Great Reunion!!

Hi everyone,
I can't believe I haven't blogged since before the reunion. First and foremost, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone involved. The reunion was unbelievable and fun and fantastic and so much more. The fact that the blog continues is a testament to our class and its new-found connection. I am really appreciative. It has been wonderful to continue to read about the lives of fellow classmates that I reconnected with at the reunion. The pictures have been great to see, too - please keep posting! I'm also thrilled to read that another get-together happened at the Sagebrush this weekend. I really hope these continue. It would be a great chance to see people again. And, if anyone happens to be in the Santa Barbara area, please let me know!! Finally, I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas, and mostly, I wish you a very happy, healthy, and wonderful new year.
Your friend,
Sheila Peterson

Still On

Everyone planning to come to the Sagebrush tonight at 7? It's still on.

Also, don't forget the chaminade 87 social network at: chaminade87.ning.com. It's easy and free to create an account, and it allows you to connect up in forums, post pictures, blogs, music, video, etc. to keep us all in touch over the next few years. Come on by.

Sagebrush Part II

Hi everyone,

It seems there will be some alums in town over the Xmas break who didn't get to make the reunion (such as Rob LeFebvre in from Alaska) so I thought it would be nice to get together again. And for those of us who did make it and had a great time that weekend, why not do it again?

So for those interested, come by for an informal get-together at Sagebrush again, Friday Dec. 28th at 7pm (on the patio again provided there are heat lamps!).

See ya there,
Sue

Reunion/Donation/Santa

Class of 1987,

Well Friends, this is it. My final official correspondence to the Class of 87! Thanks again to everyone for a wonderful reunion weekend.

A final thank you to the reunion committee, my co-chair Carol Phalen, Lynn Coyle, Amy Keating, Dave Skaggs, Dave Donnell and Dora Atkinson. You did an incredible job! Thanks to Matt Witshire for his last minute support and encouragement, and for the hot dog cart! Thanks to the bloggers, who read or contributed. Thank you Anthony. Amy, great idea! And thank you Aaron for your help reunion night.

John Lagman and Cara McGann definitely won the traveled the farthest award, from Singapore and from Chile. Thank you!

Sue Dolan won the toughest to recognize award. Welcome back to the states, Sue.

And, the easiest to recognize? Not sure. What do you think?


As you know, we are collecting donations for our Class of 1987 Chaminade Scholarship Fund in honor of Melanie Woiwode, Tiffani-Ann Francis and Erika Vote. I will be contacting the families of Mel, Tiffani and Ann to let them know that they are not forgotten! So if you have the means, PLEASE, go to your check books and write out a check. Be sure to note that it should go towards the Class of 1987 Memorial Scholarship Fund. You can make your check out to Chaminade College Prep, and mail it to Lindsay Katz, Alumni Relations, 10210 Oakdale Ave, Chatsworth, CA 91311. Your donation is tax-deductible and Chaminade will send you a receipt for your records. I hope we can exceed our goal of $1,000. We have collected $740.00 so far. If everyone could send in a $10.00 or $15.00 donation, and if a few of you could send in even more, it would be greatly appreciated. A million thanks!

Finally, a reminder that Santa Claus is coming to town, to Chaminade's Chatsworth campus cafeteria to be exact. Saturday with Santa is this Saturday, December 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. And if you are able to come remember to bring your cameras! This is a great, free, casual event. So come by with the kids for crafts, snacks and pictures. Or come on your own to visit. All classes are welcome, as are grandparents!

It has been a pleasure! May God bless you with great happiness this holiday season and in the years to come. Until we meet again...

Lisa Macias

Our Amazing Diana

Hey Everyone!

Check out Diana Z.'s ABC News report on the new non-profit organization she's started for children with special needs. As I'm sure some of you now know, Diana is a dentist. Well, she is using her skills to help children with special needs. This is, of course, a subject close to my heart because of my son Soren.

Children with special needs are often turned away by dentists because they don't know how to deal with the child's disability. Or if that child only has insurance provided by the state (Medi-Cal), the dentist turns them away because the payment is significantly lower than their usual pay. This leads parents to neglecting their child's teeth, which of course can lead to other more costly problems.

But Diana is helping kids like Soren (and she's actually looked at Soren's teeth one time!) by starting this organization. She not only sees this kids, she welcomes them. She treats them with the care and understanding they deserve--that everyone deserves.

So check out

Diana's ABC News Report

And for all these kids, I thank you, Diana!

Amy

Dark Friday

It is a cloudy, dark, and rainy Friday morning. There is something cliche' and yet appropriate about the weather. Today I sit at my desk at work, with my heart being torn to shreds, contemplating having my dog put down. Even now, I am wondering why this is BLOG worthy and why I am writing at all. I am trying to maintain composure at work so I guess this is my outlet. My grief is too monumental to be contained yet I don't want to embarass myself at work.

Bibi was adopted 6 years ago. I got her as a rescue dog. She was small enough to be around the kids and I thought she'd be company for my wife while she was home with the baby (Nathan). The first day she came home - she peed on me while I was sitting on the grass. She had the odd male trait of lifting her leg to pee and she marked me as her own from day one.

Bibi always just "existed". She never begged for your attention, although she was very happy when you noticed her. She liked to have her tummy rubbed and sometimes would like to be carried like a baby. Being a pug, she could snore you out of a sleep.

As the years past, we took her for granted a little and she did not always get the best treatment. It is hard to think that within hours I will be saying good bye forever.

The decision was not black and white. She has poor vision, mostly deaf, and has probably suffered some small strokes. She has leg stiffness and some incontinence. Three days ago she started declining food and started a gagging/choking reflex. The other side is that she "looks" fine and still acts like she has life left in her. She has the same "glad to see" you look. What do you do? Act fast and prevent her further suffering? Watch as she deteriorates for days, weeks, months? Hope that she will get better with excess vet care and medicines - or accept she is 15 and probably doesn't have that much longer anyway? The vet will do what you want and is smart enough to leave you with the facts and the burden of decision. It is a very fine line - and I am sure any decision would leave me full of guilt.

Today, I must look at that little face and hope she understands why I am helping her die. I can barely comprehend it myself, but I hope she at least finds a peace that I will not.

Anthony

Thankful for so much

Finally got around to posting about our newest arrival. Sarah Naomi was born on October 24th at 10:33 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs 4 oz and was 19 inches long.

Here are some pix from the day she was born, her first days home and of course her announcement photo.

We are all doing well and are very proud!

Anthony, eat your heart out

Think Anthony Butler looks great in his hospital gown? Here is Rebecca modeling the latest in pediatric hospital attire.


Oh, and just to be fair (to make everyone feel waifish), here is me right before I delivered Sarah (humiliating, but hey, you already saw how huge I was at the reunion). I apologize that I could not figure out how to change the orientation of Rebecca's photo.

Also Thankful

I know that Thanksgiving is past and that we are now officially into the Christmas season. However, like Anthony, I wanted to write about things I am thankful for regarding the reunion.

Since graduating 20 years ago, I have not been in contact with many folks from Chaminade. Obviously, Anthony and I have kept our friendship going. And through the years I've seen Dani Carusi, Tracy Tuso, and Denise Bradley now and again. But otherwise, I haven't had ties to Chaminade.

So when the planning for the 20 year reunion came around, knowing that I didn't really know anyone, I was really nervous about attending. But instead of getting hung up on freaking myself out, which is what I usually do, I decided to jump in and help so I could actually reaquaint myself with everyone. And I'm so thankful I did.

First of all, working on the committe was great. I got to meet up and chat via email with Lisa, Carol, Lynn, Dave, Dave, and Dora. I got to meet Tom and Carol's new baby and Lisa's kids. I was thankful to be a part of this group who just wanted to throw a good party.

Then by initiating the blog, I got to hear from many of you who needed help. I've actually ended up continuing email relationships with people because of this. I've had great conversations that I never would have had and I'm very thankful to have these new/old friendships.

Once the blog was up and running, I was so thankful to read about what everyone was doing with their lives. Even when we found out that some of our friends had passed, I was thankful that we all had each other and could share in mourning that loss.

As the reunion came close, I got to email and call people to harass them to come to the event. Though this made me especially nervous, I was thankful that people responded so kindly.

During the reunion weekend itself, I was incredibly thankful to have been not only a part of this committee but a part of this class. Everyone there was so appreciative of the time we took. Everyone looked happy and excited to be there. And I was thankful to be there to see old friends, reconnect, and celebrate with everyone.

Thank you all for participating in whatever way you did. For reading the blog, for writing a blog, for posting pictures, for asking for music suggestions, for posting music titles, for attending Sagebrush, the White House, or the Family Picnic.

Thank you for being part of the class of '87. I am thankful.

Amy

THANKSGIVING

I can imagine that with parades, football, family, friends, food to be prepared and consumed, and eventually dishes to do - most of you will not be killing time tuning in to the BLOG. So, these sentiments will have a shelf-life of at least a week. Then it's "screw you and the turkey you rode in on".

In addition to the usual checklist of items to be thankful for - I would like to add some personal thanks. I am thankful this year for the reunion commitee (except the "other Phalen" who did absolutely nothing - and said so everytime someone gave her credit which was very honorable.) who did such a great job pulling us altogether and planning such a nice weekend. I am greatful for everyone who took the time to attend and graciously share their lives. I appreciate those who could not attend but let us all know they were okay and doing their thing. Oddly enough, I may be most thankful for the BLOG itself. It allowed me to open a door of humor and create a connection with many of you even before the big night. I am at heart, a shy and quiet person, and I don't always feel at ease in large groups. That pre-reunion Blogging ice-breaker was a true treat for me and to have it so well received was a blessing.

The obvious wish is for all of you to have a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving with much to be thankful for. The not so obvious may be to remember that there are those of us who may not have had the best year. In life, we rarely get to experience the UPS without the DOWNS. So, if this Thanksgiving finds you dealing with some difficulty or misfortune, hurt or sorrow, or just something that knocked you off the path you thought you were on - I hope you can find a simple pleasure to be thankful for and move forward in the knowledge you can and will endure. And I can bake you a pecan pie if it helps.

Oh, and I am thankful for the emergency rooms in both Idaho and California!

Anthony Butler

Unrecognizable?!

Well you really didn't expect me to have the same hair, and lord forbid the same eyebrows, did you?!



Anyway, here is a much better picture to look at - his name is Keenan and he is 8 months old today (which means I haven't had a full night's sleep in about a year now).

Take care everyone, and now that I'm back in LA I hope to run into some of you.

Sue

DVD Mix-Up

In addition to people who did not get a reunion DVD, there were also a handful of people who got the incorrect DVD. If you take your DVD out of the protective sleeve and it has a little cartoon chicken wearing bondage attire - you got the wrong DVD. This DVD can be returned to Amy for a copy of the reunion DVD.

We are still not sure how the boxes of DVD's got mixed up. I respectfully request that if you have not watched the "bogus" DVD that you do not watch it. If you have already watched it, then I can only say I am terribly embarrassed. Sometimes, when you are young and stupid, you do things for money you would not normally do. I would like to point out, all the girls were over 18, none of the midgets got hurt, the scene with the mattress sized cornbread was a computerized green-screen effect, and no one actually had physical contact with the goat - he was just there for atmosphere.

Anthony "money shot" Butler

DVD Delay

I'd like to apologize to the folks who didn't get a reunion slide show DVD. There has been a delay in production and distribution due to busy family lives of the producers/distributors. Seems that as soon as the reunion ended, the universe filled the void of our newly found free time with a ton of stuff to do.

But have no fear, the DVDs will be made and sent before the holidays (well, after Thanksgiving, but before Christmas). So when you gather with your family and friends this season, you can show them yourself in days of yore as you tip back a little eggnog and snack on those fantastic Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares.

Amy

Multi Media Social Site

Hi all!

The reunion sounds like it was tons of fun! I've set up a little social networking site (like a blog on steroids) over at http://chaminade87.ning.com/

Feel free to join up, and request an invite. It's free, and no one is going to use your email addresses to put even more spam in your inboxes.

It's chock full of multi-media technology, so Tom could upload the chami version of "i love the 80's" and anthony could photoshop and upload to slide shows. I've even got this blog itself coming to the site.

Anyway, come on by, connect up, and see if it's something y'all want to use.

rob

http://chaminade87.ning.com/

Who's That Girl?

Okay, Mindi already posted a photo of her, but her eyes were closed. So here is another photo of the unanimously most unrecognizable alum: Sue Dolan

I will openly admit that when she came up to me at Sagebrush, I stared at her like a deer in the headlights not having any idea who she was. I actually had to ask Kim Radmacher. Feeling like an idiot, I went up to Sue and admitted my ignorance and she said that everyone whas having the same problem.

Again, sorry she's sideways.

Amy

WARNING! THIS IS SORT OF GROSS

If you read this - you do so with the warning it is gross to an extent.

Since the reunion is over but the page is still alive, and I was asked to keep blogging now and then, I feel any topic or anecdote is open to fair game. With that in mind, I offer this piece of true life obsurdity.

The first thing you must know is our toilet at my work refills very slowly after flushing. Second, you need to know that I time everything to the minute. If I need to be somewhere at 2pm and it takes 10 minutes from work, I will work right up until 1:49, take a minute to run to my car, and if all goes well, arrive ten minutes later at 2 pm. I don't know why I play it so close - but I do. Hence my problem.

Today, with what I thought was time to spare, I went into the restroom. Usually, I have rule about only disposing of liquids while in a public restroom, but my new high fiber diet has me bending rules. So, I do my business and flush the toilet. As I am washing hands, I notice a small "tidbit" has broken away - we'll call him Jerry. Jerry is fighting the current and heading up to the higher water. he breaks free of the porcelain tide and succeeds in staying behind while the remainder flushes away. As he drifts to the bottom of the bowl Jerry seems quite pleased with himself.

I am irritated. Who does this little s**t think he is? Is he better than everyone else? Too good to get flushed down? And now, I have to wait for the tank to refill. I dry my hands. I look at my face. I notice how much more gray is in my hair. Tank not filled. I see what is in my pocket. I check my nose for excess hair. My toe nails need trimming. Tank still filling.

I notice the time. I should be leaving - but this turd is holding me hostage. I can't just leave him for someone else to find. I think he knows he has me in a bind. His sense of smug satisfaction creates a hostility in me I usually only have for slow drivers in the fast lane.

My perfect timing is now off. I am late. Maybe I can make up the time by doing 80 on the freeway. I begin to think, if it is even possible, that I will flush extra hard to cause Jerry some kind of pain equal to the frustration he has caused me. Then I realize I am planning revenge on a turd and I know my time in the bathroom has turned into a dementia.

The tank stops and I flush, holding the handle down completely and not letting go until Jerry is swept away. Even then, I wait to make sure he was not a gold medalist in swimming and won't be beating the odds again. When I am satisfied he is gone, I leave. Late, but with a "I beat you" feeling in my heart and a spring in my step.

Anthony "flushed away" Butler

JODY KYMAN - Just As You Remember

The fact that anyone actually took me up on this offer - well, how could I disappoint?

So, here I am with the fantastically demure Jody Kyman. I distinctly remember taking this photograph because I had just come from the men's room where I had dripped water on myself. Afraid some would think I had wet my pants, I requested to be shot from the shoulder up.

Now we have a digitally altered photograph and an almost believeable back-story. This practically looks convincing enough that I may not have to show for the next reunion - I'll just put myself in people's photos.

Anthony "the Phantom" Butler

P.S. Down to 234 - could have been more if it weren't for those damn fun-size Halloween Snickers!!

More of my Pics

I don't know why my message is at the end of my photos? Sorry - doin' the best I can. Here are some more, or here were some more. Mindi

My pictures from the reunion.

Here are the pictures I took. Enjoy. I think you will recognize everybody (the really tall guy with Sue Dolan and Tracy Tuso is Sue's husband. I have more I will attach, but I'm just getting the hang of this blogging thing and they wouldn't upload with this entry, who knows? I'm just proud that I got my pictures on here at all. More coming right up.

Mindi

Wonderful Spouses

There were many wonderful spouses at the reunion. And as I said earlier, I think they were great, brave people. Here are a few caught on film.

First are Lynn Coyle and her awesome husband Chris.












Ooh, speaking of Lynn, she was the woman behind the money managing for the reunion and kept track of who was coming. It's a job I seriously could not have done and my hat is off to this amazing woman.

Okay, back to the spouses. Another great husband along for the ride is Mike who is married to Denise Bradley.












I didn't get to meet Mark Bocchicchio's wife, but she's really lovely! (I just hope she forgives me for sending her husband my famous "Vagina Song." I guess I'll find out at the next reunion.)













And here's Mark Kaylor, his beautiful wife, and Tom Molnar.














Finally, the stunning Cara McGann and her husband Don.


My last batch of few photos are coming up. So post yours everyone!

Amy

Anthony Photo Shop

Sounds like you all had a great time at the reunion sorry i missed it. Anthony this is the only picture I have of me on here. Can ya photo shop me :-). Maybe i will come to the 25th if we have one :-)

jodi

jodikyman@aol.com

Bill Horbury

Here it is. My proof. And we must have taken this picture at least 10 times due to various camera malfunctions and multiple cameras.

I would like to clarify a point. I had earlier stated Bill held me tight during this photo shoot. I have been informed by his attorney that his hand was stuck in my back fat. Apparently, I mistook his struggle to get free for an embrace. My apologies to Bill. And my apologies to Bill's wife who could not see what I had that she didn't. Obviously - nothing.

Anthony "home wrecker" Butler

PhotoShop fixes ALL!

Didn't get a picture with me? No problem. Post a picture of yourself and I'll photoshop myself into the shot. For $5 I will autograph it. I am telling you now - it will be a picture most people will look at and say "Who the f**k is that and why do you have a picture of them?" Save your money!

Michele, you were in such a hurry I did not get a picture with you. But then again, next to such loveliness would anyone notice me in the picture anyway? I think not!

With such a dashing group of people, I hope more of you will post a few pictures.

Anthony "blurred image" Butler

Pictures...

I'm feeling a little left out that I didn't get a picture with Mr. Butler. I guess I'll have to wait for the 30 year reunion.

Here are a few pictures I do have...

Here I am with Daniela Carusi...we have know each other most of our lives since early elementary school and growing up on the same street...

Me and Jessica Zada...

Me and Tracy Tuso...

Out on the dance floor, Denise Bradley, me and Jen Mitchell...

Finally, one I am not in....Daniela, Matt Wiltshire and Mark Bocchicchio...

Anyone else have pictures to share?

Michele

Old Friends

(again, to view pictures larger, please click on them.)

It's true. Anthony did take photos with men.

And though I don't have any of him getting all snuggly with Bill Horbury, I do have this photo of him, Mike Ricci, me, and Dennis Ciplickis.

(NOTE: In the background are Kevin Black and Dave Skaggs (back only). Notice how tall Kevin is compared to me despite him being in the background. I wish I got a picture of us together. It would have been like an Elf and a Hobbit, even though my normal-sized feet were shoved into really high heels.)













But that's all I have of Mr. Butler.
Next up are Matt Wiltshire, Denise Bradley, Daniela Carusi, and Mark Grondin.












Here's Bob Munck and Brian Altman












Then Bob moved on to a picture with Irene Szczech and Coach Lawson.












And last in this round are me, Rick Lewis, Brian Gehl, and Cathy Phalen.












Anybody else out there have pictures they want to share?

Amy

Better Company

While it is certainly an ego boost to have my picture taken with such a generous assortment of beautiful ladies - I must confess I have many pictures I took with male peers. I know for a fact I took about 26 pictures with Bill Horbury. But he held me tight in each one and I was like melted butter. (Neither of us are gay - I sacrificed our manliness for a joke. Sorry Bill)

But I can tell you what I use to attract so many women. It's easy. Even though I have a high intellect and razor sharp wit, most women only view me as eye candy. And as anyone can see, I had to be the biggest piece of eye candy at the reunion.

Sweet Jesus in monkeytown Amy! Didn't you take one picture of me where I don't look like I should be on a beach with people trying to push me back into the water? Couldn't you have taken maybe 5 minutes to airbrush me? C'mon, I printed out one of the images and the picture itself weighed 10 pounds.

I kid, of course. While I almost never allow myself to be photographed, this was a worthwhile occasion. Heavy or not, I'd rather have the memories of being with such fine people. And I never blame anyone or make excuses - little movement and big appetite made me who I am today. It's not society, the media, advertising, my parents, or any of the other things people like to blame. I have been winning my fight against anorexia for years.

The tragic fact is, it's not how I look that has become an issue. People who go on Oprah and say "I am big and beautiful" may be speaking the truth. But are they healthy? Accepting yourself has nothing to do with being a double western cheeseburger away from a heart attack at 40. I have looked at these latest photos, examined my priorities, taken a look at my son sleeping, and decided I'd like to stop cutting my life short. (Sorry Mark B. - I won't be having that heart attack up north)

I have been asked to continue BLOGGING (is anyone still reading?). As of Sunday October 21, 2007 I weighed 237 pounds. Amongst other topics, I will give periodic updates on my weight. My goal is to lose 2 pounds a week for a total of 12 pounds by the Saturday with Santa on December 8. After that, I will continue at that rate until I reach my birthweight and start wearing clothes from the Gap Kids collection at the 30 year reunion.

If you have a bad habit, change it for 6 weeks! Put that cigarette down. Have a salad. Cut down to one glass of wine with dinner. Shred your passport and stop going to third world countries for cheap sex with underfed women and livestock (I'm not naming ANYONE). What could it hurt?

Anthony "Life Coach" Butler

What The Butler Saw

Women. 95% of my pictures of Anthony are with various women.

Here he is in one of his rare moments alone (sorry, he's sideways).













But then he joins Linda Fletcher, Jacque Rardin, and Beth Esters.













Later he gave me some alone time.













At the picnic, he was surrounded by Irene Szczech, Cara McGann, and me.













And then Lisa Macias joined us for a final photo.













What is your secret, Mr. Butler?

Amy

Reunion Picture Teaser

Nobody has contacted me about posting photos. And I just got mine developed today, so I'm going to just post them directly onto the blog. If anybody else feels like doing this, please feel free! And if you are in love with any of the photos I post, email me and I'll send you a copy via email.

Since I don't have time to post them all right now, I am giving you a little teaser.

Okay, first let me apologize. I lack the skills rotate and save this picture, so you're going to have to either turn your head or your computer. But then, it's rather unusual this way.

Just what is Lucy Braker doing to Steve Orr? Is Steve enjoying it? I'm assuming it's cool with her husband, since he is standing right there. (if you double click on the photo, you can enlarge it and see how bizarre it is.)













More, less provacative, photos to follow.

Amy

it's all beginning to make sense

so today, the UPS guy arrives with not 1, not 2 not 3 but 8 boxes from fisher-price. the boxes just kept coming, like a family of clowns out of a widlly painted mini cooper.

it's all starting to make sense now.

at 12:03pm, gemma says "the UPS guy is here". i look out the window. no UPS guy. at 12:04pm, knock-knock. who is it?? - the UPS guy.

i was absolutely flabbergasted with the amount of packages we received.
then gemma said, "it's an early birthday present from anthony."

how did anthony know your birthday is coming up? i ask gemma. "we told him on sunday" she says.

so apparently, gemma, the brains behind this whole operation, put dignan up to taking the wallet.

she also says "thanks for all the toys, uncle anthony, we love them!"

Shelly - Fear Not!

Shelly I assure you, if none of the lovely ladies complained when I felt them up Saturday - then they aren't likely to press charges for being felt up by your son on Sunday.

And the gag about him having taken a wallet would be funny if it weren't true. I can only figure he nabbed it when I bent down to say hi to him. He must have ditched it driving home because I found it in the road. It had been stripped of my I.D. and credit cards, smelled like ketchup, and had goldfish crackers in the change pocket. The same day I got a call from Capital One asking about a charge for $2000 in Fischer Price toys.

I'd be freakin' pissed if I didn't admire his subtlety and technique.

Anthony "Who stole my identity" Butler

Santa at Chaminade, December 8th!

For those of you not willing to let the reunion spirit die, please mark your calendars! My sisters and I have been hosting an alumni event for the past six years called Saturday with Santa. It is a wonderful event, casual and fun, held this year at the little campus, Chaminade's Chatsworth campus in the cafeteria, on Saturday, December 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

There are snacks, crafts and sports for the kids, and a visit from the best Santa you've ever seen. Real beard and all. It is an excellent opportunity to avoid the lines at the mall. Just bring along a camera, and snap as many pictures as you'd like. Everything is free, and you can take care of your Christmas card picture without a hassle.

And don't worry if you don't have kids. Lots of alums come by on their own, with a spouse, or just with friends. And a fun thing is, it is open to all alums, so you can see people from our class, as well as the classes above and below us.

So again, mark you calendars now. Last year, Carol Phalen, Kathy Hayes, Doug Ingalls, Mike Ricci, Dave Skaggs and Tom Molnar were all there with their families. You can contact them for more info.

We hope to see you there!
Lisa

one more thank you shoutout!

not too late, i am jumping on board the thank you train too! thanks to all who organized, oversaw, donated and emailed relentlessly about all 20th reunion-related events - you people ROCK!

so totally completely bummed that i missed saturday night. sounds like it was a blast but it was great to see everyone & their families on sunday - what an awesome day for a picnic!

again, i had lots of fun catching up with everyone who was able to roll out of bed so early on a sunday morning. also cannot believe the amount of twins our class has produced - what was in that ameci pizza anyways? the hubman commented that we had a nice group of little future citizens as all kids were so well behaved while they waited patiently in line for the bouncy castle!

i apologize profusely to any lovely ladies out there that my son dignan may have felt up at the picnic on sunday. he LOVES girls, i mean he's not even 2 & he's already picking up chicks. i have my work cut out for me.

i also found someone's wallet, half a hot dog, and 2 broken crayolas in the pockets of his jeans just in case anyone was wondering.

anyhoo, if anyone wants to contact me or bring dignan up on charges of harrassment or theft, shoot me an email at shellainey@aol.com.
take care fellow alums!

p.s. just kidding on the wallet part. i made that up.

Reunion Photos

I've heard folks have photos they wish to share. I think the best way to do this is to upload them to a site that has free photo sharing, like shutterfly.

So folks who have photos, upload them to shutterfly.com. Once you've loaded them on that site, send me the link and I'll post it to the blog. You can email me at chaminadereunion87@pacbell.net or amykeatingrogers@pacbell.net.

Hopefully this will be an easy solution for everyone to view photos and buy them if they wish.

If you have a better idea, please tell me. This is a new thing for me, blogging-wise, but from what I've read, this seems to be the way to do it.

Amy

WOW! What a weekend! (I need a nap...)

As others have said - Good job to everyone who helped plan and make the weekend happen. The party at the White House was probably as close to recreating an old school Chami' house party as you could get, with a couple added bonus items.

1. The food was a nice catered spread instead of some soggy potato chips and pizza
2. We had a bartender and a stocked bar. No beer runs or refilling dad's vodka bottle with water.
3. We had THE Richard Blade instead KROQ commercials every 12 minutes.

and last but not least.....
4. The cops didn't show up and send everyone running at 11PM!!!!!


It was really cool for me to see everyone again (if but for a short time), hang out with old friends, and talk about some of the great memories we had from high school. Although everyone looked very much like they did in high school, we are all still uniquely different which made for great times then and now.

One more Thank You to Lisa, Carol, Amy, Lynn, and everyone else who helped make the reunion weekend a lot of fun to be a part of.

Good luck Class of 87 with the next 20 years! At least now, I think I may get to stay in touch with a few more of you before our next reunion.

Later -

Heshire

Maybe a photo gallery?

There was a lot of picture taking going on Saturday night (and probably at the the other events as well). Mindi mentioned she had pictures to share and I do as well. It was such a busy night that I know we all didn't get a chance to see everyone. I think we would all enjoy seeing everyone's photos. Is the blog the best place to post the pictures, or maybe some sort of gallery would work better. I've seen picture galleries before, but honestly have no clue how to set one up. Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks again to the reunion crew who put this all together. Saturday night was so much fun. It was great to see everyone and hear all the 80's music. Please don't wait another 10 years to keep in touch... michele.burlingham@wellpoint.com

Michele (Yasiello) Burlingham

My Head??

Allow me to join the ranks of blogging procrastinators (and Mark, you thought you were the tardy royalty of the class).


I had such a great time in California last week - I miss it! The reunion was a blast, not only because Lisa, Carol, Amy and all of the other organizers worked so hard, but mainly because you're a pretty amazing and fun group of people. I'm sorry to have missed the picnic, but Boston was calling me back.



Thanks for breaking the ice about my head, Anthony. Everyone was quite silent about the gash (and in case you were wondering, it was not a makeup faux pas that I wasn't aware of). You're not alone - I went back to work on Monday, and between my 25 patients and a host of doctors, nurses & secretaries, only 4 people said anything about it. The story behind it is sadly lame. Even worse than when I chipped my front tooth carrying Tom Bratkovich on my back (exiting a bar in our UCLA days). When I told an anesthesiologist at work what happened, her response was "Dani, you're a twit," so rather than risk more name-calling, I'll let you all come up with a good story for me...


Returning to Boston was a brisk awakening - I discovered that my landlord had kindly put up my storm windows for me (do Californians even have a concept of storm windows?) and I had to fire up my heater. Red Sox passion seems to have defervesced this year as well, and sadly the team is feeling it. I'm not a baseball fan, but that World Series win was an unforgettable time around here.


I loved visiting with all of you and I'm sorry I couldn't hear more about your adventures. I would really love to hear more from people, so keep blogging and don't forget your long-distance alums. Drop me a line if you're heading out this way. I will gladly give guidance on running routes, bike rides, leaf peeping (yes, that's a term), mogul skiing (or how to avoid it), speaking like a local (just talk really smaht), and a wide variety of ethnic restaurants. I'm even known to give free medical advice to people I like.



And finally, let me substitute a more reasonable photo from Mark B's wedding (one where I'm upright). In case you have trouble identifying who's who, I'm the one in the dress.

And since I have no pictures to share of my children, I'll insert one from work:

Aren't you impressed with how squeaky clean our babies are delivered? We pride ourselves on service around here.



I'd love to hear from you! dani@massmed.org

It Was Good to See all of You!

Hello to the Class of '87. I had meant to blog before the reunion and just kept putting it off so I am going to just sit down and write now before I procrastinate any further. I had a great time at Sagebrush, the White House and the Picnic. It was wonderful to see everyone and I agree that everyone looks great!!
Sagebrush Cantina was a nice way to start the weekend and I really enjoyed getting the nervousness about seeing old classmates out of the way by arriving with Sue (Dolan) and not having to go it alone.
The White House was an interesting place. I had not heard of it before but LOVE the location as it was only 7.5 miles from my house!! That was a bonus. The night was a whirlwind and it was really fun dancing to all the great old 80's music. I did take pictures and when I get them uploaded onto my laptop (need to get a new cable) I will post those too. I had trouble seeing the faces on the slide show and was so happy that we were given a DVD of that - - thanks to all involved for the hard work. My children (Madison, age 8 and 5 year old twins Emma and Ethan) watched it with me the next morning and yes, my 8 year old said we had no fashion sense and what was with the awful pink lipstick (Jamie Dillon reminded me at the picnic that it was #44). I must admit the pictures of me in the DVD are ugly (so said my five year old twins) - did I really go to school looking that bad ALL the time? I hope I have managed to tame my hair a bit since the 80's - - as I told Daniella, Lot's of product!
The picnic was a nice early afternoon and my kids went crazy for the bounce house. They didn't care where or why we were there, just went right to the bounce house. Sorry again to Stacey Frashure's 8 year old son who my 8 year old daughter whacked - she is a bit of a bully, all 44 lbs of her. All of the alum kids are gorgeous and there were lot's of them - - and so many twins!! (mine, Shelly Corwell's, Amy Cameron's and the future Phalen Molnar twins!). I was surprised that driving onto campus did not bring back any memories for me - in fact I had to mapquest how to get there (even though I still live in Northridge) could this be an early onset of Alzheimer's or has the twenty intervening years; seven spent at other learning institutions, and three children overloaded my high school memories? Who knows, but I now have new ones of everyone again and hope to keep in better touch this time. Thanks again to everyone who planned and who attended any of these festivities, it was a great weekend. If anyone would like to keep in touch, please e-mail me at mindiadam@netzero.com. See you all sooner next time!!!Mindi (Comunale) Grant

Need a slide show DVD?

That was quite a party! Thanks to all who made the effort to attend. Whether you came in from Simi Valley or Singapore or Chile, it was an effort for each of you to be there. Thank you for coming!

Amy did have DVDs of the slide show ready to send home with each alum. But we didn't get a chance to mention the bags were only for alums, not for the guests, so we ran out before the end of the night. If you would like to receive a copy of the slide show, please email me at, you know the address, LISIEFLAV@SBCGLOBAL.NET. Make sure to include your mailing address. Amy, the wonderful woman that she is, will make the copies, and I will mail you a DVD.

For those of you lucky enough to see the slide show, it really is amazing, isn't it? Thank you, Amy!

Lisa

Reunion Weekend in Review

Hey Everyone,

Thank you all for coming this weekend. It sounds like everyone had a great time. I know we on the committee are all very glad that it went off so well!

For those who couldn't make it, let me give you a quick recap. On Friday we had a really big turnout at the Sagebrush Cantina. I was actually stunned at how many alums showed up to this event. It was great to get a jump on catching up with people. Everyone was so appreciative--thanking us for putting it all together--which was so nice to hear. And then there were those of you who asked about Soren, which really touched me. When Mike Toggenburger told me that I was a great mom, I about broke into tears. It was so sweet and, while I know I've posted the link to Soren's blog, I'm always surprised to know who is reading it. Thank you all for caring about my boy.

Saturday at the Chatsworth White House was a bit of a whirlwind for me. The crowd there was huge! I think we had 130 show up. Granted, some of those were spouses (who I have to say were the bravest people there). But it was mostly alums and everyone looked great. Because I was running around a bit, I didn't get to say hi to everyone. So if all I did was run past you and wave or smile, I'm sorry we didn't get to chat. Everyone seemed to enjoy the venue, which was great because the committee really thought hard over where to have this. I thought the food was very tasty. There certainly seemed to be enough alcohol. And the music was great. I'm glad folks enjoyed Richard Blade.

My main "thing" for the evening was the slide show, which proved to be a little troublesome to set up. I would like to thank Dora Atkinson for working with me on it that night providing her computer and projector. And Daniela Carusi for getting it to run when Dora and I couldn't figure it out. I also have to thank my husband Aaron who, during the event, hung up that huge cloth for us all to watch the show on.

I know I got full credit for it for the slide show, but I didn't do it alone. Since I was unable to thank them at the event, I'd now like to take the opportunity to thank the key people who helped make that possible. First of all, I think we are really lucky to have these pictures available. I don't know how many of you remember, but Dennis Haas took pictures of us all during our events of the year. I looked at everyone one of those slides and weeded out the ones I thought were best. Dave Skaggs let me borrow from his massive cd collection for the music. Dave Donnell let me borrow a scanner that I failed to make work. So Daniela Carusi and Caroline Ashasian stepped in and scanned all those slides. Then a lovely woman named Katherine Killmond (now Cannady) from the class of '86 actually edited the slide show together. She really did the lion's share of the work with my initial direction of music and overall construction. She also burned all the DVDs (donated by Lynn Coyle) that you got to take home. Dora provided the cd/dvd labeler and Carol did the dvd labeling/packaging.

I'm so glad you were all able to take one home so you could enjoy it in a less crazy environment. And now you can show it to your kids! While we were still working on it, I showed my 7 year old daughter a version of it on the computer. Let me preface this by saying that she (along with me) is a big "Project Runway" and "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" watcher. She was enjoying the slide show but then furrowed her brow and looked at me. "Did they have fashion back then?" she asked. My face fell. "Only bad fashion," I admitted, having just seen myself in a lovely blue and white diamond print sweater that makes me look like a court jester. Oh well.

For those of you who DIDN'T get a copy, we are working on making more and will mail them to you. Just give us a little time to count how many we need and we'll get to work.

Lastly, the picninc was on Sunday. I was actually really looking forward to this. I hadn't done any of the planning, so I was just going to relax and enjoy seeing everyone's kids. However, I needed to pick up my kids from my Dad's in Valencia that morning. And in a comedy of errors that was far more erroneous than comedic, my family and I didn't make it to the picnic until it was wrapping up. So, if anyone else has a report on that, it would be nice to read about it.

All that said, I am exhausted. Two nights of staying out until midnight are way more than my 38 year old bones can take. I plan to have "walker" races with Anthony in 10 years.

Amy

You beat me to it!

Thanks to all of you for organizing a fabulous reunion. You really put a ton of time and work into it and I know everyone appreciated it. The slideshow and the photos were hilarious. Thanks for including them in the gift bags too-- very thoughtful. Richard Blade was a bonus. It was fun to see everyone again and to have a chance to reminisce.
Thanks again!!
Undine

Thanks

I just wanted to express my thanks to Lisa, Carol, Amy and the rest of the group that put the reunion together. Without your hard work, this never would have happened.

I had a wonderful time and it was truly great seeing everybody again. While we've all grown up, it is interesting to note that we haven't truly changed that much.

Thanks again and I hope it's not another 20 years before we all see each other again!

Dave Donell

Daniela Carusi's head

It has been over 24 hours since the main reunion on Saturday. I think that is an acceptable amount of time to bring up a sensitive subject.

Daniela Carusi's head.

Why can't we talk about it? What are we afraid of discovering that grips us in fear and makes us seek comfort in ignorance? Must it remain the unspoken "elephant in the room".

I am going to break down the barrier and just put it out there. Daniela had a big ol' gash on the right side of her head. Just open and festering. It almost looked like a second, toothless mouth on her forehead. I swear if it said something to me I would have freaked out. I know everyone saw it - but only I was bold enough to mention it and ask her about it.

She gave me an excuse - something about a common, everyday accident. I didn't believe her for a minute. My honest to god, gut feeling tells me she is in "Fight Club", Boston Chapter. Now, the first rule of Fight Club being that you cannot talk about being in Fight Club - she had to make up that preposterous tale. But that is the kind of injury you can only get going 3 rounds with Tyler Durden in a dark, humid basement.

If you have not seen the movie "Fight Club" this is all nonsense. And if you have seen the movie, it's still nonsense. The truth is, the lovely Ms. Carusi who did have a slight injury on her forehead, asked me to continue to BLOG even though the reunion is done. And she even offered her injury up for parody (Daniela, I hope that was not just wine talking and you aren't really pissed right now).

It is my understanding the BLOG will remain up and running. It is a great way to let people know how each of us are doing between reunions. I hope many will continue to check-in and post from time to time. Then by the next reunion, we will all be up to date so we can discuss more important things like hair transplants, dentures, who is on their 3rd marriage to their 2nd trophy spouse, which walkers leave fewer scuff marks on linoleum, and how cute our grandkids are. Well, hopefully we won't be THAT old by the next reunion.

Anthony "Blog til the fat lady sings" Butler

DORA

Dora - Thank you for the kind memories of me from days gone by. Alas, I rarely draw anymore and I spend most of my time ranting at bus stops and kicking small animals. Doesn't create as many laughs as you'd think.

Actually, I still draw and it is not for me to say how funny I am - I'm a little biased.

You mentioned never having enough time to spend with friends - but I have a solution. I am going to leave work early, go home, and beat the crap out of my tub with a hammer. Then you can come give me an estimate and we'll go to lunch. Your treat. (Hey! You own the company) That is the kind of love I have, baby. I'll destroy rental property just to see you.

Anthony "It was broke when I got there" Butler

All my roads led to Simi???

I must say better late then never but I do agree get the last twenty years out in the blog and get on to more interesting conversation at the party! So here we go....

After graduation I continued waiting tables at this little Italian restaurant out in the Palisades and decided to attended Pierce college. Ahhhhhhhh yes that made my parents so proud. After two years at Pierce I headed down to San Diego State with Julie Herbst. Julie Vargo was already down there so with the two Julie's the incentive to get the hell out of dodge was doubled! I vowed never to return to the San Fernando Valley unless it was Christmas or Thanksgiving and then only to drop in for dinner. Yes I was free -but bite my tongue never say never.... remember that statement as I progress through this fantastic story.

I bounced around San Diego for fifteen beautiful years and I say beautiful because in case you didn't know on the 8th day God created San Diego. I graduated from SDSU and started to manage this little unknown microbrewery in downtown San Diego called Karl Strauss. Yes, I now know how to brew beer... so appropriate for a good little Catholic girl from Chaminade. Anyway I stayed with Karl Strauss for about five years - opening up restaurants throughout San Diego-when it finally occurred to me that working the "party" hours of restaurant life was going to get me nowhere fast- so I quit. But I quit without a plan - humm.....two roads diverged.

Fortunately for me though I don't always make great plans I do make loyal, life long friends. Two lifelong, entrepreneurial friends in particular (Tom & Brett) had started a little niche contracting business peddling bathtub refinishing while we were all in College and they needed someone to market and manage their customer base. Apparently this little niche business was growing from a little two man show to over 10 million in yearly sales and they were a bit unorganized. So in 1998 I was elected to market bathtub refinishing.

Bathtub refinishing you ask - ok here is the 411 and pay attention this is about all the information I received from my dear friends before they throw me to the wolves. Bathtubs can be repaired the same way boats can be repaired. Fiberglass tubs are captive molds meaning during the construction process builders install a tub and then frame the room around it. So if a tub is damaged, fiberglass cracked or porcelain damaged then the options are to tear it out or repair it. For apartments and hotels a tear out is not a very cost effective option so they all want their units refinished. Beyond repair we "refinish" (paint) the tubs to update or refresh the look. Along the way we discovered that we can also use this process for vanities, kitchen counters, cultured marble, Formica and tile we can even make them look like granite.

So that gig went well for awhile I eventually started running the crews, managed more of the day to day stuff and opened a new office for the company in North County San Diego. Then in Sept 2001 I bought a house up in Temecula - life was good.

I stayed working with the bathtub company until 2003 when we found out my mother had breast cancer. As soon as a man in a white coat says the C word - life becomes a pinball game and you are that little silver ball bouncing off all of the posts....I stopped working and started driving back and forth to Los Angeles for Doctors appointments. My mom decided she didn't want Chemo so we started this holistic, healing journey that lead us down to many paths to mention but in the end they just confirmed on Sept 17, 2007 that my mom is in remission.

Ok so I skipped a bit but remember when I said never say never....2003 mom gets cancer...2004 she asks me to move back to LA. UGRRRRRRR! How do you say no to someone who doesn't know if they are going to be alive next year. So I moved - got a job -an office job purchasing land for Griffin, a home builder in Calabasas. By the way I think I got the job because the Griffin's all went to Chaminade - yes it was a very unorthodox interview. Fun -I came full circle and I was back to the place that I said I would never, ever come back to. So I decided to move to Simi. HUMMM

The office gig kind of reminded me of high school, uniforms, bright ceiling lights, bad flash backs...since I had never worked in an office before it all was not working to well for me.

Re-enter the lifelong, loyal friends.

One thing that happens with the entrepreneurial types once they tackle one business they get bored and restless. So by 2004-2005 Tom and Brett had changed paths. Brett decided to go off into the mortgage business and Tom stayed with refinishing but now removed residential and only focused on commercial business. Tom wanted to see if he could franchise (evil word) the bath refinishing and had elected me the pig. I mean guinea. Again I quit my job but this time I sort of had a plan.

November 16, 2005 in Simi Valley, California Pacific Bath Refinishing was born. We hit the ground running and have been busy non-stop ever since. www.pacificbath.com
Tom decided there was to much liability in the franchising and further decided it was to hard to run a business in Simi Valley from San Diego so....TA DAH I went from being a general manager to being an owner literally overnight.

So now I am a contractor in a big, old boys club and even have the license to prove it - ha and I still get the usual rhetoric about being a girl or breaking a nail. I tried to run our office but that's better left to my mom - I am more effective out on the job sites. I have a bunch of young, awesome guys who work with me and I am lucky that both my brother and my mom work with me too.

The first year was hard - harder then I would have ever thought when life intervened again. I got a phone call from my step-mom in Philadelphia that my dad had passed away in his sleep five days before Christmas 2006 - he was only 59. This sent me reeling and over the last ten months I have been focusing on changing my priorities. More quality then quantity - living today because you are not guaranteed tomorrow.

So to talk about getting old - I can't say I remember alot about high school, I depend on Patti, Melissa, Beth, Julie and Julie to remind me of things that happened. I do remember having a ton of fun, getting into trouble and making some great friendships. Did we really have the nerve to have vodka, OJ and bagels in the morning before school? I remember more about the little campus probably because there was no alcohol involved. Mr Rauser throwing erasers and doing cartwheels in the classroom, John Apa complaining that I kicked his chair to much because I sat behind him in almost every class for years and years. Getting in a raw egg fight with Rob Bae on the school bus from the little campus. Hiding in the trunk of my own car with Patti Javier driving to get off campus for lunch. And I am still amazed that I can recite all the prepositions that Mrs. McDonald made us learn though I never could recite them for her? I know my mom remembers the guidance counselors telling her that I would never make anything of myself nor graduate from college. Man that lady lite Father Delong up like a Christmas tree for that little episode not to mention she already wanted to posion him for the kitten/cat scandal. I never did figure out the girls only uniform thing but I surely remember getting detention EVERYDAY for it. I of course remember my friend Anthony Butler what a great part of high school always making me laugh and drawing me tons of pictures. I still keep in touch with friends but its never enough time at least not the endless, nothing to do time we had when we were in school. I long for those days and wish someone had said "cherish it now because it will never be like this again."

Lisa, Carol, Amy, Dave, Dave, Lynn thanks for all your hard work on the reunion and letting me help with whatever little things I could do - you helped me get out of the house after my dad passed.I am so excited to see everyone this weekend - I want to hear more stories about our past together.

Julie Vargo-Madden your turn to blog!!!!

xoxoxox
Dora "THE EXPLORER" Atkinson

Bring Cash for the Bar!!

The White House does not accept credit cards, so if you plan on drinking after the hosted drinks run out, you'll need to use cash money. The good news is drinks are cheap, $2 for beer/wine and $3 for mixed drinks! See everyone this weekend! Cheers!

Never Too Late to Blog!

It's true. You, like Mark Grondin, can still blog. There's still a little time left before we see each other. And why not catch folks up so you don't have to tell your story 100 times? (seriously, we have more than that many people showing up).

I know what you might be saying, I'm not going to talk to EVERYONE. Well, logistically speaking, that's probably true. But if you blog, you may find you have something in common with someone that you never expected. This might prompt a long conversation with someone you might have only said a casual hello to before.

For instance (and not to be a downer), but through the blog, I discovered that my son and Jim McCue's son have had the same type of rare seizures. Now I always remember Jim being a nice guy, but I didn't know him that well in school. But since this rather unfortunate discovery, we've been emailing and will certainly say more than just "hi" to each other on Saturday. So if you're wondering where the life of the party is going to be, it'll be with me and Jim talking "special needs." Good times.

Seriously people, blogging doesn't hurt. If you can't figure it out, follow Mark's example and send me your text and I'll post it.

In any event, if I don't read about what you've been doing, I look foward to hearing about it this weekend!

Amy

Mark Grondin: If I sit here too long someone might park on me...

True... although it is only a few days before a reunion that I will attend, I finally decided to blog. I figured it would give me a chance to describe my last twenty years, so that I can talk about truly interesting topics at the reunion - namely, what you all have been doing. So here it is, twenty years in not-so-brief....

After leaving the Nade, I didn't go far. I spent two years at the illustrious institute of Pierce College-most of that time focused on playing volleyball. It was fun for a couple years, but I figured there was more out there. So instead of going on to play volleyball at UCSD, I opted instead to study and headed out to George Washington University in Washington D.C. Although I had never lived outside of CA, it was a great choice. You can't beat studying Soviet and Eastern European Studies across the street from the State Department, and DC is just a great place to live. I even had a chance to study in Russia for some months in 1991 and ended up on Red Square during the famous revolt when the communists tried to boot Gorbachev and take back power. I have some great pictures sitting on a tank in Red Square surrounded by teenage Soviet soldiers. The result being: the revolt did not succeed, Gorbachev came back to power, and there was no more Soviet Union in a few short years. So much for my degree in Soviet studies.

After college I opted to stay in DC and work for a big NY Law Firm, thinking that I would become a lawyer instead of a diplomat. Almost four years as a paralegal thoroughly cured me of this affliction and I instead decided to go to business school to learn a trade. I chose to attend the international MBA program at the University of South Carolina (the other USC) for the ridiculous reason that Jon van Steinburg and I had decided to open a donut store in Germany. (Would I lie about this?) So I spent two years learning business skills and German language so that I could bring fine rounds of sweet, fried dough to das mutterland. Fortunately, this plan fell through, and I instead went into the technology business. Donuts or
technology - yes, it was a tough decision.

During my in-country internship for my MBA, I met a beautiful Czech woman. My internship was for Volkswagen in Prague and she was my translator. Having no background in finance terms (I was interning for the financial controller), she was not a very good translator, but I quickly forgave her... After finishing my MBA, we moved together to Germany, then to Switzerland and then were married outside of Prague in 1998. Jon VS was my best man, and I was lucky enough to have Tommy Bratko, Marky B, and Lynn Coyle at my wedding.

On the career side I got into the Internet thing - that seemed to be where the opportunity was in 1996 - remember that? I worked for a company around Europe for a while (based in Frankfurt, then Zurich) - teaching Europeans about the "interwebs". I then started a small company with some colleagues - making Web sites for medium-sized companies in the US. I started the Prague office for that company, as we could develop sites for about 20% of the cost at the time. After a little disagreement about company growth, I decided to move to another company that I founded in Germany with 5 Germans - not something I would recommend.

This was a true dot-com. We got lots o investment and spent it recklessly. Well, not as recklessly as pets.com, but we never did get to "go public" as the market crashed about 6 months ahead of our IPO. For those of you who experienced dot-bomb from the inside, I think you will agree that it was a great experience. Who else would have given me the opportunity (money)
to build up a big office in Prague to develop cool technology. I left the company after the crash, but unlike pets.com it did make money and weathered the storm, selling out to another company last year.

After this experience, I got some sleep and took weekends off. That was when I decided that after 8 years in Europe and 15 years outside of California it was time to return to my mutterland. Radka (wife) and I packed up and moved to San Luis Obispo, where my parents had relocated. Five years later, I am now working at another Internet startup - albeit a more sane one - still enjoying the technology. I have two of the sweetest little girls in the world who call me Tata (Czech for daddy) - Katerina and Natalia. I also get to spend time with Marky B mountain biking, wine tasting and ocean kayaking. I still talk to Dani C, Jon VS, and Tommy Brat as often as I can. Good friends last forever.

Thanks for indulging me. I know it's too long, but this was very therapeutic. (Repeat after me: No, I have not wasted 20 years of my life.) I look forward to getting to know some interesting people at the reunion and picnic. If you know any Czech words, feel free to use them on the Grondin family...

I will teach you one here... cau (pronounced "chow", means "later")

Mark.

Oh, and here is a picture - Daniela, Tom B and I at Marky B's wedding

Enjoy

Just wanted to say to those who are headed to the reunion have a safe trip for those coming in from out of state and Everyone have a great time. Be safe and enjoy

jodi

COME ON YOU SLAGS...LAST CALL!!!

Only a few days to go, and there is still time to contribute to the epic 80's playlist "Straight to the 'Nads".

The details are buried in the depths of September, you'll have to look for yourselves, it's back there somewhere.

Although I can't say that I'm willing to go to the same lengths (or depths) as Amy (talk about commitment), I'd still be happy to hear from any of you who actually listened to music back in the day (tlopatka@gmail.com).

Otherwise, I wish you all a great time next weekend! Maybe I'll see you all in 2012 for some serious Karaoke.

All the best,

TL

FORGIVE ME

This is complete abuse of this BLOG for personal reasons - yet I could not take praise for crap when I have done much better work.

The photo of my "stripper pole alter ego" was quick and dirty. I didn't even try to make my face the same skin tone. But I truly have enjoyed a new found talent for manipulating photos and some of my work has boggled the minds of many.

This, while not exactly mind boggling, is my favorite of all I have done. It is my son, at around 3 years old, playing in a hole I filled with water (very white trash). Even those with photo knowledge cannot see where I "did what i did". As pleased as I was originally, it messed with my sons mind for about a week after he saw it. He kept looking and asking me what happened to the "other little boy". I told him it was his twin that I sold to Chinese white slavers for not eating his vegetables (just kidding, I swear).

Thank you for this indulgence.

Anthony "reality altering" Butler

Did you send in your check?

Hey Eagles. The countdown is on. If you have been waiting until the last moment to send in your check, the time is now. Please have all checks in the mail by tomorrow, Tuesday, October 9th. After that, you can pay with an e-check through Paypal.

Should you find Saturday night that you are able to attend, but never paid, please come! Show up at the Chatsworth White House. If you pay at the door, the price will be $110.00. So save yourself a few bucks, and mail your check now.

For those of you planning to come Saturday night, we are going to have a great turnout. Seeing the names on the response forms has brought back so many incredible memories. I am genuinely looking forward to seeing every one of you!

anthony butler does AWESOME digital efx

anthony - love love love the innocent, who-me? doe eyed look of your headshot (or should i say body shot?). you are in fantastic shape - i am turning the class over to you & going out for a night of sushi, movies & popcorn with the hubman.

btw, you got the mad digital efx skillz - much better than some of the digital stuff i did on little nicky. and bedazzled. and battlefield earth.

see you soon!
shellaine "anthony butler puts my digital efx skillz to shame" corwel

Need a taxi cab?

Dave Donell suggested we post some local taxi information. Should you need a cab, you can reserve one at www.unitedtaxi.com. You can find rates on their website, and reserve a cab online or by phone.

If you are staying at the Staybridge Suites, the hotel offers its own shuttle you can take to the reunion, and we will arrange a ride home. If you are staying at the Marriott, we will email you with shuttle info soon. If you are staying at the Hilton, they also offer a shuttle you can take to the reunion, and we will arrange a ride home.

Questions? LISIEFLAV@sbcglobal.net, or phalenmolnar@sbcglobal.net. We hope to see you Friday night at Sagebrush to kick off the weekend!

SHELLY - ASSUME NOTHING!

It would be unwise to underestimate me. My powers of deception are keen and sharp. I may very likely be at your stripper pole class.

As you can see from this photo, you can never tell where I will be or who I will be. I may be that short Asian women next to you at the produce mart. Is it possible I am that tall African-American with the slight limp? Maybe I'm the midget in a trenchcoat giving you the "wanna get freaky with a dwarf" look. You just never know.

I'm admitting to nothing - but I do have an appointment for a bikini wax on the 19th just in case.

Anthony "Quick change" Butler

Hello from Tony Weber

Hello classmates. I enjoy reading your stories. Thank you for making me laugh. I won't be at the reunion on Saturday, but I look forward to seeing you on Sunday at the picnic.

After Chaminade, I wrapped myself up in my lonely studies at UCLA. I met a girl, mistook lust for love, and moved in with her. The eventual breakup left me devastated. I had alienated my friends and family. I had lost my faith in God. And my dream of a career in computer science had turned bitter.

During an Apologetics class, I was struck by Jesus' words, "love God with your mind". Could it be that my intelligence and scientific reasoning were not opposed to God, but rather could be used to search for Him and to know Him?

I began to read more. Saint Teresa of Avila's writings showed me a new world of healthy relationships. The more I read about the Catholic Church, the more profound the truths became. On every point where I opposed the Church's teaching, the Church turned out to be right.

God slowly brought light to my depression, faith to my doubts, and hope to my cynicism.

My family welcomed me back. A counselor taught me to understand my feelings. I spent a year serving the poor in Alabama with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. I was deeply touched and healed during several week-long silent retreats. I planned to go to Chile as a missionary, but came back because I was lonely and missed Southern California. I discovered that I still enjoy computer programming, and someone is willing to pay me to do it. I've been working with a small firm in Irvine ever since.

I learned about true love during a long courtship with a beautiful woman. We have been married six years, and have three children -- twin boys age 5 and a baby girl nearly 1. My wife and children are an immeasurable source of blessings for me. They teach me how to be human. I cannot be a couch potato when the baby is crying for her bottle. I cannot remain upset after work when my sons crack me up with their latest story. I cannot give in to my xenophobic tendencies when my wife wants to travel the world.

In loving God, my family, and all people, I found the meaning of life, "the pearl of great price". I have consecrated my life to Jesus, and He has given me everything in return. Of course suffering comes with it, but as He says, "my yoke is easy; my burden is light". I thank God, our Heavenly Father, for His great mercy to me, and His infinite blessings. May He bless you in every way and bring you to our final reunion in heaven.

S Factor class for the gals of '87

so we are booked & ready to have our class at the S Factor - saturday, october 20th at 6:30pm. i only wish anthony butler was able to attend class as i'm sure he'd have everyone in stitches.

we've got a nice little group of girls going & maybe this invite will entice a few more of you to join us!

so here's the particulars: the class is about 1.5 hrs in length: we'll do a 45-55 min warmup, learn the S walk, learn a pole trick (the firefly) & a demo of the S, so we should finish up around 8pm.

wear comfortable workout gear (tanks, tees, yoga pants, shorts, etc). no special shoes needed. also don't apply any lotion to legs or hands the morning before class - we'll need all the "stick" we can get!

the S Factor studios are located at 5225 wilshire blvd, in the "samsung" building (formerly the asahi building) at the intersection of la brea & wilshire blvds. check-in is at the front desk of the main studio, which is located on the mezzanine level. to access the mezzanine level, you will need to go around to the back of the building; luna park's valet is located here as well, so if you see the valet, you are headed in the right direction. our door is purple & located smack dab next to the loading dock. follow the signs leading upstairs & i'll meet you there!

parking: metered spaces along la brea, north of wilshire. there is also a lot located at detroit & wilshire (detroit is west of la brea) & spots are $.25/hr. the luna park valets will sometimes allow S Factor patrons to use their valet service - it just depends how busy a night it is for them.

if you need more info, the studio number is 323-965-9685. the website is www.sfactor.com, which also has bios & pics of all the teachers (yes, including mine. and yes, i know, i look like a dweeb.)

occasionally, students find this class to be a little intimidating (it's totally not. there are NO mirrors in each studio & the lighting is nice & dim creating a very intimate atmosphere) which i completely understand, so to that end, i am opening up our class & you are welcome to bring a friend, sister or even your mom - just let me know!

i can't wait to see everyone. i am still undecided as to whether i'll attend the saturday reunion (finding childcare for 2 is daunting!) but the hubman, twins & myself are definitely on board for the picnic the following day.

i am putting together a totally 80's playlist for our class but if you have any requests let me know & i'll try to work them into the mix.

please email me if you have any questions, concerns or want to RSVP:shellainey@aol.com. we are going to have a blast!
shellaine :)