25 Year THS Class Of 84 Reunion & Friends

Saturday was my 25 year high school reunion.  We have our reunions the same weekend as the town's summer festival, so that:

1 – It's easy to remember:  Old Settler's Days
2 – There's a chance that people may be coming back anyway.

I debated driving the 3.5 hours or so Friday night after work, but since my parents weren't home, and my sister's house is a little torn up, there was no great place to stay, and no compelling reason to get there, so I opted to sleep in my own bed, and head out in the morning.

I hit town around noon, and there was a light rain.  Not really encouraging people to come to the festival.  There had been a little Facebook chatter about us having a float again this year in the parade, but I wandered around town, and didn't see that getting done, so I found my sister, and niece and talked to them each about the news (my sister and her husband are now empty nesters, sort of, and are buying a foreclosed house on the edge of town, and my niece is buying there old house.)

The parade kicked off at 2:00, and I ran into a few classmates.

(Not a classmate)

(Still not a classmates – But Jim McM. was in brother's class)

(Classmates: Malia & Mel)

After the parade, we split for a while, but agreed to meet for dinner before heading out to the party.  Okay, maybe calling La Gondola "dinner" may be stretching it, but what ever.

After a trip for "supplies" we headed out to the Indian Creek Vineyard outside of Toulon for the actual.  What, you don't think of Central Illinois as "wine country"?  There was a band playing (more on them in a bit) and all kinds of old friends and acquaintances from not just the class of 84, but a good number from the class of '83 and a few from '85 as well.  Since we had 47 people in out class, and we were a single elementary / middle school / junior high / high school system, I went to school with some of these folks for 11-13 years.

The winery is actually a nice, beautiful, slice of the rolling hills of Central Illinois.  It was a gorgeous evening (note the full moon) filled with wine, beer, and good conversation.

  

Finally, the band was done playing, the old coots gathered for a class picture, and it was time to scatter until 2014.  Okay, since most of the class lives within 50 miles of the school, maybe "scatter" isn't the right word.

But what about the band?  Ah, for the low, low cover of $5, we got to listen to a great 70's and 80's rock cover band, Motorbiscuit.

The band was pretty good.  The lead guitarist (high school senior) and the keyboard player (high school freshman) are children of  Jeanine (84) and Greg (83).  Here they are, wrapping up a little 'Freebird'.  Sorry I didn't roll tape sooner.