Reunion Pictures

You can see pictures from the reunion here. You can also see them on the right side of the blog. Click on any of them to enlarge them.

Erin

LADIES MAN…

Yea...
So, I guess it’s obvious why it took 37-plus years to get married. I finally found someone who could put up with my extreme fashion sense.:)

Mary (Johnson) Smith got one look at my slick outfit and she threw-up a little just before this picture was taken. You gotta love the 70’s.

10-4 Good Buddy

Our countries roads are safe no more!

The past six weeks I have been attending Ozarks Technical Community Colleges Transportation Training Institute. This is fancy speak for Truck Driver School. Last Thursday I successfully passed the final Highway Patrol tests and I now have my Class A Commercial Drivers License. I am licensed to legally drive: Hazardous Material Loads, Tanker Trailers, Double and Triple Trailers, and any Passenger Bus or Motor Coach. The only thing I can’t legally operate is a motorcycle. Yipee!!!!
The job search begins…

Steamboat Springs, CO

“Steamboat -- Steamboat
I Like It Here!”

So the catchy promotional jingle went.

Somebody is going to have to help me put on this. I think that in 8th grade the powers-that-be allowed us to go on the first ever Greenwood High School Ski Trip. This is the group shot from that trip. This would have been in about 1983 or 1984 – maybe? Post Greenwood I ventured out to Steamboat several times with college room mates and guys from the class of ’88. Anyone care to share stories about their Steamboat adventures? Perhaps the Jones clan could post up here with remembrances.

Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot

Not so sure what the hell was going on here...

This was titled Bungle in the Jungle 1987. Maybe an all school dance?

Greenwood vs. Marceline

Our Junior year we went to the State 1A Championship and played Marceline, MO. This picture is from the newspaper just before Thanksgiving weekend of 1986. I have blocked the outcome of that game from my memory or I would report the final score.

I can’t post to the Blog without a few pictures…
Here goes –
I believe this was the 8th grade Basket Ball team. I think we won maybe two or three games this season. The wins came toward the end of the season after we decided to all wear blue underwear. Hmmmm – the interesting things 8th Grade boys will come up with. This photograph was taken with a Polaroid Instamatic witch I don’t think even exist anymore. I title this…

SKIDMARK

Oh yea, that is very childish I know. I really have never gotten past 8th grade humor.

dd

Well-Well
Here we are less than a week to big Reunion and ol’ Dave here has sort of let the Reunion Blog slide. Sorry about that. I hope everyone that has been keeping up wit this is planning on being at The Springfield Brewing Company this Saturday. There is a schedule of Homecoming events that Greenwood mailed out a couple of weeks ago.

I’m not sure if you will be able to read the scanned copy of the letter so here is the skinny in a nutshell.

Chili Supper Friday October 3rd starting at 5:30pm in the Greenwood Gym

Soccer Game Friday October 3rd starting at 7:00pm at Plaster Sports Complex – used to be called Briggs Stadium. Greenwood Blue Jays vs. Logan-Rogersville Wildcats

Post Game Pie and Cake Social Friday October 3rd at 8:30pm in the Greenwood Gym

Brunch and Awards Ceremony Saturday October 4th at 9:30am at University Plaza Convention Center

Plan on meeting up at The Springfield brewing Company Saturday evening at 5:00ish. That will give us plenty of time to catch up and partake in some foods and a few drinks.

Counting Sheep

Insomnia is horrible thing…

There is currently a snoring contest going on in the bedroom. Tuley Mars is edging out Erin but only by a little. For some reason I can’t shut off the days events and go to sleep so I thought I would post up on the Blog.

There are a bunch of pictures of Tuley on the Blog that Erin and I (mostly Erin) post to. There is a link to that Blog over on the right. Here’s a picture of Tuley from early this spring before the impatients had filled the flower bed. Tuley is an Old English Sheep Dog that we got from a rescue organization down in Ozark. Tuley was born deaf and could not be sold in a pet store. The breeder did not want him and he ended up with us. He’s not the brightest bulb on the tree and I sometimes wonder if he is even still plugged in. He is very sweet and like myself is a total food whore.

Here is a typical response to a sharp thump on the floor with my shoe. Remember he is deaf so all the calling, whistling, and “Here Boy” have no effect.

Oh…

I guess I should include some Greenwood content.

MAN… Were we cool, or WHAT!?

FOOTBALL

All I can think about when I see this picture is a combination of Bruce Springsteen’s song lyrics “Glory Days” and John Fogerty’s “Put Me In Coach”

"Glory days well they'll pass you by

Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye

Glory days, glory days"

"Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today

Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today

Look at me, I can be Centerfield"

I think both songs are about baseball.

dd

-- Angels Among Us --

Wait a second…

I don’t see any wings…

Those aren’t angels…

They’re citizens of ancient Rome.

Party Pic was dated March 9th, 1985

As I recall, Chris Stone piloted Steve Adams in a dramatic come-from-behind chariot race victory.

Anyone else have any memories of this event?

CRAZY KIDS

The date on this Party Pic is March 5th, 1988
I can’t say I as really remember this but apparently we had a

PAJAMA JAM

___________________________________________________

In my best Joey Tribbiani impersonation…

“How-You-Doin?”


This was dated October 24th, 1987

AN EVENING IN PARIS
Greenwood Homecoming




Keep checking back. More to come…

Super Supreme Quart or-is-it Court

Back in the day...

It’s funny to be saying that.

Git-n-Go Convenience Stores had the Super Supreme Quart.

This was way before every drive thru and stop-n-stab had 84oz. buckets of drinks for .49cents or free with a fuel fill-up and second mortgage on your home.

Let me be the first to show you the new and improved

-- SUPER SUPREME COURT --

In the starring role and a little under dressed for the occasion is none other than your friend and mine.

W. Brent Powell

Ok, so maybe Brent hasn’t been appointed to the US Supreme Court – YET
But he is a judge – and I’m sure posting half nude pictures of judges on the internet is some sort of felony offense. No big deal… every ones got a little felony stealing wrap in their background – RIGHT!?

Brent and his wife Beth live in Kansas City. Brent was appointed to the bench about five months ago. Brent’s wife is with the US Attorney’s office and works to prosecute child porn offenders.

Congratulations on the new gig Brent. It’s great to catch up with everyone.


SO…

Send me some current pictures folks. Unless you too want to appear half naked on the blog.:)

dd

And The Winner Is....

Sophie (Hall) Wissman

The first to respond to the Reunion letter.

Comments and e-mails are starting to come in. Sophie e-mailed me this great family portrait from earlier in the summer. Pictured are Sophie, her husband Matt and their two children. Also pictured are: Sophie’s mom, brother Anthony (Greenwood class of ’91) his wife and their daughter. Sophie and her family live in Plano, TX. Sophie teaches dance and her husband is an Information Technologies Consultant. I’m sorry to report that prior plans will keep them from the reunion in October.

Sophie, thanks so much for getting in touch with me and for the picture.

Who else is lurking in darkened corners of the internet?

COME ON….

Leave a comment or e-mail me to let me know you got the letter.

Here’s a picture taken at the Downing/Ellis family reunion last Christmas.

You Found It!

Hello Greenwood Alum,

If you’re reading this then you most likely have received a mailing about the 20th Reunion of the Greenwood Class of 1988. Use the highlighted link below to leave a comment and let me know you found this blog. The informational letters were mailed August 6th and I hope that gives everyone time to mark calendars and make travel arrangements. Bookmark this site as I will be updating it often in the next couple of months.

I still need addresses for several people. If you know where or how to find the following people, please let me know.

Celeste Cardin
Tom Grow
Greg Henry
Jan Petefish

I look forward to reconnecting and catching up with everyone.

dd

Thanks to CH (full names not used to protect the “innocent”) for the Greenwood Street Sign – a most unusual and terrific wedding gift.

October 3rd - 5th GREENWOOD REUNION

Greenwood Class of 1988
20th Reunion

2008 marks 20 years since we graduated from Greenwood. Given the high school shenanigans followed by a few blurry years at Drury, I’m more than a little surprised to be writing this.

The weekend of October 3rd - 5th will be Greenwood’s annual homecoming weekend with a soccer match (excuse me if I choke a little on the idea of soccer) Friday night and other activities throughout the weekend. You can find out more about the homecoming festivities at Greenwood’s website:

www.education.missouristate.edu/greenwood

Now is the time to come together and share what you’ve been up to and reflect back on your time at Greenwood. Join classmates and their families Saturday evening October 4th on the mezzanine of the Springfield Brewing Company. We’ll gather at 5:00 for drinks and hors devours. Full menu service is available for dinner.

A very wise philosopher once wrote:
“I’m growing older but not up
My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck
Let those winds of time blow over my head
I’d rather die while I’m living - Than live while I’m dead”
Jimmy Buffett

Ok, maybe Jimmy Buffett is no “wise philosopher” but there is merit to these lines.

So… What do you say Class of 88?
Are there still faint echoes of the “ROWDIES” bouncing around the halls of Greenwood?
Are you refusing to grow up as you grow older?
Like me, have the winds of time eliminated the hair on the top of your head?
Join in the revelry the first weekend in October and find out.

Check out event updates and post messages on a blog dedicated to the Greenwood Class of 1988. You can find the blog at:

http://www.greenwoodclassof88.blogspot.com/

Please contact me if you have questions about or ideas for the event.

E-mail: downing_david@sbcglobal.net

First Post.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!

The 20th reunion of the Greenwood Class of 1988 will be held the first weekend of October 2008. This date corresponds with the Greenwood homecoming festivities.

More information to come.

dd