Yesterday was...well, interesting. We arrived at St. James while the 11:30 mass was still going on, so stood in the back. The place was packed--standing room only, so we thought there'd be a big crowd at the reunion. After, we stood in the rain (the first in weeks around here) while Sr. Joan, the principal, went to get the key (why it wasn't already unlocked is one of the many organizational mysteries we encountered that day).
It was fun to see the old school, looking surprisingly the same aside from the bright and vivid colors of the paint. There's a dense, lumpy look to a lot of the surfaces, presumably because of so many coats of paint that were never sanded down.
We were surprised at how few people came in to the school--maybe 20 at most. Also, the building was hot--very, very hot--and humid as a sauna. We looked around for awhile and chatted with a few people, then because of the deluge outside, Jim brought the car around.
Driving to Margate where the "barbecue" was proved to be a problem. We were in Jim's brand new car and street after street was flooded. The closer we got to the place and the further we went into Margate, the worse it was. I took a picture of kids on rafts in the street.
Finally got there. The event was under a tent on asphalt. A handful of people were there when we came in, but the food wasn't and we were getting hungry. We filled out name tags, put names and phone numbers in a book, and got something to drink at the cash bar.
The food was finally put out about 3:00: sausage, peppers, and onions, a pasta dish, buffalo wings, and potato and macaroni salads. Pretty standard stuff and not particularly tasty. I had envisioned a big cake with "Welcome, St. James Grads!" or something on it. Nope, it was a bowl of fruit; just melon and grapes.
There wasn't a single classmate of mine or of Larry's there. However, there were several who graduated with, or just before or after Jim, so that was nice. We did see some people we knew: Bill C., who was a friend of Frank's, Al G., Lily McB., Patty F., and one or two others. Eileen C. came in with another woman named Marge.
There was a 50-50, but no welcoming comments or any other talks. There was electronic music (which I politely asked to have turned down) and a cleared space in the middle of the asphalt, but no one danced at all. Presumably, I was the only one with a camera, so I took some pics, but mostly of Jim, Larry, and the few people we knew.
All in all, it was--I guess--worth going to, but just barely. If I had come all the way from Virginia or Florida, as Jim and Larry did, I might have been a little miffed. However, Pat and I really enjoyed having J. and L.here and I hope and think they enjoyed it, too.
I'm afraid that from start to finish, the "reunion" (I wasn't reunited with anybody) was just a slap-dash--or, as I remarked to friend Susan--a half-assed affair. There seemed to be little planning, it just kind of ran itself (and that usually translates to "ran off the tracks"). A dinner dance is scheduled for October 14 and it was mentioned on a sheet left on the tables. Typically, it said it was at the House of Blues, but the person who wrote it neglected to put the location on. This reflects the truly horrendous St. James web site, about which see an earlier entry.
With all that said, I'm still glad I went to the gathering and still feel fond nostalgia for my grammar school alma mater, St. James.
Jim and Larry left this morning after breakfast and we then moved on to our next activities:
Went to the pulmonologist and Pat took a series of tests. Although he is far from well, of course, his condition has improved. The doctor and nurse practitioner were very pleased and he doesn't have to to back until November.
The baseball game I was going to tonight was cancelled, which is all right by me, as I'm ready for a little rest. Tomorrow, Pat has an appointment with the primary doctor at Fort Dix, then I'll meet Alison for dinner in Ewing before attending the viewing for Len. We're having Joe, Flo, and Jack for lunch on Wednesday, and I'm meeting Muckie for lunch on Thursday.
And the beat goes on...well, I like an active life!