Back Home Once Again

It was a long day today and I am sure glad to be back home. I left the Rocky Mount Holiday Inn at precisely 8:30 this morning and drove to Raleigh for my flight south. I got to the airport in plenty of time and hung out for a couple of hours before my flight to Fort Lauderdale. Surprisingly, there were many more people there than I expected on a Sunday morning. I got a good seat toward the front for the flight south, which was uneventful. I have driven past the Fort Lauderdale airport on many occasions in the past when driving to Miami, but it was kinda neat to see it from the inside. Geez! Was that airport ever crowded!

Fortunately, my connecting flight to Tampa left from the same gate I arrived thru when I got there. After waiting another couple of hours, it was off to Tampa for a short 45 minute flight. That was kinda neat because, rather than flying west and coming up the Gulf coast, the flight went pretty much directly northwest toward the Tampa area. In taking that route, I was able to look below and see the route we generally take between Bradenton and Miami--U.S. 27, flying over South Bay, on the south side of Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, where I had a great Cuban lunch last month, and Moore Haven, where we usually stop for lunch about halfway to Miami. One thing I can say as that those towns look a hell of a lot closer from the air than they are on the ground.

Got to Tampa on time and had just an hour's drive from the airport back home. Great homemade soup with multi-grain Ciabatta roll for dinner. So glad to be back home after an exhilarating weekend. Now that I am back, I am relaxing and feeling a bit tired. So happy that the Rays evened up their playoff series with the Rangers, but not so happy that the Packers lost to the Redskins. I was feeling pretty confident when I watched them jump out to a 10-0 lead while waiting for my plane in Lauderdale. Story of my life--last year the first of only three games the Buccaneers won was against the Pack. Oh well, onward and upward.

The Last Day at Wesleyan

Well, here it is, Saturday evening, and things are drawing to a close. The day started out with breakfast at the Hardee's Patio on campus. Saw some more old friends, most notably Charlie Saunders and Art "Fergie" Ferguson. I took a tour of campus with two of the student ambassadors and it was amazing to see a lot of the changes which have taken place over the past 40+ years. Probably the best thing is the library with its state of the art computer lab and the programs of tutoring and student assistance. It's sure a far cry from the large room on the second floor of the Administration Building that served as a library. The two young men who conducted about 15 of us on the tour seemed intrigued at the tales we were telling them of the early days. In fact, at one point one of them mentioned something he had heard but didn't know if it was truth or a myth. We verified it for him as having actually happened. It involved moving one of the guy's (whose name escapes me) room furnishings and clothes out to the fountain at the entrance of the campus.

We had a lot of fun talking about pranks that were pulled, such as detouring traffic off U.S. 301 through the campus when there was some road construction going on. A few moved and strategically placed detour signs did the trick. I don't think I ever laughed harder in my life. One thing that occurred before I came, thanks to its retelling by Royall Brown was that someone had let loose a pig in one of the classroom buildings one night. I guess it caused a lot of excitement when the first person showed up in the morning to open up.

After the tour, I drove over to the Northern Nash High School stadium for a tailgating party and Homecoming Game. Wesleyan soundly trounced Greensboro College 48-12. The first half was all Wesleyan with them leading 38-0 until four seconds were left in the half. Then then gave up a touchdown to end the half. In the second half, it was pretty much Wesleyan's second and third stringers playing and continued the shellacking started in the first half, albeit not as bad.

This evening was the Alumni Awards and Hall of Fame dinner at the Dunn Center. Dinner was turkey, dressing, veggies and cheesecake. At the end of the evening, we Pioneers were recognized and acknowledged. I am now back at the hotel, where we just had one last get together down in the lounge. Surprisingly, while I was schmoozing with my old classmates, some of the members of Nu Gamma Phi fraternity were there. When I returned to Wesleyan in the Fall of 1970 I roomed amongst the fraternity on the third floor of South Hall. One of the brothers recognized me from my photo name tag. As it turned out there were four of the guys there, including Ed Taylor, who roomed across the hall from Jeff Shee and me. I had forgotten, but one time that Fall, Jeff and got into Ed's room, swiped all his clothes and put price tags on them and were having a (mock) liquidation sale of his clothes. So, besides renewing acquaintances with the "Pioneers", it was great to see others from my second go-round at Wesleyan.

I'm headed back home tomorrow. I have really missed Pam and the animals and it will be great to be back with them. I so wish that Pam could have been here, but such is not her bag and I am so very grateful to her for her understanding and allowing me to have a great weekend among my oldest friends. Can't wait to see them all again in another 50 years.

Day Two at NCWC

Had another nice day back in Carolina. After taking my time to get going and grabbing breakfast I decided to do some exploring.

Driving into Rocky Mount, the first thing I noted was that the nearest bar where the drinkers hung out, The Retreat, is now apparently a strip club, Baby Doll's Cabaret (and, no, I haven't gone nor do I plan to). Continuing on into town, I found that the old airport, where LBJ landed to launch his War on Poverty, is now a HUGE sports complex with soccer fields, a football field, baseball diamond, softball and Little League diamonds. Once I got downtown, the only buildings I recognized were the train station and the Methodist Church. The original Hardee's has been torn down and replaced with some sort of commercial building. I kinda missed the place because, when I went to college here, once in a while my buddies and I would make a late evening run down to Hardee's. If they had cooked too many burgers and would have to discard them, they's let us have the leftovers. Sure beat having to pay for them! One really sad sign of the times, though, was the massive number of vacant storefronts. Downtown Rocky Mount is a unique one--about five blocks long with the mainline of the old Atlantic Coast Line (now CSX) Railroad and the county line running down the middle of the main street. It was like a ghost town. Very few cars and people could be seen. Obviously, all the business had moved out to the U.S. 301 By-pass.

Afterwards, I went out to Wesleyan and strolled all over the campus, taking in both what was here when I was, as well as that that came in the last 40 years. For some reason or other, the hallways in the admin and classroom buildings seem to have narrowed since I was last here. I took a load of pictures. This evening there was an alumni dinner here at the Holiday Inn and even more old friends showed up who weren't here last night. Again, it was great catching up with them. While I hate to say it, the guys are more recognizable than are most of the women. One good old friend who was there tonight was Max FitzGerald, one of the friendliest upperclassmen I ever met. He is (of all things) a retired sex therapist who lives in Wilson, NC with his wife, a classmate of mine, Della Reeves. They were both endeared to me, as they now have an animal rescue consisting of 170 dogs (including 3 they got today) on 80 acres they own. We really hit it off, because rescues are my wife, Pam's and my passion. I shared with them that we have 3 rescue dogs, ourselves (but we have nowhere near 80 acres).

This evening was a family-oriented event at the Dunn Center, a comedic juggler named Mark Nizer, who put on a very entertaining show, some of it in 3-D. While it was not The Beatles, he was entertaining in his own right.

Tomorrow, it's playing in an alumni baseball game, tailgating, and the Homecoming Game. It will be my last day here, as I head back home on Sunday, so I am hoping to make the best of it.

NC Wesleyan College 40 Years Later

I am back at my alma mater almost 40 years after I finished my degree and geez how things have changed. But a little background first. North Carolina Wesleyan College (NCWC) was founded in Rocky Mount, NC in 1956 and opened in 1960. This year marks the 50th anniversary of its opening and so a special "Pioneer Weekend" was planned for those of us who were in the first four classes at Wesleyan. I started at NCWC as a freshman in 1963--the first year there were four classes attending Wesleyan. I was here for three years before Uncle Sam came calling after my junior year. Rather than getting drafted, I went into the Air Force for four years, picking up a semester's worth of credits before returning to NCWC in Fall, 1970 to finish up my degree.

Leaving home this morning, I drove to Tampa where I caught a flight to Raleigh, NC and rented a car for the trip to Rocky Mount. Naturally, I made a wrong turn coming out of the airport and realized I was headed the wrong way. I got off at some exit, don't know the hell where, but it was somewhere between Raleigh and Durham. I found some workmen who told me to just continue on the road I was on for a couple of miles and I'd find I-40. I finally got back to where I was supposed to be in the first place and headed east toward Rocky Mount. That was not without adventure though. I was passing a semi which was to my right. All of a sudden, a Lexus SUV comes up alongside me to pass on my left. The woman was yakking on the phone and starts to drift over into my lane--me in a PT Cruiser and a semi to my right. All I could do was hit the brakes and lean on the horn. She finally woke up and got back to where she was supposed to be. Anyway, I made it safely to Rocky Mount.

This evening there was a reception for us "Pioneers" and it was great to see some of my old friends. In fact the first one I saw was my old baseball teammate, Ron Brockenbrough. We talked for a while as others arrived--Gil Wylie, Dave Brady, Ray O'Kelly, Ray Robinson, Royall Brown, and others as well as basketball coach, Don Scalf. We had a great time reminiscing about the early years. One thing that cannot go unmentioned is that, for the first time, I was able to legally consume alcohol on campus. Not only was I able to have a drink, NCWC supplied the drinks (wine in my case). You see, founded as a teetotaling Methodist college, there was absolutely NO drinking on campus, which is not to say I didn't have my own stash. It was so ironic, because the first president of NCWC was named Tom Collins. After that get together there was a show at the Dunn Center, an addition to NCWC since I was last here. It was a great show with a Beatles band, "1964 The Tribute". They put on one heck of a show, singing many of the pre-Sgt Pepper songs. The got the audience involved and everyone seemed to enjoy the show. While I was a bit disappointed that they did not do the greatest rock and roll song of all time, "Hey Jude", I really enjoyed the show.

Now, its back at the hotel, decompressing from a long day's activities and looking forward to tomorrow and other friends who haven't arrived yet.

Peace, Salaam, Shalom

Today, September 11, 2010 is the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, PA. It is a day of remembrance of lives lost, both then and as a result of two subsequent wars. As a result of 9/11, there has been much hatred directed toward Muslim--hatred borne of ignorance and prejudice. Unfortunately, a pastor in Gainesville, FL (who shall remain nameless, having garnered his fifteen minutes of fame) was to have a Qur'an burning today. Fortunately, he rethought his actions and decided not to hold his book burning.

I was fortunate and honored to take part in the Interfaith Service of Understanding and Peace, held this evening at the First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota. It was a moving and overflow service drawing on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Readings from the Qur'an, the Old Testament, and the New Testament were part of the service. In fact, the most dynamic speaker of the evening was Imam Tarik Al Bouri of the Islamic Center of Sarasota and Bradenton. He was most entertaining in his talk and, in giving some information about the Qur'an, told the gathering that in the Qur'an Jesus is mentioned 25 times (favorably, I might add), while Mohammad is mentioned only 5 times. My small part in the service was reading a part of a larger responsive reading which included people from all three religious traditions.

Hopefully, this and other such services held around the country will lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of all mankind and the various religions that make up this small blue ball we live on. If we can all live in peace and mutual respect, it would be such a wonderful world.

Back Home: Day One

My first day back and I am finally able to unwind. I miss the early fall-like weather I experienced in America's Dairyland. When I arrived last night, it was like going to Saigon all over again--hot and humid.

While I slept fairly well, my ass was dragging the ground through the morning, but I had to hit the ground running. First of all, I had to go to the vet's office to retrieve Bosox and Leroy. They meowed all he way home and were so happy to be back in familiar surroundings. Bosox couldn't get enough of me and was sitting on my lap every chance she had. I also had to go to the post office and retrieve the mail. Naturally, there was a good deal of junk mail to go through and recycle. I was still a bit tired but, after a while, I set out to lay in some groceries and a bite to eat. Returning home, I got them put away and sat down (with Bosox on my lap) and took in a Reds-Rockies baseball game. That sitting on my ass did me a world of good.

After resting for a couple of hours and getting energized by Judge Judy, I did the laundry (3 loads), got it all folded and put away just in time to sit down and watch the Saints-Vikings game. While in Madison, I purchased some 7-year old cheddar and enjoyed that while washing it down with some tasty and dry merlot.

Earlier in the day I talked with Pam and we agreed to push the trip down to Miami back to next Wednesday with a return on Thursday. I have a few things scheduled early in the week and this will allow me to get them out of the way without rescheduling anything else. The one regular activity I will have to miss is the monthly lunch with the Quaker men. We usually go to lunch on a mid-month Wednesday and next Wednesday is the day. I'll have to beg off it for this month. In the end, it will even out. 'cause last Spring, I was the only guy to show up for one lunch. I'm sure they'll do well without my presence.

Now, back to the football game (probably with Bosox back on my lap)...

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog

Made it back home to the sweltering state of Florida... Had a great, but pretty long day. I started off by going to work with David. While he did his thing as a paralegal, I sat in the conference room and surfed the net. At the same time, I was able to meet his boss, an attorney with a practice in family law, mediation, and arbitration. She spoke highly of David, not only as an employee, but also as a friend. Really made me proud of him and his accomplishments.

He took me to the airport, where I had a last chance to grab two Wisconsin favorites--a Usinger Bratwurst washed down by a Sprecher's Root Beer. Surprisingly, as I was in line to board the plane, I saw a Quaker friend of mine, Stan Weldy, who was headed to a company meeting in Washington, DC. We were able to talk for a little bit as we made out way down the jetway. The plane left on time and made it to Detroit in pretty good time. Getting off the puddle jumper, I found that I had to make my way to the main terminal. The only way was through a tunnel that goes under one of the tarmacs between the two terminals. It was quite a distance--probably close to a quarter mile. Fortunately, there are two moving sidewalks in either direction, so that made it a bit easier to take. Caught the elevated tram to the far end of the concourse where, at the north station, was Gate 68. Glad I didn't have to walk any further.

The flight from Detroit to Atlanta was quite pleasant. The plane was only about 2/3 full and there was a vacant seat between me and the lady next to me. We had a nice visit with each other. She was from Erie, PA on her way to Columbia, SC and her granddaughter's "Grandparents' Cupcake Day" at school. She had never been to the Atlanta airport before and was a bit apprehensive about finding where she needed to be. Ever the gallant man, I saw that both of us had to go to the same concourse, so I had her tag along with me. We took the subway and, once we got to the top of the escalator, we parted company, she to the left and me to the right (directionally speaking, not politically).

The flight to Sarasota was 180 degrees from the prior leg. The plane was jammed packed and most crowded and uncomfortable. Even though I "recycled" the last of my Sprecher's before leaving Atlanta, nature called once again. Seated next to the window, I hated to inconvenience the young couple next to me, but I had no choice. While I was in the head, the flight attendants had started serving beverages and I was stuck behind them. It was a blessing in disguise because, rather than being crammed into an uncomfortable seat, I had to stand in the aisle for about 10 minutes or so while they made their way down the aisle. Having a Wisconsin Badger T-shirt on, the fellow seated in the first economy row was returning from his high school reunion in Madison, so we had a rather nice conversation while I was waiting.

As noted above, I knew I was back in Florida as soon as I stepped off the plane. Heavy, humid air was the order of the day. My good friend, John Steinmeyer, met me and brought me home. I am happy to be home, but my work is not yet done. I have to pick up the cats from the vet's office tomorrow by 10:30. While I was planning on driving down to Miami to pick up Pam and the dogs and returning on Friday, she had suggested to me that I catch my breath and come down to get them later. Sounded pretty good to me, so I am planning on driving down to get them on Monday and return on Tuesday. That will do it for my travels until October when I go to North Carolina to celebrate the 50th anniversary of North Carolina Wesleyan's opening in 1960.