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WHOA California Mini-Reunion, 24 January 1998
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WHOA California Mini-Reunion, 24 January 1998
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The '60s group. (front row left) Sandy Altvater '64, Pat Wiggins '69 , and Diann Crotwell '69. (back row) Elvy Tagala '68, John Prunier '65, Bev Char '66, Rick Grice '64, Linda Key '65, Sherry Weaver '64, and Rich Nichols '65. |
| So, after enjoying a few adult
beverages Friday night, and feeling absolutely no pain, the lava lava hotline
sprang to life at 1 a.m. Stumbling to a nearby hotel to access a telephone,
I was greeted with the sobering news that no, "we" are not going to a picnic
in an AZ park the next day with some fine new Filipino friends, "we" are
going to CA to attend that dad blasted mini reunion people were yapping
about on the web page! Unable to persuade the headstrong island lovely
on the other end of the LL hotline to stick to the original, and much more
geographically feasible plan, I of course, like the macho, dominate male
I am, cave in like a creaky old gold mine.
Outside the hotel, I spent the next 45 minutes trying to regain my bearings and find where the #$%$#$% I parked my car. Not fun. Next time the LL hotline summons, I must compose myself better. A few hours later, I'm sitting on American West Airlines, badly hungover, on my way to this thing called a mini-reunion to be reunited with absolutely nobody even remotely close to my class at Wagner. There will be, however, numerous "friends" from the E-mail web site page, the same people who banned together to have me booted from the place months before. Am I a sucker for an Island Girl or what? Chewing aspirin like Evil Knieval, I show up at this Irish Pub place to start my long evening of reuniting with strangers. I'm immediately introduced to computer whiz John Prunier, who proves to be a most excellent dude who would proceed to entertain me long into the evening with ribald Wagner off base honey stories that would make President Clinton feel left out of the coupling game. I stare intently at Pat Wiggins, 69, not only because she is a still beautiful happa Filipino, but there is something strangely familiar about her. Some quick math determines that she graduated as a senior before I arrived as a freshmen, even though we both share the tantalizing number `69 in our high school resumes. Chatting up the lovely Ms. Wiggins, I soon learn that she has a sister who just happened to graduate in `73, but left Wagner in 1970. Now Annie Wiggins, being a happa, being from my class, and being anywhere near as beautiful as her big sis, would not have gone unnoticed by the Wolverine. "You couldn't miss her. She had a big mole on her chin." I'm informed. Instantly, a flood of memories are unleashed from some locked corner of my noggin. Annie Wiggins and her Cindy Crawford mole. Long black hair, lithesome brown body, smoldering black eyes, a bit of a wild child. Moonlight night. The parade grounds.... Yes indeed, I didn't miss her. Now I'm really starting to warm up to this mini-reunion thing. Unchaining that memory alone was worth the price of the flight. Not long afterward, in sashays two of the three Char sisters, the names of which I believe are Boom, Caboom, and Varroom! These voluptuous ladies are happa Chinese, and no finer example of the mix one will ever see. John P quickly runs over and informs me that as beautiful and well preserved as Boom and Caboom are, it was the missing middle sister, Varroom, that stole his heart, then stomped on it. Whipping out yearbooks, he quickly proves why, showing me pin-up quality pictures of all three Chars in their Wagner heyday. "I remember like it was yesterday the moment they walked into the teen club," John gushed. Immediately my mind grasped upon the photographs, combined them with my own memories of the teen club, and gave me a wonderful, vicarious feeling of almost being there with John, and how I would have reacted had three such knockout happa sisters suddenly appeared there during my time. Be still my lava lava loving heart. Suddenly, this mini-reunion thing is really starting to cook! As my mind cleared, I realized that this was such a last minute lava lava decision that I never even had a chance to advise my E-bud, Mike Ward, `70, that I was attending the affair. Since Mike lives in San Diego, less than an hour's drive away, I located a phone, paid something like $500 for long distance information, got his digits and tried to call him. Only Mike must have been be yapping on the internet cause his phone was busy for hours. Meanwhile, I determine that one of the Char sisters, Caboom I believe, is a psychologist. A lava lava psychologist! Since it's been suggested many times here that I am in need of that specific medical specialty, I engage her in a very illuminating and healing conversation about why I so often make a mess of so many things in my life, particularly relationships. As tough and no-nonsense as she is beautiful, Caboom bulldozed all my lame excuses and read me the shrink riot act. I am happy to say I'm now completely cured of all my anti-social behavior. Dinner comes with the news that Silky's Irish Pub has no Irish food on the menu. Not a Mulligan Stew or potato cake to be found. They did have green awnings, however. During the meal, Wendy Sevenandt, `79, one of the fine planners of the event, had us rolling in the aisles with her wide-eyed tale of meeting her studley, Rutgar Haur-like boyfriend. Seems he spent an hour laying every pick-up line known to man on her before she suddenly realized "hey, this guy sounds like he's interested in me!" Wendy was a treat! Harold Forster, `78, told fish stories and had the pictures to back them up, and everyone devoured the yearbooks that spanned the entire Wagner experience from the early 1960s to the 1990s. Got to see the mugs of Jerry `63, who shockingly was praised for his "cool disposition" (what happened?) Roundhouse Ruth Kent, Kandy (very Sandra Deeish) Dizzy Lizzy Cane (a knockout cheerleader) Bo Cane, Gary the Creator in the Falcon Crier, and various and sundry other websters. A somewhat sad interruption of the frivolities came when John fired up a video of the HS a few years after the volcano. The place is a wasteland now that is rapidly being reclaimed by the jungle. Thanks to the rich, volcanic ash, the vegetation is growing over the cement walkways, roofs, everything. Nature is really something. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. And yes, as people have already noted, I behaved, even before the shrink job from Dr. Lava. Being hungover tends to mellow me out:-) All in all, it was an extremely enjoyable experience. (Of course, that was guaranteed from the moment the LL hotline ignited:-) If anyone has any doubts regarding the merits of attending such functions, you can put them to rest. Even if you don't know anybody -- you do. We are all forever bonded, and the long forgotten memories that are brought to the surface during such events are priceless. -- Dary `73
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The '60s group again, with Janice Char '64, front left. |
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Some of the '70s, Dary Matera '73, Harold Forster '78, Wendy Sevenandt '79, Steve Fernandez '78, and Lindsey Woods '79. |
| Wendy n John,
Thank u very much (maraming salamat!) for putting together this past mini-reunion! I really enjoyed meeting up with everything from past to present. Maybe an "annual" Cal. mini-reunion could be considered? Just a thought! :-) Anywayz, I wasn't sure how I could get this and future letters posted on the Wagner mailing list. Is that all done via chat? or will signing up on the mailing list do the trick? Pls let me know, when u get a chance! Once again, many thanx!!! Take care and catch the both of u on the NET! LATER........................ KEEP ON ROKKIN' HROKKER (Harold Forster '78) |
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(Front left) Bev Char '66, Janice Char '64, Elvy Tagala '68, Pat Wiggins '69, Linda Grice '80, Sua Ann Banks '80. (Middle left) John Prunier '65, Harold Forster '78, Sandy Altvater '64, Sherry Weaver '64, Diann Crotwell '69, Linda Key '65, Rick Grice '64, Steve Fernandez '78. (Back left) Terryl Jones '80,
Dary Matera '73, Rich Nichols '65, Wendy Sevenandt '79, Lindsey Woods '79,
Tom Turiano '86
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Another group photo. |
| Part 2:
1500-1600: Dale Fullwood '77, joins us. I think he's coming in from N.CA or St. Louis. He has a real surprise for us, two complete Falcon basketball uniforms from the undefeated '77 season. They also won the Far East Championships. Quite an accomplishment for Wagner. He's also got some of the most advanced digital camera equipment I've ever seen and promises to send me copies of his photos. Unfortunately Dale will have to leave early. He's got Super Bowl tickets and wants to get to as many pre-game parties as he can. More people are arriving including Terryl Jones '80 (Kylene, this is your sister, right??), Sue Ann Banks Thompson '79 (Wendy's stable buddy), and a group brought in by Harold Forster '78. In walks Dary Matera '73 from Arizona looking like he's recovering well from a recent hangover. He immediately looks to see if a certain person, also from Arizona, has made it there yet. After introductions, he asks me for Mike Ward's phone number in San Diego. Haven't got it, so he heads for a phone. Suddenly, the lights flicker, conversation stops, and in walks the Char sisters, Janice '64 and Bev (Sherry) '66. Except for Becky '65 (stuck in Corpus Christi, drats!), it brought back memories of when they showed up at the Teen Club in the fabulous summer of '62 (hey, didn't they make a movie about that?). After hugging them both, we started more introductions. It was great to see Janice and Bev again. I especially enjoyed the pictures of Becky and all the stolen napkins from the PI. Bev also brought a Clark map so that we could mark the location of our houses. This is a great idea that I think should be used at all the future reunions. It may amaze folks to find out who lived in the same houses before and after their tours (right Jim/Ruth?). Bev also has a stash of MPCs (military payment certificates), over $2.00 worth. More than I ever had back in the old days, and probably enough to last a month back then. Can't believe she saved that much moola. Just when I think it couldn't get much better, in walks Sandy Altvater '64 ('61-'63), a very dear friend (her brother, Rusty, was Class of '63 I believe). Sandy lived just down the street from us in Balibago and hung out with Dot and her notorious gang. Of course she had her '63 yearbook with her, so I got to sign it after only 35 years. It was quite an experience to have her tell me more about my house and neighborhood than I remember. Reminds me of Barbara Tomczyk's memories, ha ha. More of the lively '70s and '80s gang shows up including Mario Merced '70, Linda Grice '80, Tom Turiano '86, ++. We also get a great phone call from Karen Jimerson Hasan's mom (a very nice lady who I've talked to before) and she leaves a lost and found request for our guestbook: George, Karen '76, Janella '80, and Greg '79 looking for Reggie and Richard Middleton. Karen, we made sure everyone saw the announcement. Good luck with your search. One significant observation: conversation and memories are clearly crossing class lines. Wendy is mixing with the '60s folks, I'm having a great time talking to the '70s and '80s kids, and Dary's drooling over the babes in the '63 and '64 yearbooks (I told you so Dary!). Harold Forster '78 is one of the hits of the gathering. He's got all the symptoms of reunionitis (you know, speaks in 400 word sentences, glazed eyes, 3 yearbooks open, etc.) and has wonderful stories for everyone. Next installment: more arrivals,
Dary's therapy, Sherry Weaver '64, ribald Rich '65, and Dianne Senn's Birthday
call.
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Mike and Wendy '79. |
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