The weekend of my 8th grade class reunion was a bust, sorry to say. I add up the cost of the ticket of the dinner, of three tank full-ups to drive back and forth , thruway tickets, the cost of a hostess gift, picking up the tab at dinner, etc. It wasn't worth it. It's not the fault of the organizer. I know He put in a lot of time and attention to pull this thing together.
It's just that I got sick. Ruined the whole weekend. I was so looking forward to renewing old friendships, especially with a girlfriend named Joan. We e-mailed each other, so at least I have her e-mail address.
I dropped Rascal off at Beth's in Syracuse. Stayed overnight with her and woke up ill the following morning. Rats.
Continued driving to Buffalo, coughing all the way and blowing my nose. Rats again.
At my cousin Judy's house, I was greeted warmly. She couldn't have been nicer. My Aunt June was there, too. That was the best reunion, in Judy's living room.
The next day was the day of the class reunion. My coughing was worse. I felt exhausted from coughing. Judy would not accept an apology for bringing germs into her condo. Instead, she took me on a tour of my native city, Buffalo New York.
I saw that my old school is now an early childhood center. The old Kensington Theatre is torn down to make way for a mini-mall. Richard's house, the one He grew up in, has shrunk. The neighborhood is deteriorated. One can buy crack on the street where I rode my bike as a child.
Judy knows my interest in Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, so she took me to the Martin House, now owned by the University of Buffalo. They were giving tours! We bought tickets and I lasted only 15 minutes on my feet. Judy stayed for the entire tour while I coughed my head off in her car. Rats and rats and more rats!!!
The next stop was to Buffalo's historic Forest Lawn Cemetery. My favorite architect had designed a mausoleum on paper. The Cemetery association arranged for his design to be constructed in Forest Lawn. It's called the Blue Sky Mausoleum. FLW was light years ahead of his time. Each crypt is facing the sky, instead of being stacked one on top of another. A visitor can walk all over it, like sculpture inviting the visitor to sit on it. So I did.
Instead of a school reunion weekend, I had a Frank Lloyd Wright union..and a family reunion with my husband's side of the family. Not a bad exchange.
One last thing: like a kick in the pants as I am leaving Buffalo, someone stole the face plate off my radio. I didn't tell Judy. I drove straight home , 10 hours straight, fuming mad. Even Rascal knew that something was wrong.
Once home, still coughing and blowing my nose, I contacted the business that sold me the radio. They said they could get me a new face plate, but it would cost $150. No thank you.
Instead, I placed an ad on Craig's List, asking for a Pioneer faceplate. Several people responded. A new faceplate will be on my radio before the end of the week...and I checked their story to be sure it isn't stolen from someone else. I'm staying home the rest of the summer.
It's just that I got sick. Ruined the whole weekend. I was so looking forward to renewing old friendships, especially with a girlfriend named Joan. We e-mailed each other, so at least I have her e-mail address.
I dropped Rascal off at Beth's in Syracuse. Stayed overnight with her and woke up ill the following morning. Rats.
Continued driving to Buffalo, coughing all the way and blowing my nose. Rats again.
At my cousin Judy's house, I was greeted warmly. She couldn't have been nicer. My Aunt June was there, too. That was the best reunion, in Judy's living room.
The next day was the day of the class reunion. My coughing was worse. I felt exhausted from coughing. Judy would not accept an apology for bringing germs into her condo. Instead, she took me on a tour of my native city, Buffalo New York.
I saw that my old school is now an early childhood center. The old Kensington Theatre is torn down to make way for a mini-mall. Richard's house, the one He grew up in, has shrunk. The neighborhood is deteriorated. One can buy crack on the street where I rode my bike as a child.
Judy knows my interest in Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, so she took me to the Martin House, now owned by the University of Buffalo. They were giving tours! We bought tickets and I lasted only 15 minutes on my feet. Judy stayed for the entire tour while I coughed my head off in her car. Rats and rats and more rats!!!
The next stop was to Buffalo's historic Forest Lawn Cemetery. My favorite architect had designed a mausoleum on paper. The Cemetery association arranged for his design to be constructed in Forest Lawn. It's called the Blue Sky Mausoleum. FLW was light years ahead of his time. Each crypt is facing the sky, instead of being stacked one on top of another. A visitor can walk all over it, like sculpture inviting the visitor to sit on it. So I did.
Instead of a school reunion weekend, I had a Frank Lloyd Wright union..and a family reunion with my husband's side of the family. Not a bad exchange.
One last thing: like a kick in the pants as I am leaving Buffalo, someone stole the face plate off my radio. I didn't tell Judy. I drove straight home , 10 hours straight, fuming mad. Even Rascal knew that something was wrong.
Once home, still coughing and blowing my nose, I contacted the business that sold me the radio. They said they could get me a new face plate, but it would cost $150. No thank you.
Instead, I placed an ad on Craig's List, asking for a Pioneer faceplate. Several people responded. A new faceplate will be on my radio before the end of the week...and I checked their story to be sure it isn't stolen from someone else. I'm staying home the rest of the summer.
posted by gardenbug at Sunday, July 30, 2006
2 Comments:
Mom - I'm so sorry that your special reunion was such a bust. I hope that your friends will be able to send you some photos, at least.
xoxoxo Love from Melanie
Thanks for your sympathetic comment. I expect a package of handouts from the event. Anyways, Judy T was teriffic...and I just purchased a used Pioneer radio to replace my stolen one. Stephen said he will put it in for me. Stephen has been wonderful to me. Andy...the opposite...Oh well.
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