'Neal, Donna Richards, and Paula Wilson) proved to be very adventurous, as the hour grew late. Barbara, in fact, would prove to be the virtual "life of the party." Without her, it would have been a great evening. WITH her, however, it was spectacular! She did the old high school cheer, out on the patio, along with Madeleine, and they even offered an encore, to Steve's horror. Ha! Everyone laughed and he was truly a great sport. Paula Wilson filled us all in on her charmed life on Singer Island in West Palm Beach. You look just terrific, Paula, by the way. Donna made friends with everyone who walked into the restaurant---male or female, young or old, black or white---I can honestly say that you are a truly social person, Donna.

By the end of the night, we would supposedly be graced on the following day by the presence of a Chippendale dancer (male, of course), as well as an exotic dancer from a nearby club, when we had our condo clubhouse gathering. Thank God that did not materialize. As the girls did the high school cheer, they were NOT joined by our own resident cheerleader, Cookie, but Donna joined in a bit. I know people thought we were all crazy, cheering and clapping and telling them that we were all from a high school in Ohio and having a gathering in Florida. But you can nevertheless believe me, when I tell you that we truly had a virtual circus. I'd also have to tell you that I'm terribly sorry if you didn't make it. We had the time of our lives, truly! I wouldn't take a thousand dollars for the experience I had that night and for the people I got to see. It was more wonderful than I can ever say in these few words, believe me. The next installment will be about the condo gathering which took place on March 28. Hang in there! So I now leave you all, once again, with my usual wish for glow -ing health, great happiness, peaceful serenity, and boundless prosperity. Ciao!

- posted by Mikey @ 11:14 PM