Gerald (Jerry) Plummer

Holly,

While I really never heard it called anything other than dominoes or Cutthroat when playing at the SF Transportation Club it appears to be like a game called All Fives.

Gerald (Jerry) Plummer

Rod,

Bring 'em on. However, by 2014 we all may be sucking on Ensure. 

Jack Habich

Rod,

You said you thought your neighbor, Larry Chase, was sort of an introvert.  Did you ever consider that maybe he wanted to talk about physics and you wanted to talk about roller skating?

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Jerry, you make a good point.

Jack, I suppose you are 100% correct about Larry.  However, between the ages of 8 thru 12, I was interested in playing every sport there was, collecting baseball cards, riding my bike all over, hanging out, playing board games, and trying to find out what an 8 page Bible was and how to get one.  During that same time, Larry would tell me every compartment in a nuclear submarine, and how they worked.  He would try to figure out how fast a turbine engine had to turn to create enough thrust to lift a plane off the ground.  Based on the balance of the  total gross and net weight in the plane, length of the runway, and the wing flap, (or whatever that's called).  Anyway, I'm sure Larry is very finacially secure and has done some wonderful humanitarian things in his life.  He's most likely very satisfied with HIS life style the past 40 to 50 years.  But I can tell you this.  I'm almost sure he has not enjoyed life or had the experience's I've enjoyed during the same time.  Oh, and Jack.  I worked in the Nuclear Business for over 20 years.  I'm still never gettin in a Sub and I don't care what every little dial means.  The only thing I care about in a plane is get up quick, stay up, and land softly and safely.  Who knows, maybe Larry has changed and even knows what the three main sports are in a calendar year, Baseball, Football, and Hockey. 

Milan Jackson

Is this our Larry Chase?

Gerald (Jerry) Plummer

Whether Dominoes or Poker, as Kathy pointed out, let's be certain we schedule any sort of event to avoid any conflict with the reunion. We don't wish to wind up with a bunch of old farts sitting in a corner failing to mingle.

On the subject of the reunion it's interesting to read about how we want the Shattertones but not too loud?  What might one expect?  Acoustic Shattertones?  Shattertones unplugged?  Perhaps if we combine the 4 high schools, which seems a good idea, an expanded budget might allow a two room rental?

Jack Habich

Rod,

Introvert? You might have missed the Mu Alpha Theta Christmas party back in '63, when Larry brought down the house by drawing a reindeer out of math equations.

And Rod, Nuclear Business? Did you work with Homer Simpson?

Jack Habich

Milan,

Sure looks like it could be him.

Jerry,

You make some good points which I'll try to respond to another time.

Ed Stanfield

isn't "Failure to Mingle" sorta like a traffic offense... can a cop write a ticket for this?

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Milan & Jack, I say that picture is 99.99999%  our Larry.  I know this is all in fun and I'm not bashing Larry.  He was and still is, I'm sure, a very intelligent individual.  Yes, I'm sorry I missed the Mu Alpha Theta X-Mas party of "63".  Bringing the house down with the reindeer math is ok I guess.  But you have to consider the source.  You take the 5,000 most brilliant minds to a Mick Jagger or Willie Nelson concert and guess what?  The chances of them bringing the HOUSE DOWN is pretty slim.  Again, I'm not bashing the highly brilliant, I'm just saying????

OK Jack, you must not have got the e-mail.  Homer left several years back to go to Japan and design nuclear power plants.  Last I heard, he was in exile somewhere.  Anyway, I worked in Project Controls, (cost, scheduling, and planning), on Nukes for quite sometime.  It's a shame that the general public has been spoon fed so many ills about nuclear power that either just aren't true or blown way way out of control.  I'll just leave a ton of stories for another time.

Jack Habich

Ed,

It depends on the area.  McLean County is so eager to make up lost tax revenue, that "Failure to Mingle" can get you Community Service.  Worse than getting caught playing poker.

They started raiding reunions over two years ago.

Ed Stanfield

Rod,

As i understand it, all nuclear power is when you cut away all the BS is a fairly efficient way to heat water...

Steve Jetton

Well s**t, this "Failure to Mingle" thing worries me.  I'm a bit of an introvert and the fear of getting busted in the reunion raid might totally freeze me up.  I'll be standing in the corner sipping a beer by myself and be the first one they haul away.  Maybe I'll have to stay home.

And yeah, Rod, these geriatric rockers you talk about are a hoot.  I took my wife to see the Stones a few years ago.

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I was expecting the rescue squad would have to be called in to scrape one of 'em up.  Now, that would have brought the house down.

(Actually it was a good concert.)

Michael (Mike) Franks

Right on, Ed. It's all about steam, turning a turbine and generating electricity. Pretty butt simple. I think a dude named James Watt may have had a hand in perfecting that hocus pocus.

Wow, Mick Jagger is what ? 90 years old? And they say acid is harmless.

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Ed, down here in Tx. a cop will give you a ticket for most anything that comes to mind.  If you fight it and win, you might get a, sorry about that.  Most of the cops (at least in the DFW area), will write you a ticket for something they were picked up for in their past.  That way, they understand the process.

Ed & Mike, you are right.  You really just need to buy a turbine and a shed at Walmart.  Heat a tub of water to create some steam to turn that turbine, push it through a pipe and wala, generate heat.

Steve, that's great that you saw Jagger.  I don't think he is 90.  I think he is just in his late 80's.  Keith Richards is in his early to mid 100's though.  If you ever want to know the REAL Jagger, away from the stage, let me know.

Gotta run for now guys.  It's gonna be 74 here today and I have a tee time at 9:30. 

Jack Habich

Dee and I saw the Stones at the Arie Crown Theatre (McCormick Place) in the summer of ’66.   They looked younger then.

Coincidentally, MLK was giving a speech next door at Soldier Field to about 50,000 before leading them on the now famous march on City Hall.

Since I always like to be in the middle of things rather than reading about it in the papers, I told Dee “let’s see what's going on”. (By chance, we really got in the middle of it, but that’s another story).  I took the side streets to near The Loop, where we parked the car.  Walked about a block, and saw David Gaston in a Navy uniform.  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

Michael (Mike) Franks

David Gaston was a sailor? I'm not surprized, back in those days just about every 18+ year old was being taken off of the streets and helping out Uncle Sam. (Whether you wanted to , or not.) Just the luck of our generation. I went through basic training with David's brother, Alan. I think they were drafting 20-30 guys every month, so there weren't too many guys hanging out on the block.

Jack Habich

Yep.  I know he was in Naval Transport for a time, dropping off the eager young Marines. Several of them made the trip right back with the ship under different circumstances.  Not a good thought.

Overall, David gave me the best visual description of Viet Nam I ever got....he painted the scene with words. 

And by the way, I think Steve Wilson did the same thing.....and tried to become a gunner on a helicopter.

Helen Nicolaysen (Thompson)

Dave Coit was also a gunner on a helicopter in Viet Nam!  Thank you to all that gave their lives for all of us!

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Hi everyone!   Does anyone have any news to share from Bloomington?   Has there been a get-together yet to see when they will  be holding local mini-reunions?   Are they just going to have the one in August and December?  I haven't heard anything yet?

I realize the mini-reunions were predominantly for the locals.    But, hey, once I found out I told everyone!  It is nice to know what dates are involved for those outside of Illinois, because, should we need to make a trip home, we might try to coordinate that with the mini-reunions.   It is so nice to see everyone once in a while!   Wish it could be more often!   If I lived there I would be fixing food and inviting everyone!   But that's just me, and I don't expect it from anyone else!

I'll be watching for answers!  (Mike Eddings----I'm lurking!)

Love to all, Linda

Jack Habich

Linda, I’m not the authority on this, but I understand that there is the intent of having a meeting in March, tentatively scheduled for the 15^th. 

For the 50^th, there is more than enough time.

A mini-reunion can be scheduled within a month and be more successful than an officially scheduled one.  The one in August, 2011, was flexibly scheduled and not far in advance.  I understand it was successful.  When Terri Baxter came to visit Bloomington in 2007, that special mini was scheduled inside of a week, and had better results than most.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Jack:

Thanks for the info..........but...............my purpose here, again, is  being able to let the entire class know the dates in the event that they may be able to coordinate that date with their trip back to Bloomington.  (Kill 2 birds with one stone!)

Realizing that the locals are the mini-reunion attendees mainly, I selfishly want all of the out-of-towners, such as myself, to know dates that they may be able to coordinate.   So........basically, I want people to get off of their butts and get it done!  Is that plain enough?

Love to all, Linda

Jack Habich

No comment. :)

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Terri Baxter Whirrett !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jack Habich

And talking about reunions………….

Here is a story I got as a message the other day.

It’s about a college where alumni have their reunions during Homecoming.  Likely wanting to sell dorm space in the summer, they offered mini courses  and suggested reunions be moved to the summer months.  For enticement, they offered a reunion theme, activities, and speakers.  They then asked the alumni what they wanted to see in a reunion.

The sender’s friend replied as follows:

“Here is what I want from reunions:

1. See old friends.
2. Tell and hear the same BS stories we told as students.
3. Drink lots of beer and maybe play poker.
4. Watch a football game.”

The college dropped the idea.