HELLO
'68!! Our Falcons' "overwhelming" victory over the Squids in overtime
means we are half-way to completing another run at the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
Hopefully, the team will provide a little more ripping with a beak and slashing
with a claw in November to give us a more robust point spread over Hudson High.
BEAT ARMY!
Clark Gerhardt's Back Yard
LEGACY
CLIMBER REACHES IDAHO SUMMIT: You may remember my summer column featured Jeff
Parrish channeling his "inner doolie" during a mud race with
his family. This fall column continues in a similar theme of classmates pitting
their senior citizen muscles against the great outdoors as told by Clark "Ranger"
Gerhardt in August 2011. Clark writes, "Here's a photo taken on top
of one of the peaks in my backyard a few days ago--my own private Idaho. I got
started climbing with the USAFA Mountaineering Club (anything to get an off base
privilege) and have stuck with it for almost 50 years. Just got elected to the
American Alpine Club Board of Directors and am off to Italy next week to climb
for two weeks. Maria is going too, so good food and hiking are on the program
too. Hope all is well, Ranger."
For those who have accepted a more
sedentary existence, I am hoping Ranger's and Jeff Parrish's examples serve
to inspire and motivate us to get off the couch and into our all purpose running/walking/climbing/hiking/biking/sky-diving
shoes.
IT'S ALL IN THE GENES: Fresh from the annals of "All
My Classmates" comes a tale about a pair of prolific grandparents. If you
were wondering which member of our class holds the record for most grandchildren,
Kathy Barker's letter to me in March 2011 may provide you with a good place
to start. Kathy writes, "As you now know, the Barker updates often revolve
around announcements concerning the arrival of grandchildren and true to form....
#s 18, 19 & 20 are due anytime, July and September. We accept with deep gratitude
our Creator's gifts and cherish them with all our heart.
Oldest son, Ryan,
was recently promoted to lieutenant colonel and is still flying with the Alabama
ANG, while Claire keeps the home fires burning. Daughter, Shannon, resides in
Somerset, England, and works as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in the Emergency
Department. Son, Kelly, is an Assistant Manager at Sugarloaf TPC course in Atlanta
and his wife, Farrar, is a lawyer with Alston and Bird in Atlanta. Megan is a
stay-at-home/home-schooling Mom and wed to Chris Rice from the class of '97. Pat
is with Eagle SWS and is working the Gulf oil spill to this day, while his wife
Tiffany is a stay-at-home Mom. The "grands" are dispersed amongst the
five.
Dan works for IAP Worldwide Services and has so much going on, I
can't keep up with him. Yours truly can't say no to some of my Mommies who want
me to assist them through labor and birth, who am I to refuse."
To
Dan and Kathy, we wish you some well-deserved peace and quiet before the holidays
begin and send a request to provide your Scribe with a copy of your family photo
with all 20 grandchildren for a future column.
NINER's Do Venice: L-R: Ann and Bob Pohlman, Tim and Sharon Ayres, and Rusty and
Pat McBride in front of St. Marks Cathedral.
WHICH WAY TO THE GONDOLAS?: In September 2011, I received word from Bob
Pohlman about his 2010 cruise to Venice with wife, Anne and his Ninth Squadron
compadres Tim and Sharon Ayres and Pat and Rusty McBride. The trip
provided long-time friends with a chance to catch up on each others' busy lives.
Bob and Anne currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona where Bob works for Snell &
Wilmer LLP.
In a brief note from Pat McBride, he contacted Bob
to let him know about his Fall 2011 trip to see the Grand Canyon (South Rim at
the El Tovar) via the Grand Mesa, Canyonlands, and Lake Powell. On the way home,
Pat and Rusty stayed with another fellow NINER Bill & Becky Mazurek,
who are now living in Westcliffe, Colorado.
'68er
Reunion at USAFA-USNA Game in Annapolis. L-R: Scribe, Brooke Bailey, Tom Zyroll,
Steve McPhail, Bob Durham, Pat Hurley, Bob Johnston, and Dan Hites. Photo: Courtesy
of Wendy Hites.
MIGHTY
FALCONS - 35 -- GNARLY GOATS - 34: Unlike the picture-perfect, blue-sky day
two years ago, the weather at Annapolis for the 2011 Air Force and Navy battle
featured temperatures in the mid-fifties and low sixties, wind gusts in excess
of 20 mph, and a sixty percent chance of rain. A portion of North Carolina's '68
contingent, Brooke and Cathy Bailey and Bob and Thuy Johnston, drove
up to my home in Virginia a couple of days before the game to check into Hotel
Davidson for the weekend.
On game day, with my cousin Billie from New
York, Bob, Thuy, Brooke, Cathy, and I jumped into the Bailey Family van
with tailgate-sandwiches, beverages, chips, and cookies in the cooler and headed
for Maryland's capital city. After slogging through the traffic in Annapolis outside
the Navy-Marine Stadium, we were fortunate to find the perfect parking spot in
a local resident's front yard (for a mere $20) that was situated directly across
the street from the USAFA tailgate tent and very near the gate where our seats
were located.
When we arrived at the tent, we ran into Tom and Kathy Zyroll,
Bob and Cathy Durham, Steve and Judi McPhail, Dan and Wendy Hites,
Pat and Nancy Hurley, and Bruce Gerrity. After the obligatory photos*
were snapped we exchanged family updates, consumed our tailgate feast, and proceeded
to the stadium. (*Scribe Manual, Rule #1: If photos are not taken of a classmate
event, the event is not considered to have occurred.)
Seated a little
shy of the 50-yard line (i.e., the West End Zone) and somewhat higher than where
birds fly, we began to check for other familiar faces. Sitting a few rows below
us with the Durham's and Zyroll's, we saw Jim DeFazio. A
few minutes later we were nearly overrun by Jim and Pat Seevers as they
brought their party of nine up the stadium steps just a few rows away.
During
our half-time break, we ran into Dave and Alex Prevost at the refreshment
stand and after the one-point, overtime victory we rendezvoused at Mike's Crab
House in Riva, Maryland with everyone mentioned above, except the Seevers.
When we got to Mike's, Bob and Sue Pauli and Charlie and Polly Seifert
were already seated. Then--in staggered fashion--others arrived--including Jim
DeFazio's wife Sherry and Sherry's sister. All told, we had dinner for
30 and a great time. Photos of the day will be posted on our class website. THAT'S
A WRAP: Mind the flak; keep 'em flying, and keep those cards, letters, e-mails,
and photos coming in to Pat Russell and me. Please go to our Class Website
to see photos included in this column in full size by clicking on Scribe's Page.
Ciao for now. Tim |