Greetings:
Well, whether you were there or not, AEKDB has been given another wonderful boost of momentum. We may not be the subject of 60 Minutes or MTV but we have carved a significant niche in the annals (that wouldn’t be anals would it?) of the human condition.
Our illustrious hosts:
They had just refinished their wonderful kitchen so that Zuma could descend and celebrate. On Friday it would be a New York theme. Cheeses, wines and beers were carefully chosen to create a New York State of Mind. I, myself, succumbed to the Wailing Wench:
Shamelessly, Rick and I managed to partake of her charms several times during the evening.
Gini and I had arrived Thursday but after a rousing golf game with Tim Haley and Larry the neighbor, (you might remember from the emails that Larry’s basement was nominated to be the refuse reservoir for the RV’s that would descend) on Friday our work was cut out for us. Rick had purchased a cavernous canopy that came in one of those eight foot long boxes that was only eight inches square. Assembly was required. Using the skills honed by Tom Sawyer, Rick quickly had the early arrivals deep in construction of the challenging structure.. Somehow he was loading ice in the coolers and checking on the refreshments (which included the Wench).
Bravely Rick Schug and Kathy, Mike and Anne Foley weighed in upon arrival to erect the requisite structure. It became subtly apparent that subsequent arrivals were surreptitiously waiting down the street for completion in anxious observation of the mastering of the structural diagram and ensuing flurry of engineering activity. As was later apparent, something must have come together:
The mini-Woodstock continued to amass participants. Cheeses were sampled, beers were quaffed and wines were guzz…uh, sipped. The social inertia was overwhelming. This party could never be gauged for a beginning or an end. Whatever had coalesced in the late sixties and early seventies had permanently affixed itself to the fabric of the universe. It was seamless in execution. These people really liked each other.
Chez Nye is such a wonderful venue:
If one were now to turn and experience what is across the street:
You might begin to get an ides of what a wonderful location this is.
Now of course there had to be lake tours:
However, the Rivier contingent decided they would take a more leisurely approach (a RivierBoat?):
Highly suspicious of course that Anne did not have to paddle. Jackie claims that Anne provided the nautical experience that saved them time and again (‘Turn into the wave!’).
Friday night saw a migration to the dock under the care of the Lord of the Manor:
Much was bandied about as to the gender related expertise of tending a fire (Was Mrs. O’Leary really to blame for her cow?)
Saturday heard the conch shell sound, beckoning shoppers to gather and descend upon the area. Gini exercised incredible restraint as she remained behind to prepare her incomparable strata breakfast. Many were pleased.
The agenda was somewhat repetitious…laughter, brotherhood, nostalgia, reveling and the occasional frolic. However the afternoon menu would be launched with steamers:
Our heroes were expert in their grasping of the fundamollusks of steaming but were still awed by their accomplishments:
So let us now give way to the participants. Let it be said that the universe exercised its whimsy by preventing Carl, Lucy, Mark, Jane, Skipper, Valerie, Dick and Judy from attending for formidable reasons. Dave Seaward’s vicarious participation was vital to much of the group picture-taking. The following picture was autographed by all and hopefully delivered to the former Grand Master:
Also included was a brother montage of the twelve, quite biblical in nature:
Then there were the Kappa Significant Others who have enabled those smiles:
Among those who impressed through time and distance by congregating with the group for the first time in over thirty five years were:
Rich Schug and Kathy (seated at left):
Their arrival was perhaps the most dramatic as they arrived in a 45 foot vehicle that would divulge three dogs and a motorcycle Indian. Let’s just call it the Schug express:
The Keagys ventured north from Virginia bearing two accomplished sons, a PhD candidate and a current manager of a Panera’s. Cindy still looked great and Al still generated those wry, quiet comments that were anecdotally celebrated during the weekend:
And hailing from Franklin, Tennessee were Terry and Sue Dunham. One of the highlights of the storytelling was Terry’s rendition of being one of the charming chauffeurs for the female party participants at the fraternity. He vividly recalled Kenny Diegel’s surprise as Kenny’s derriere was being mooningly proffered at 60 mph on I495 and then being given a resounding slap from Terry while he was driving the vehicle subjugated to viewing this nocturnal phenomenon. Sue took it all in stride and offered her own unique Lowell memories which included working at a stereo production factory and witnessing employees dropping stereo components out the window…ah Lowell!
And the wonderful DunhamMobile:
A pleasant surprise, but no strangers to the winter Kappa Sig get-together were Dan and Annie Busby. Their daughter Catherine was about to enter college in South Carolina and portended empty-nesting while their son Tom was running a camp for kids and soon to be headed cross country before entering the Peace Corps. And, oh yeah, by the way, he has an acceptance to Harvard Law School awaiting him when he returns. F. Lee Busby, Inc is quite proud:
Some of the festivities was dedicated to the picturesque and provocative nicknames many of us have acquired; for instance, ‘C-Man’. Now, granted we did not put Paula through the actual etymology, none-the-less, one’s curiosity is piqued.
They had traveled from New Hampshire and have become familiar faces at these gatherings. During the nighttime festivities we thought we detected a subtle cobalt glow, or perhaps it was a singular combination of trace elements producing a post-nuclear aura.
Other nicknames were quite innocuous, say, for example, ‘GB’. As a premonition of future celebrity, the two letter nickname would indicate fan familiarity and meteoric ascension. Ecce Gary Blomquist:
This mild mannered mathematician is a survivor of the pallet-like bedding of a previous Tully reunion sojourn at the Best Western. He seems no worse for wear. That could be because of the complementary karma of his partner Caroline:
At this point I find myself having grouped the participants subconsciously. I realize that all the succeeding personas are highly suspect.
Exhibit A:
These two have never met a mechanical component they could not repurpose. Jack continues to arrive in vehicles that have light speed capability while Gary continues to project the quiet guy who in reality makes McGiver look like a piker. If the words ‘DeVilbiss’ or ‘Air Force One’ have any relevance to you then you know what I mean. They have complicated the disguise by marrying beautiful self-motivated women who could carry the household themselves:
But then again, wasn’t Jackie a RivierBoat Queen?
This only gets more insidious. Email readers will have been subjected to the vicious expose´ of the Tully area as invectively hurled by Monsieur Foley. This just resonates with the allegorical basis of ‘Big Pink’. At first one might be sympathetic to Anne but she was able to get up the lake without paddling.
One must express gratitude and appreciation for the musical abilities of Fole. Saturday’s campfire was splendiferous with fireworks:
and folk revival:
Then there is the Bon Vivant Boola. This brother circumvented ritual muster while establishing a cardioid connection of significant longevity. He has inspired many to outburst and few to boredom. He has come a long way to stashing Kraft’s Macaroni and Cheese for emergency rations:
Lady Luck has also been kind to Mr. Peculiar in the personage of Pam:
Her caprese was one of the many superior treats provided by the attendees and always reminds us of the aesthetics of southern charm.
As for ‘Captain’, Gini firmly informed all, that there would be no divulgence of its origins.
This woman almost single-handedly rescued the aforementioned Captain from the psychiatric rubbish heap.
My enjoyment of the celebration may be visually summarized thusly:
Love that Jameson’s.
Now Rick and Hanna have not just settled for a past filled with fond memories of friends and Cumnock Hall. They have been instinctively developing further connections with newer friends who understand trust and brother/sisterhood. Some such as Tim and Mary bonded with Zuma in Italy and the Foley reunion. Others just form the Tully support group:
They are quite talented as demonstrated by the fascinating feeding of the bass in the lake:
Rick and Hanna also are successful nurturers as attested to by their lovely daughters and faithfully providing for the 21 year old Frisky:
So let it be known that this crowd can still party properly:
What a fabulous feast enabled by the pas de deux:
So long may it wave:
