Getting Old: My 20 Year Reunion

I don't know why it is, but there is nothing that makes you feel more nervous than a class reunion. I guess it's because we temporarily revert back to our high school selves, awkward and insecure, sure that everyone notices every dumb thing we do! Isn't it nice to grow up and realize that everybody else is focused on themselves and the dumb things they do! Anyway, despite some nerves about what to wear, how to do my hair, and remembering everybody's names, I enjoyed my 20 year reunion. It was fun to catch up with old friends and see how their lives are going. There weren't a lot of people there, considering how many I know still live here in Pocatello, but I was really excited to see the ones who came. One that I really missed was my best friend and sister Becky who refused to come! It's funny that we were such good friends in high school considering how much we fought in our younger years! That should give all parents hope! Here are some pictures:

This picture is actually not from my class reunion, but Martie never made it because of a family reunion, so I included our mini-reunion picture from last year. Samee Barney (Beck) and Martie Bunderson (Hill) were two of my very best friends in high school. We managed to have lots of fun without getting into too much trouble. My favorite memory of Samee and Martie was going to Seattle when we were 17 (Becky was just 16). Samee's parents had given her a brand new, cherry red Nissan Pulsar (cool sports car)! I don't know what any of our parents were thinking, but we drove to Seattle on our own and stayed there for over a week, seeing the sights (the sights were mostly good-looking guys!) and having a great time! Every time I hear the song "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake, I remember that trip because I had just bought the tape and we played it over and over again as we drove along in Sam's hot red car! We thought we were something else! Maybe some of the guys did too, because we had a couple of them come to Pocatello to visit us! Oh, to be young and silly again!

This is my favorite guy friend, Don Eriksen and his son Weston (he looks like a Don-clone)! I was so excited to see Don because I'd lost him! Becky and I unofficially adopted him as a brother in high school and we probably would have gladly traded him for one or both of our own brothers, depending on the day! He's doing well as an Allstate Insurance agent in Salt Lake and comes to Blackfoot every month to spend time with his son. Some of my favorite memories of Don involve off-roading (otherwise known as "digging" in the 80's) in his yellow truck. It was scary sometimes---I was sure we were going to roll his truck---but we all loved it! He's a great guy and it was so good to see him again.

This is at our picnic. Left to Right: Don Eriksen, Rachelle Wilson, Me, Brady Belnap, Samee Barney, and Julie Stucki

The evening event wasn't quite what I had hoped. It ended up that most of the crowd I hung around with ("The Seminary Group") came the night before, and I had been out of town. It was mostly "The Drinking Crowd" who came, but it was fun to visit with them, too, although we left at about 10:30 when everyone was going on their second or third drink! We should have stayed

to see how much livelier it got!

Here we are again, this time with J'Dee Wilson from the class of 89 who joined us. J'Dee was one of my favorite dates ever! He asked me to a dance with a tape that was like a Mission Impossible assignment. He was so sweet and smart. I don't know if I would have made it through Algebra II with Mr. Dolkhani without him explaining it all in English! I really liked J'Dee! The picture on the right reminds me of how much fun high school was. Brady Belnap is one of the funniest people I know. He always kept us laughing! Thanks, Brady!

Becky and Martie,

I included this picture just for you. I thought you might want to see some of our other classmates. I must say they've aged well. That's Kim Noble, Paula Parkinson, Ruth Fowler, Sherri Reddish, Linda Harris, Carrie Wyatt, Ivy North, Don, and Me. I'm sad that you both missed it, but Samee and I had fun! See you at the 25!