When you think of ins and outs you probably think of all the details, but I'm not the right person to explain that. I was one of about fifty members of the John P. Stevens 1978 graduating class who got to enjoy a few hours eating, drinking and talking in Asbury Park, NJ. last Sunday between 4-7 pm. The amazing woman mainly responsible for putting all the ins and outs together was SPD. I would mention her name, but I don't want her to be swamped by other high school classes wanting her to run their reunion.
Below is my high school picture which was my name tag for the event. You may notice I did have hair in 1978, forty-five years ago. I think my nose was bigger then too and I look way too serious!
Back to my ins and outs. I drove up to the restaurant about ten minutes to four and realized there was no parking lot at the restaurant. It's right on the beach so space is limited. I would have to pull into a spot and pay on one of those incredible parking meters. They were all over, everywhere I looked. Technology is not my thing, but I gave myself a pep talk, "You're 63 years old, you can handle this."
I pulled into the first space and walked up to the meter. It said to put in my plate number, but one letter would not go in. I tried several times and got nowhere. I figured it wasn't working. I pulled around the block and into parking space number two. None of the numbers went in and I got nowhere. I also realized that the numbers in the parking lot were faded, very faded. I went to parking space number three and my results were similar-failure. It's possible I had to download an app, which is something I don't do.
It was about 4:20 now, thirty minutes after I almost arrived when I saw a hotel parking lot across from the restaurant. The gate was open which I really appreciated. I know how this works. I pulled up and pressed the button and no ticket came out. After several attempts I pressed the number for help and got no answer. I called the phone number and they told me just pull in and when I leave call them and they'll charge a flat rate. I didn't ask what the rate was, because I did not care.
I had a good time at the reunion and the food was very good also. I knew getting out of the parking lot would be easy. I pulled up to the gate and pressed the button and got no answer. I tried again, failure. I called the phone number and found out that it's not set up for messages. I called again-failure. I was one hundred minutes from where I was staying and the gate on the other side was open.
What would you do? I did and I have no regrets. I pulled out and was on my way-piece of cake. Will I get a notice that I owe money? I have no idea and I don't care. The most important thing is what happens at an event and not how you get there or how you leave there.
Below is the group picture with the ocean behind us. My friend Larry is in the second row in the blue shirt right in the middle looking cool wearing dark glasses. I am in the very back to the right next to the tallest guy, Ed, probably my oldest friend. He's wearing dark glasses and looking cool too and I am to his right or your left. This is proof that I was there and did not drive home when technology got in my way.
Hey Jeff. Had to laugh reading this because this sounds like something that would happen to me. Technology is great when it works and not so much when it doesn't. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work most times. Although I recognize your face and name, I don't recall us ever in any of the same classes or running in the same circles in H.S. When you have a class as large as ours was, that kind of thing happens quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I missed the reunion, especially since there were a few people I would have loved to see. I'm one of many who have never attended a single one in 45 years. Perhaps #50 will be a different story? who knows.
To be honest, I was mostly curious about the title of your blog. Unsure how long you may have lived in S.C. but I've been down in the Atlanta Metro area now since 1988 via NJ, then Los Angeles. When I first got here, I felt like I had the word "Yankee" stamped on my forehead and was afraid to open my mouth for fear of giving myself away. What I did find was people from all over, but the Southern charm and friendliness won me over pretty quickly. It was weird at first but this "rough around the edges" Jersey boy took a few months before his guard came down. I find it facinating how people wind up settling where they do and often wonder how much my life and situation would be different if I/we didn't make all the little decisions in life that brought us here. I guess I must like it enough or I wouldn't still be here after 35 years and now feel like it's my adoptive home. It should be since I left NJ 38 years ago at the age of 25. I don't really have any family left in Jersey so not a lot of incentive to visit but in those rare times that I do get to speak with some of my old HS pals, they always laugh and say I have a Southern Accent so it must be rubbing off on me a bit.
Hey Frank, I know your name, but we probably never met. You should come to the 50th one. I think I'm going to help out, I've got some ideas. Moved to Myrtle Beach from NJ five years ago and had to adjust to the pace of life and friendliness. In my book I just wrote is a chapter on Southern Hospitality and it's a major adjustment for many from the north. I don't have a southern accent, but I have said y'all a few times. My youngest daughter went to Georgia Tech, so we visited Atlanta a number of times. Good luck to you.
DeleteFrank, we've been in South Carolina 6 years and it's been good, but it is very different from up north. It is interesting how people move around and some decisions significantly change their lives. Hope you make the 50th reunion.
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