Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Reuniting in the Desert and Day Three Photo Challenge


As my profile blurb says, Bill and I were high school sweethearts. He took me to my senior prom (he was a junior), and after staying in touch for a couple years of college we lost track of each other.

So young :-)

In 1993 I was working in Sacramento and learned through mutual friends that Bill and his family were living there. I reached out and we immediately got caught up with the last twenty years of our lives. Marriages, kids, jobs, life stuff.

We stayed in touch, visited occasionally, and saw each other at a couple reunions. Either one or both of us were always in a relationship. When we both weren't (2008), our good friend Michelle pointed out to him that the two of us should have always been together, and there was no good reason why he shouldn't make that happen now.

So he did. And we've been back together ever since. Married the end of 2012, and happier than we've ever been.

This little stroll down my memory lane leads to why it is especially wonderful for us to get together with friends from high school each year. Because they're "our" friends. All those crazy things in high school - the sports victories, the scandals, the couples' dramas, the teachers you loved and hated, the bus trips - all of them are shared memories for us, and that is just so much fun!

Like back in high school there are a few special people we spend most of our time with every year. Some of them are the same ones from 40+ years ago, and some are those we've gotten to know better in our "older" years. Some other couples are also both from high school, either married right after graduation or finding each other later (none waited quite as long as we did). Several spouses not from the same town have become part of the family over  many years, and we love seeing them just as much as our classmates.


Sharing laughs and pictures from home

The reunions are in Laughlin, NV, for a couple reasons. First, our town no longer exists.  Eagle Mountain, CA., is a ghost town. Once home to the very productive Kaiser Steel Mine, the town died when the mine closed in 1983. It was used as a minimum security prison for a few years, and now just down the road is a multi-acre solar farm.  The little community of Lake Tamarisk is still there, and where we've spent a couple nights parked at our friend Coy's. 

Second, a small group started doing an annual motorcycle run at Laughlin that the rest of us sort of invited ourselves to. Since folks are already going there, each class plans their "big" reunions of 30, 40, and 45 years there on the same weekend every year.

Third, although it can still get pretty hot there in April, the climate is always conducive to outdoor gatherings and the motorcycle run.

Finally, a large number of us are within 300 miles of Laughlin, making it drivable. The Las Vegas airport is close enough to make air travel reasonable for most everyone else.


Always love the views from the River Walk

This year we took the rig rather than staying at the casino. The Riverside RV Resort is huge, with terraced levels overlooking the casinos, Colorado River, and the mountains beyond.  It was about half full the three nights we were there, and except for the last night when a group of eight very large rigs arrived together and surrounded us, we had lots of space. They were all fun, nice and quiet neighbors.


Nice separation, not much shade

Ten of the gang came up to see the motorhome "in person" as they've been following us on FB for a while now.  It was very fun sharing it with our lifetime friends, making plans to come see many of them in the near future, and looking forward to when every one of us is retired!

Ate too much food, drank too much beer, laughed so hard it hurt, and can't wait to do it all again next year!!

It's Day Three of the black and white photo challenge. This is the Colorado Belle casino in Laughlin, one of the originals.






16 comments:

  1. Sometimes taking that stroll down Memory Lane is a wonderful place to be. There are so many things that were right with yesterday and even so many thing that are right with today. Isn't it great that we can sometimes mix them both together?

    I still have friends from Jr. High so I know exactly what you're talking about. What fun it is to get together.

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    1. So, so true - mixing it together is just wonderful :-))

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  2. That is just a wonderful story. Sweethearts, friends, spouses. Sad that your hometown is no more. Although, I never return to my hometown so it might as well be a ghost town. It is in my life. Wonderful that you have such a close group of high school friends. They split my high school up in the middle of my 4 years and it took me away from all my friends for the final two. I've never been to a reunion. Your fun sounds just great to me.

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    1. Yes, my oldest went to three high schools - large ones - and he has very few people he has stayed in contact with :-( Great it was, and fun to share!

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  3. What wonderful roots you have. The flexibility and mobility of your new life is going to open up so much for you in the way of exploring new and enriching old friendships.

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    1. I think so too Lisa, I'm very blessed :-) We already have plans to visit old friends on our first route.

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  4. Loved reading this story. How nice to have found each other again after so many years:) Retirement is going to be so much fun as you go into this phase of life with each other.

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    1. Thanks Pam. We love our story too - and are so excited about this next chapter :-)

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  5. It's so sweet that you've known each other that long. How special. What a fun way to do your class reunions. How many of you were there in your graduating class? Love the picture too!

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    1. My class had 48 and his had 49. The school was grades 7 -12 and never had more than 400 total students. This year five teachers joined us as well. It's always fun :-)

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  6. Some things are just meant to be! Sounds as if it was a very fun reunion!

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    1. Ever since we got back together every thing has just clicked into place :-)

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  7. Married since 2013, I thought it was longer. You guys are perfect for each other! :-))
    Ron and I have been to a few of our reunions We find that we've changed a lot since graduating and don't have as much in common with the people anymore. We prefer smaller gatherings and enjoy seeing our close friends whenever possible.

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    1. Thanks Renee, we think so too! Fortunately for us, our reunions are small gatherings :-) It's the only time we hang out with more than two people, and those are usually our kids!

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  8. "And what am I, chopped liver?" said Tessa. Not a word about fluffy dog!! What would Bridget and Reggie (over at RVSue) think of this??!!! Love your reunion story. Two of my best girlfriends and myself decided to ditch our 50th reunion and go to our local tiki restaurant in our hometown (Glendale). We decided not to pay $135 for rubber chicken and to be ignored by the football team and the cheerleaders once again!!! That's when I really got the point that it's all about the people! Have fun, and thanks for starting my day with your romantic story!

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    1. Too funny :-) Tessa stayed home with a doggie sitter - we got five videos a day of her having as much fun as us. But we did miss her :-( I think I'd ditch that reunion as well - we had a huge buffet and live music for $50/each. Glad you enjoyed the post.

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