FAYETTEVILLE-MANLIUS HIGH SCHOOL 1956 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER Dec ‘06 / Jan ‘07 Edition On the WEB at: WWW.FM56.ORG – Check it out!!

Well gang, THIS was THE year, wasn’t it?  We watched the first five months go by while anticipating the big party, then Wham, there it was – just as planned (even better)!  We gathered, we laughed, we played, we teased, we toasted, and a few even shed a few tears along the way.  Finally, we all spread our wings and departed; however, we left an echoing “Stay Alive for Five” for everyone to hear.  Now those are what make up “Moments to Remember”.

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Vonnie & Gordon Pollock:  We did get to Alaska this year on Holland American Cruise line out of Vancouver.  It was a wonderful cruise and then, when it came for us to continue by land, “Mother Nature” played a trick on us and washed out bridges, roads, rails, etc., so we never got to finish our trip to Denali/Mt. McKinley.   We did, however, get to the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, where Gordon's father's Alaskan Art from the 1937 WPA Art Project is on display (Merlin Pollock).   It was well presented and gave us a wonderful feeling of his father's works of art from that era.   They have several of his, as well as other artists who were in Alaska at the same time working on the same project, on display.   The project was to encourage growth in Alaska.    We had heard his parents talk about their wonderful experience in the wilderness country of Alaska in 1937 and to know that the story and art is now displayed in its proper place is awesome for us.   Also, the museum is beautiful and well worth spending some time in if anyone is ever in Anchorage. 

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Keep Our Roster Data UPDATED !!!!!

Has anyone changed their mailing address, email address, telephone number or just hooked onto the Internet recently????  If so, please let us know ASAP so we can get your information up-to-date and ensure that you can be contacted whenever class information is disseminated or if information is needed.  Contact Jay Hern at jrhern@aol.com or Stew Evans at pncstew@hotmail.com to get your information updated.

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The Lemon Squeezer

The local bar was so sure that its bartender was the strongest man around that they offered a standing $1000 bet:  The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron.  Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money.  Many people had tried over time but nobody could do it.  One day this scrawny little man came into the bar, wearing thick glasses and a polyester suit, and said in a tiny squeaky voice " I'd like to try the bet."

After the laughter had died down, the bartender said OK, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away.  Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man. The crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass.  As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid the $1000, and asked the little man "What do you do for a living?  Are you a lumberjack, or a weight-lifter?

The man replied, "No, I just work for the IRS." (Being an H&R Block employee I just had to include this one!)

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Bob & Ingrid Stillman:  Ingrid and I went to Rome, Italy for a week to celebrate our 25^th wedding anniversary.  In the picture we sent we are standing at the Trevi Fountain (see last page of NL).  It was a busy week and one cannot see everything in just one week.  One day we went to Naples and then we continued on to Pompeii to see the ruins.  All and all it was a nice trip, but Rome is a dirty, crowded and noisy city.  The motorbikes seem to outnumber the cars and nobody pays any attention to the traffic laws; real kamikaze drivers.  On our last day we walked along the Via Veneto and had lunch at the Hard Rock Café.  That day I had my pocket picked.  We left all of our important papers and some money at our hotel and I stuck 250 Euros deep in my front pocket to do a little more shopping.  We got on a packed subway to go back to our hotel which was about four stops away.  When we got off, I reached in my pocket and the money was gone; didn’t feel a thing.  It was good to get back to Berlin. (Editors Note:  Bob sent me some of his paintings; however, for some technical reason I couldn’t get them edited into the newsletter this time. , sorry Bob)

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Food for Thought!!

Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for???

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Stew & Peggie Evans:  After the FM reunion was over and I returned home to our new furry kitten “Widgit” we relaxed a bit until September at which time I decided to return to Syracuse to attend another high school reunion.  As some of you know, I transferred from Syracuse Central in the 10^th grade.  Well, they had their reunion in September as I wanted to see all those that I knew in elementary and junior high so I attended their reunion which was held at “Justin’s” (off Carrier Circle).  It was very enjoyable but, needless to say, couldn’t compare to ours in June.  When my plane landed in Las Vegas Peggie met me at midnight and we immediately drove to the Bay Area for her high school reunion which was only one night, but it was fun.  We stayed in the area with my son and visited her daughter and her family as well before returning home, as it’s a 600 mile jaunt.  We are now gearing up for the H&R Block tax season and have been working diligently for over a month getting the office in shape.  Peggie has been teaching the “basics” class and I’ve been rebuilding counters and shelves to make the place more presentable.  She will be the office manager this year and she’s been “burning the candle at both ends”; both of us getting pretty tired already; April 15^th sure looks a long way off.  Our new kitten is doing great and the other 3 guys have fully accepted her into the family.  I’ll include a picture of her and her surrogate “mother” Lilbit at the end of the newsletter.  He took to her right away and claimed her as his own. 

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Hip Replacement

Two patients limp into two different American Medical clinics with the same complaint.  Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement. 

The first patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.

The second sees the family doctor after waiting a week for an appointment, then waits 18 weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn’t reviewed for another month, and finally has his surgery scheduled for 6 months from then.

Why the different treatment for the two patients you ask?

The first is a Golden Retriever…..AND (you guessed it)

The second is a Senior Citizen!!  (who’d a thunk it huh?)

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Bob & Paula Conway:  We sold our place near DeRuyter Lake in August as we had decided to only have one property.  If we decide to go up in the summer we will try to rent something for a month or two in the future.

Paula, our daughter Bobbi and her friend Josh went on a one month trip to Germany for the month of August. First they went to a friend’s daughter’s wedding and then to visit other German friends in Frankfurt and then Bavaria.  Paula says she has seen enough mountains, yodelers, and castles for a lifetime.  They were exhausted by the time they got back.

I have been laid up since the third week in September with a ruptured or abscessed appendix.  It took a month out of my life but I am now completely healed as of this week.  I laid around the house for one full week saying it was just stomach cramps; Macho man.  By the time I went to the hospital it was almost too late.  The doctors said if the infection had reached my blood steam it would have been fatal.  I had some wonderful doctors who drained and treated it with antibiotics.  I just stopped taking IV's of heavy antibiotic last Tuesday.  It seems great to be off five feedings through a Picc line every day.

All is normal now and we are looking forward to wintering again this year in Florida. (Stew:  Best of luck Bob!!)

Well, about all I have to add is “please support the newsletter and the website by paying your dues”.  (C’mon folks, $10?)  I know you’ve heard it before in our emails, but it’s something that has to be asked all the time because the funds to keep things going and to keep you guys aware of what’s happening among the members of the class can only come from one place – YOU!!  Also, we plan on another reunion in 2011 and the accumulation of funds for planning that event starts NOW.  It may not be the gala event that R2006 was; however, we’d like it to be as nice as we can make it – don’t we?  I wish you all the Merriest of Christmas’ and the Happiest of New Years’, God Bless you all!

Stew (your short, chunky “high desert rat”)