High School Daze

9-21-2007

A week ago, I attended my 35th High School Reunion.
I was a bit tentative about going, as I was not that socially
active through much of my high school years with that
group. Instead I'd spent much of my time in high school
with the church high school group.

However, I did go. First to the Open House at Nathan
Hale High School, then later to the Mixer at the hotel.
It was quite interesting, and enjoyable. Though I knew
in advance some of the people I really wanted to see, and
and had not seen in ages, would not be there, I knew some
of them would attend.

What amazed me most though, was how enjoyable it was
to converse with some of the others that I'd not really been
that close to in high school, but yet we did have things we
remembered about each other. Several were there that I
had been closer to in elementary school or junior high
school, so it was good to catch up with them, after all these
years. Several of them had also gone to Oklahoma State
University, and a few of those I'd gotten to know a bit
better at OSU than I had in high school.

I'd only been to the 10 years reunion before this one, so
I did see a big difference, as most of the pretenses had been
dropped over the years, and the more popular ones from
high school were just regular people, like me. Oh, I know,
they were back then as well, but I didn't realize it then.
I have grown up some since high school. I hope.

There are plans for another reunion next year. Normally
there would not be one for the 36th year, but in 2009
Nathan Hale High School is doing a 50th Anniversary
All-School Reunion, so our group is trying to locate as
many as possible with the 35th, and the 36th, reunions,
to have a really large gathering in 2009.

I had spent part of the morning the day of the Reunion
going through my high school yearbooks. What a trip.
That brought back many memories. Reading what
others wrote in my yearbooks, really took me back as
well. I got to review how they all looked way back when.
Some of them did not look that much different today.
Others looked quite different, but of course, their
personalities were quite similar to all those years ago
in talking to them again.

I look forward to the 36th Reunion. I was lighter at the
35th Reunion, than I was in High School. I shared my
surgery info with several of the other alums, but it was
not the only subject of conversations. Talk ranged from
who we had as teachers, sporting events back then, OSU,
old neighbors (other kids), what people are doing today
in their careers / families, etc., etc., etc.

If you get a chance to go to a school reunion........ go.
It's a chance to renew acquaintances, and to make new
acquaintances of those you may have just passed in the
halls, all those years ago. Or to re-energize relationships
from even further back than high school, and hopefully
do more socializing in the upcoming years, with those
from the past.

Wally

o/` movin' on up........ to the East side........ o/`

9-9-2007

I finally did get myself and the cats moved to the
east side of Sapulpa. The movers finally get the rest
of the furniture moved tomorrow. It's been delayed
due to me, other things going on, the weather, etc.
Obviously I had enough to move the cats and I on
over and have somewhere to sleep and sit.

Next Saturday is my 35th High School Reunion.
Still not as many signed up as hoped for, but the list
has grown some. Out of 781 graduates in 1972, we
have about 25 coming to the reunion , with about 7
guests, as of checking the website today. Of course,
some are missing, and some are no long living. It
was a late notice reunion, so that left many unable to
attend, especially those from a long distance. However
I am sure there will be some more sign up in the next
week.

While I was still in school at Nathan Hale High School,
I was quite active in the youth group at John Knox
Presbyterian Church, and even was elected to the
position of Moderator my senior year. It was quite
an active and fun group of us from many different
high schools around town. We did a lot locally, and
even went on 2 different trips to help those in other
locations (one in Colorado, one in New Mexico) that
needed assistance. I still remember those good times.
Recently I was even able to help a youngster I know
that went on a church trip to Nicaragua, with a small
bit of financial assistance to get him there.

On a weekend in October this year, John Knox
Church is holding a Reunion (for all members, not just
those from my youth group). I am hoping I'll be able
to reunite with some of those from my youth group
that weekend. I am in touch with a few of them, but
lost track long ago with some of them, as happens
over time.

This will be my 3rd Reunion of the year. The OSU
fraternity reunion was late June. My high school
reunion this next weekend, then the church reunion
in October. That's a lot of catching up with old
friends and schoolmates. But it's all good.

Next Sunday I will leave for Crested Butte South ,
Colorado with my Mom, my cousin Donna, and our
friend Donna. I'd promised this trip to my Mom two
years ago, as she wanted to go in the Fall to see the
Aspen leaves turning golden. She was unable to go
2 years ago due to some now resolved leg problems.
I was unable to go last year due to still recovering
from my knee replacement surgery. So we are on
for a week from today.

The lake house is coming along, slowly, but surely.
The weather this year has been a major delay source.
First there was the ice storm, and being without any
power for several weeks at the time they were
scheduled to start work. Then there were the monsoon
rains later throughout the Spring, plus more recent
days of heavy rains as well. However, the garage is
roofed in, and nearly complete. What's being delayed
now with any wet weather is the pouring of the
concrete for the patio underneath the decking, the
sidewalks and steps, and the driveway. Hopefully
it will all be completed in a few weeks.

My OSU Cowboy football team started off rough, with
a loss at the University of Georgia last weekend. They
did come back last night though , and handily beat the
Florida Atlantic University team. Friday night they
will play a Friday night game on ESPN2 at Troy
University in Alabama, then the 21st come back to
Stillwater to open up their Big XII Conference play
against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, a team that is
always hot on scoring points.

I recently had an annual physical in which all went
very well, except there was an indication of some
blood in the stool samples. I went through the
upper and lower colonoscopy several weeks ago.
The only thing uncovered then was the removal of
a pollyp. The very worst part of that testing is
the preparation the night before / early mornng
of the testing. That's not fun.

Since that gave us no indication of the bleeding
source, they put me through the barium x-ray
exams last week, where they follow the barium
on it's trek through the system. I do not have the
results yet, but should this week hopefully. I was
able to watch the process on-screen part of the time,
and the X-ray Tech did point out the parts of my
insides he was looking at, and a few observations he
could mention. However, they make it clear that
the techs are there to do the testing, and that the
results are then forwarded on to one's Doctor, who
then calls with the results.

If this still shows nothing that was responsible for
the bleeding, I will be inclined to think perhaps I
should do the stool testing again, perhaps a few
weeks apart. I have to wonder if I really followed
the instructions of no red meat, etc., as stringently
as I should have, or if that could possibly be the
source of the positive reading, since nothing is
standing out as a cause at this point.

Either way, it's been a point of concern, and even had
me cancel a Labor Day trip to Calgary / Canmore /
Banff to see Kati and Steve, due to the uncertainty
of what the cause was, and how it may effect me
while on my trip, etc. I'll get up there another time.
My main concern at this point, is to find out what is
going on, and see what can be done.

One doctor theorized that the source may be in my
old stomach section that is no longer used, and not
accessible with the endoscopy from both ends. If
indeed the bleeding is from there, some surgery may
be required via the small portals they went in through
before for the gastric bypass. However, if it is
determined to be an ulcer in the old section that is
bleeding, a friend that is a physician's assistant has
suggested that being back on a acid-inhibiting pill
that goes through the blood stream (unlike Pepto
Bismol, etc.) may reduce the acid enough to quit
irritating the ulcer and making it bleed.

In other words, a lot of the above is theorizing. Once
I know something, I will indeed feel better about the
process, and what can be done. Until then, I really
am feeling fine, and not as anemic as I did feel at one
point. Perhaps that is partly due to me making sure
I eat more protein sources, to keep up the strength.
Perhaps it is due to the source not be irritated at
this time. I'll wait to see what the Doctors prognosis
is, and there proposal.

Wally