NHHS60News

Thursday, May 01, 2008

“THE GOOD TIMERS” OF NHHS’60 POST ANOTHER SUCCESS AT ANNA MARIA ISLAND SPRING BREAK IV!! NEXT YEAR’S DATES RELEASED – MARCH 13-15, 2009

All yunz guys who didn’t make it dahn to Florida for Spring Break missed a very nice happening. We didn’t have any Pittsburgh basics like chipped-chopped ham or Mancini bread, and we couldn’t even find a cold frosty Iron City beer. There were no “STILL MILLS” in sight either, but we did sizzle in the sun and fun of Florida. The “good timers” from the NHHS class of 1960 had arrived.

The real ingredients, a bunch of your old classmates and friends, gathering with the mere intent of having a smashing good time did not disappoint. We continue to come together like a cohesive school of catfish roaming the Ohio River, appearing to not have skipped a beat in nearly 50 years. As you would suspect, there was plenty jaggin around and just plain hangin’ aht with old friends and mates who share the common denominator of NHHS. There ain’t no clubs and there ain’t no cliques. If you were a classmate or loafed around with us guys and gals from the class of 1960 you were invited. OKLE DOKLE???? OKLE DOKLE!!!!!

Having said that – SPRING BREAK ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND 2008 – is officially underway!!!

Host and Bossman Clif Gaus put together a swell three days. It was almost a gum-band repeat of last year’s winning agenda. Our mates and guests, probably two to three dozen, started arriving Thursday afternoon from various directions and distances. “Most Miles Traveled” awards, if awarded, would have gone to Suzy Ervin who flew in from Colorado – Barbara Schroeder who made the trip from Ohio – and Patty Hudson (Tom) who trolled in from Virginia, and no, they weren’t driving their 18-wheeler. An increasing number of our mates have established permanent residence in Florida and there’s also a sizeable group who annually winter here.

Anyway, after settling into the area we began to explore, ever so watchful of the jagger bushes and slippy walkways that lurked on this quaint little island. A number of us headed dahn to Skinny’s Bar for a hamburg and beer, or a bottle of pop, mostly beer. The burgs were nothing like Pittsburgh’s Jim Delligatti’s Big Macs, but they were voted the best on Anna Maria Island.

Then, after awhile, it was onto the next venture. Like a “bug on the rug,” this small band of “good timers” which included the Blackstock’s (Blackie & Rhonda), Malone’s (Vinnie & Francee) and Dave Millers (Cathy), eased their way ‘aht to Shell’s Restaurant & Bar a few blocks dahn the street to partake in the day long 11am to 7pm happy hour. They were joined by Bossman Cliffy and it was dahn hill from there, like a free fall from Mt. Washington.

Friday morning after some dippy eggs and polish kielbasa, things started rolling again.

Many of the guys easily found their way to the Bobby Jones golf course. For Bruce Abel that was not the case. Abe developed this inexplicable affection for Fruitville road. Super Glue couldn’t not have brought them closer together. In a relatively short time he became a Fruitville road regular. He spent 45 churning-turning minutes, along with a half tank of gas, and couldn’t navigate his way off Fruitville road. And our friend Abe used to fly airplanes for the U.S. Navy. His new Fruitville road friends were even waving at their new Fruitville road buddy each time he passed by. It’s a good thing Fruitville road did not run to Orlando or Bruce may have ended up at Disney World. Mayday calls to his friends were finally answered, they shot him a paragraph of GPS, and he arrived from Fruitville road moments prior to tee time.

Under the auspices and direction of class golf honcho Richie Heil (Dian), the boys wacked the pea around for several hours before eventually winding their way to the 19th hole. It was at that point in time when their real form and expertise kicked in, excelling far more than on the golf course. The elbow-bending round table included, Heil, Abel, Blackie, Malone, Knoch, Schomaker and guest Tommy Heintz (NCHS).

For the others, particularly the gals, it was free time city and you know what that meant – SHOP TIL YOU DROP!! Most of the gals went dahn to that famous St. Armand’s Circle to do their damage while some went antiquing. They lunched at the trendy Columbia Restaurant on the Circle where you saw lots of fancy straw lids on this sunny and windy day. But, hmmmmm??? No Babushka sightings were reported.

We also understand that there were no halupkies or pierogies on the Columbia menu and if one were to have inquired they would have earned “dumbkopf” status and been ordered to serve 30 days of block house duty. The few and the practical stayed close to lodging and home base to either red-up, warsh clothes, do both, or crash and burn on the beach.

At about 4:00pm the alarms went off and all roads led back up-tahn to the Seafood Shack on Cortez road where the entire group convened for happy hour and dinner. The Seafood Shack is located just off a small bay across from Anna Maria Island. The bay looked as though it could pass for a large Pennsylvania Crick. However, this wasn’t your ordinary type Crick. It was dotted with a number of million-dollar boats, docked here, there, and everywhere.

Inside the restaurant, we had a key location and it was clear that nobody was gonna hunch in front of us. The food was better than average, the service was adequate, but the vibrating buzz of conversation from “the good timers” dominated, and that was the intent and the highlight. Our mates mingled and roamed from table to table and from conversation to conversation like they were dancing the Virginia Reel and playing Musical Chairs at the same time.

Our nebby waitress, unbelievably, informed us that there was another group from Pittsburgh in the establishment – from the North Hills, no less – in fact, from North Hills High School. Yes, believe it or not, coincidentally, and amazingly so, the NHHS varsity baseball team and their parents, who were dahn Florida for spring training, were also dining at the Seafood Shack. Go figure!!

Shortly after that note, the gala first day of activity began to wind down and the Seafood Shack festivities broke-up about 9pm with everybody scattering in different directions. Driving in from nearby to attend was Christine Fischer (Jerry), Bradenton; Janet Jarabin (Loren) St. Pete; Rickie Stotz (Chrissie), Ft. Myers; Tony Snowball (Brenda), Orlando, along with the Bill Knoch’s (Nancy) and Bruce Schomaker’s (Donna) from Venice.

Saturday was Pittsburgh Pirates vs Minnesota Twins game day at the beautiful McKechnie Field in Bradenton. A quick turn at the blinker light and we parked for $5.00. Imagine that?? After another batch of dippy eggs and loafin’ around at Popi’s Diner, we excitedly raced dahn to the ball park. One might have thought we were heading through the gates of West View Park on picnic day and on our way to the dips for a free ride. But that illusion didn’t fly and ended quickly – no West View Park and no dips in sight, and definitely, no free rides passing through the ballpark turnstiles. Now I was craving a jumbo sandwich but I knew the southern belle attendant wouldn’t understand. After a dawg and a pop we went searching for our seats.

Those magical memories and our full tummies were trumped by the magic of Bossman Cliffy, who somehow managed to magically scrounge-up 20+ seats to the Pirates final spring training home game. And get this – the seats were all together, in the shade, under cover, on the first base line, behind the Pirates dugout, near the dawgs, the pop, the beer and, most importantly, near the johns. Kudos to Clif, the man has clout and we ain’t kiddin’.

Newly discovered class comedian Barbara Schroeder filled the down time with her clever observations and descriptions of both the game and its’ players, to the laughter of all. “Schroeder” is absolutely hilarious and seems to have a keen eye for Pittsburgh Pirates baseball players wearing tight white pants!! She knows her curves and lines. We watched a terrific game until the final inning when it went dahn the tubes as the Buccos centerfielder dropped an attempted one-handed hotdog catch. He lost the ball, and lost the ball game, all on one simple play. At that point, all we could do was scratch our heads and mutter YOI and DOUBLE YOI - YOI!!!!

Our next destination was, first, to find our way ‘aht of Bradenton, and then, to head back up-tahn and directly over to The Beach House Restaurant on the Gulf for the reunion’s grand finale event -- happy hour, dinner on the beach, and the brilliant Gulf sunset. The Beach House people couldn’t have been more accommodating. We figured Bossman Cliffy must be rubbin’ elbows and loafin’ with the Beach House crew. Our tables, service, location, scenic view was impeccable, over and above expectations. They would have given the North Park Lounge (NPL) a run for their money on service and the LeMont for best view - just kidding, guys, just kidding!!. Classmate Carol Stack drove up from Port Charlotte and was a delightful late addition to the group. And Kenny Stewart (NH’59),wife Cheryl and friend joined our gang for dinner after the game.

In addition to plentiful food and drink, we made our own Danceland Floor to the local on-site entertainment. Of course it was minus the spinning sparkling glass globe and the Bobby Vinton Band but it was acceptable. We were treated to Louie Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” which accompanied the countdown of an absolutely magnificent sunset over the horizon of the Gulf of Mexico.

Yunz guys would have been proud of us. We ate and drank, talked, danced and partied into the late evening. By latest class standards, 10:00pm is considered LATE evening. We could feel the curtain coming dahn. Basically, with many of our mates heading home Sunday morning, many goodbyes and farewells were exchanged and we proceeded to followed the blinker lights home to the best of our ability. Newspaper, radio and television news confirmed there were no reports of misdemeanors or felonies related to, or associated with, North Hills High School.

Sunday morning…. A few of us hung around, crossed the big Crick and found our way ‘aht to the Beach Café on Holmes Beach for a concession stand breakfast. The remaining crew, and last of the Iroquois, included Abel, Ervin, Cliffy, Schroeder, the Snowballs, Millers and Blackstocks. It was a wonderful cool breezy morning, perfect for hangin’ aht and rehashing the previous three days of fun and laughter. After we wrapped it up at the Beach Café, we warshed the sand off our feet, dispensed with our breakfast rubbish and were all invited dahn to Bossman Cliffy’s house on the Canal for a boat ride and beer.

Boating with Clif is always a memorable experience. But one might have thought with the absence of Bruce “The Big Splash” Schomaker, that it might have been a routine once around the island trip and back. But nooooooooo, somehow Bossman, now Captain Cliffy, managed to run his craft onto a sandbar and got stranded in shallow waters, thus, requiring manual assistance to push off. Fortunately there were human beings around to offer free help. For this monumental memory, and maneuver of brain lock, Bossman Cliffy will be awarded a “Mr Yuk Bracelet Award,” minus the skull-and-crossbones.

These mini-reunion trips are always filled with more highlights, sidelights and lowlights than yunz could digest in a Iron City week. Maybe that’s why we enjoy coming back dahn here -- time after time – always something new and different -- always someone jaggin’ somebody about something -- and just having one heck of a frolicking good time. All this while getting together with a bunch of old class mates and friends who we continually come to find ‘aht REALLY ARE better friends than we ever thought them to be.

Next year’s SPRING BREAK V dates have already be posted – March 13-15, 2009 – and it promises to be another great one so plan ahead. There were a lot of classmates who “almost made it” this year, giving us strong suspicion that next year’s roster of “good timers” will be at record attendance level. So if you can find you way ‘aht, and have the means to come dahn next SPRING BREAK V, give it a shot. Yunz’ll have three rivers worth of fun and some new memories to add to your rich memory banks. OKLE DOKLE???? OKLE DOKLE!!!!!

MORE ON YOUR CLASSMATES… Blackie is still living in St Louis and professes to take “one day at a time” and also professes to never miss a meal… Clif Gaus is settling happily on Anna Maria Island and cutting ties with California… Dave “Mil” Miller and Kathy spent a month wintering in Florida this year. They also downsized in Pittsburgh and moved aht to Gibsonia… Bruce Schomaker just survived a knee replacement and plans to retire full time from McCandless Township this summer… Rich & Dian Heil spent three months in Florida this year and seem to be adding a month every year… Janet Jarabin and hubby are longtime residents of St Petersburg and have become Anna Maria Island regulars… Bruce Abel, who remains in Atlanta as a pillar of help to his family, seems to be increasingly exploring the terrain in Colorado these days… Tony and Brenda Snowball both plan to retire in June and hop between their home base in Orlando to their home in England and to their time share on Anna Maria Island… Bill & Nancy Knoch just completed a winter home in Venice. With their children running the family business, they hope to spend more time there… Vinnie & Francee Malone remain in Okeechobee, two hours from Anna Maria Island. Vinman is a golfing regular at the OCC and rarely misses a happy hour… Suzy Ervin was appointed mini reunion official photographer. She’s enjoying her relocation to Colorado and being near her family and spoiling grandkids… Ricky & Chrissie Stotz drove up from their Ft Myers home. Ricky stays busy doing church work and charitable activities and loves it… Barb Schroeder our “class humorist” dabbles in real estate back in Ohio and keeps people laughing when not watching the Pittsburgh Pirates perform… Patty Hudson and Tom are enjoying retirement in Virginia after getting over Tom’s health scare and they aren’t missing those over-the-road 18-wheeler trips… Christine Fischer and hubby Jerry are just a stone’s throw from Anna Maria Island and are reunion regulars. Christine’s retired from teaching and is smiling her way through retirement… Carol Stack, a pleasant surprise reunion addition, still resides in Illinois and is semi-retired. She teaches when she wants to and visits her second home in Port Charlotte when she wants to, also…

“BYE-BYE!!!”

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