Christmas Card

Seems more and more people these days opt to send Christmas, or as seems to be the fashion of these times, "Holiday" cards in electronic form instead of by the quaint but more personal "snail mail" method. Truth be told, a lot of it has to do with the rapidly accelerating pace of life, which negates much of the priceless time we have for the little details; the personal touch is a dying custom.

Your Committee brothers and sisters do not have a magic wand which helps conjure up Time from some kind of Cosmic magician's hat, even though supposedly there is a Magician in the group. Nevertheless, we are taking some Time to send you, our beloved classmates, a Christmas greeting. A feeble attempt has been made to give it somewhat of a personal touch, since it is impossible for us to mail each of you a special greeting. So, just suspend belief a bit, as we used to do during this magical time when we were kids...perhaps we should try staying kids at heart.

This is for you. Fine calligraphy may not be in evidence here, but the Christmas Letter is no mass production item - handwriting just makes it a little more personal in this impersonal world. The Letter may not come in the mail, but it does come from the heart.




Ah, but of course, it is customary for a Letter like this one to be sent inside a Christmas card.

Here is your card...

One more thing...if you are going away for Christmas or New Year's or both...please be careful; we want you to be safe - after all, we have quite a few Reunions left to make, God willing. May he Bless you and your loved ones in 2009!

Merry Christmas!

Killing two Stones with One Bird!

Figured the dyslexic title would get your attention, since there are many distractions this time of year. The Little Turkey in me told me to do it! That is the story, and the Magister Bloggus will stick to it; it is true, although that is dependent on what the meaning of is, is. Uh, did someone use that line already?

Line or not, you were promised additional details/instructions on the Pinecrest Library inaugural and tribute to Frank and Georgina Angones, so here is the handy, dandy Don - oops...form...feel as if am being channeled by Howard Cosell; with a brief Beastly message from our Beloved Beast, our Class of '68 Shrek - if only aforesaid character had existed back then - how apropos for Bill. Makes one green with envy!

So..heeeeere's Johnny! Oops again! Bill! Bill The Butcher...no, wrong again, don't gang up on me...Bill the Beast! Billy-Billy, bo-Billy!

"Maguito:

We now have the Sponsorship Card which details different opportunities for sponsoring the Foundation event for Georgie and Frank Angones on January 23rd for those that own or manage large companies or who feel an impulse of extreme generosity towards the library. I have attached it. Please add it to the blog.

Individual tickets can be purchased by printing and filling out the card with name, address, phone # and email address. The card should be mailed with a $100 (per person) check a payable to Miami-Dade Public Library Foundation to the attention of:

Kathleen Murphy

MDPLF

101 West Flagler Street

Miami, Fl 33130

Thanks.

Bill (Your Infernal Beast)"

Now, for the sake of our Class' tired eyes, and since your Blogger fiend has been afflicted with them since he heard his first "Hey, four-eyes!" back in 1959-Havana, took the liberty of creating a larger form for ease of reading - and of course you know to hold the "cursor" - via your "mouse" over the image, deftly clicking on the graphic so you can view and print it. You may have to "save" it first, then print it; address technical difficulties to our outsourced Chinese technician Confucius, via this blog. He will do his best to confuse you - that is his and our philosophy...

But wait! We ain't done yet! Excuse the English, Brother Malachy - you would cringe and be justified in the cringing. Regardless, the above represents only the First Stone. Are you confused? Read the title again.

The Second Stone in the title has more to do with the Bird - OK, you evil-minded Class of '68 guys - not the kind of Bird you shoot on I-95 all year round - at other motorists. No, the kind the Pilgrims, and many others since, shot. Or picked up at the supermarket, nicely wrapped, no wandering off in the woods with your blunderbuss necessary; it is already bagged for you. Yes, the Turkey-bird!!

Personally, your fiendish friend prefers to bag his own, the old-fashioned way, in the spirit of the Pilgrims, pilgrim! For which purpose you need appropriate gear 'n equipment; otherwise don't bother - there won't be a bird-in-the-hand for you!

With this fine swamp-buggy and "peashooter" you can get yer quota of little turkeys in no time flat, and feed the whole neighborhood to boot...Pilgrim!



All this wing-flapping and carrying on is for the purpose of setting the stage for wishing all of you and your families a...

VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Ever mindful some of us are having a difficult time - with personal or family health matters - jobs and the economy - and a myriad other sobering issues to confront - nevertheless let us give thanks to the One who looks after and blesses us with unimaginable gifts, for what we have. His greatest gift, the one to be most grateful for, is the Gift of Love. Give thanks for that Gift this Thanksgiving - love God, love your family, love your friends, by all means love yourself; as He puts it: "Love each other as I have loved you." In your Blog editor's unimportant, opinionated and prejudiced opinion, this Gift was manifested among us when we came together in friendship and - yes - love at our Reunion. It did not matter whether or not any of us were physically present at school that night in May; the important thing is we were together again if not in body, definitely in spirit; friends finding each other again, friendships rekindled, new friends made. This is indeed something to give thanks for, this Thanksgiving. Friends are the family God gives us the privilege to choose for ourselves. The Little Turkey believes we have chosen well!

So - once again -

A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING; may God bless all of you and your families!!

A Bestial Request!

This public service announcement from our Infernal, Bestial Beast Bill is hereby reproduced in its entirety and is self-explanatory...

Dear Infernals:

In am sending you the attached notice and invitation in an official capacity. The Library System will be recognizing, not one but two of our 1968 ILS Graduates at our annual, Library Foundation Fundraising event on Friday, January 23^rd at the newly-built and opened Pinecrest Branch Library. Both Georgie and Frank Angones will be recognized as “Library Champions.”

During the past 18 years, Georgie has worked with me in several capacities. First, as a member of the Library Advisory Board, and secondly, as a member of the Board of the Friends of the Library. Most recently, she has served on the Library Foundation Board. Unlike I, who shamelessly collect a generous check on a bi-weekly basis for my dubious labor, Georgie has performed her work for the Library in an exemplary manner for more than two decades, and on a strictly volunteer basis. Frank gets the award for putting up with Georgie’s obsessive love of libraries.

During the evening, celebrity Chefs from the area’s best restaurants such as Nobu, Ortanique, Talula, Pacific Time, Brosia, Cacao,Wish and Por Fin will be on hand serving their favorite dishes to satisfy all of your taste buds . I also just booked my good buddy, Grammy-award winning saxophonist, Carlos Averhoff and his Quartet to help us dance the night away. Finally, we have several of Georgie’s favorite authors who will be making personal appearances such as Carolina Garcia Aguilera, Fabiola Santiago, Rodrigo de la Luz, Anjanette Delgado and James Grippando.

Please note that $75 of the $100 ticket price is fully tax deductible as the funds go toward children’s programming at all of our libraries. Let’s make this night another mini ILS Reunion and help celebrate the accomplishments and dedication to our community work by two of our fellow graduates.

Abrazos to all and hope you can join us.

Bill (Beast aaarrrggghhh!!!)

William Urbizu, Assistant Director

Miami-Dade Public Library System

Marketing, Media Relations and Support Services

101 West Flagler Street

Miami, Fl 33130

305-375-5016 Phone 305-375-2978 Fax

www.mdpls.org

"Delivering Excellence Every Day"

By the way, ladies and gents of ILS...Frank has the distinction of having his bio featured in Wikipedia - so now the truth is out! Read it here: Frank Angones - Wikipedia

40-41 years ago, he was already practicing his future leadership skills, ably supported by his classmates in the Student Council...

Signum '68 - Immaculata - La Salle High School

Today, he is head of the Florida Bar Association - congratulations! And a toast to your accomplishments! After all toasting is an appropriate gesture when you're associated with the Bar, not so?

The image source, for those with a compelling need to know, comes from the University of Miami Law Center website. Hopefully, by shamelessly borrowing same, your Blundering Bloggin' editor won't be accused of taking the law into his own hands...

Spouse Georgina Angones, formerly Alfonsin during her Immaculata days, also has her share of honors and accomplishments to take pride in, which her friends and classmates celebrate - another grad from our school done good! Except Georgina is Class of '69 - but the Class of '68 is happy to adopt her as one of our own.

Georgina Alfonsin - Junior Class - Signum '68

Her abilities and humanitarian efforts on behalf of those who need a helping hand have been duly recognized as well.

www.fiacfla.org

Such as when she received recognition and honors from the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center.

Come January, we - their friends and classmates - get the opportunity to "slap 'em in the back" for their achievements, and reflect on the role Immaculata - La Salle played in steering them the right way in the Road of Life. The writer is confident he speaks for many in our very special group, simply stating: "We're proud of you both - well done! Thank you for your good work, for the benefit of so many!"



So take up the invitation, if you please; additional details will be forthcoming.

What poor, little Infernal Bloggies hafta put up with!

OK, dearly beloved group - the date-challenged Infernal ILS blog agitator, er - Freudian slip - editor has now fixed the mishap with the Homecoming Friday date and all is quiet on that front. This is the kind of thing, to paraphrase Churchill's remarks apropos prepositions, up with which we shall not put!

Let me tell you - please do not take this as whining - you cannot imagine the things poor little ILS Class of '68 blog editors have to endure just because of one little, little mistake. Now far be it from yours truly to be ungrateful when someone dutifully points out a potentially catastrophic error. No sir! Grateful indeed, Bestial Brother Bill, for your careful perusing and dissecting of the offending blog entry and your quick, attention-getting email to the offending entity, enabling him to rectify matters before it was too late. It must be said, however, that since this publication caters to a very smart band - ahem, perhaps with one exception - the editor was confident everyone concerned would...figure it out!

But, allow us to return to the trials and tribulations of the Little Editor That Couldn't. It is one thing when your Bestial Buddy gently nudges you regarding a small misstep. It all began with this electronically-composed missive from Brother Bill:

"Maguito, you wrote down the wrong date. It's Friday, October 10th, not the third. Thirty years working in Social Security has done you in. When are you scheduled for retirement before total confusion sets in?"

It is another when, unexpectedly, blogger's Better Half sees an opening and fires off an unexpected salvo at her mini mate, to wit, via email:

"Bill,
Do you know anyone who can employ an over 55 writer/comedian so he can retire from SSA, yet be out of the house frequently? or should I survey the group for 'opportunities?'

Recommendations will happily be provided by all those who live and work with him.

I need help so when I have to be a 'work at home' employee, we don't have too much togetherness...

Thank you for your support! Lynne

Lynne S. Quiroga"

To which "Brother Bill the Wildebeest" retorted:

"From: urbizub@xxxxxx.xxx
To: 'Lynne Quiroga' quiroga@xxxxxx.xx
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 08:56:08 -0500
Subject: Re: Psst...if anyone got left out, please pass it on - and we thank you for your support!

Lynne, I strongly recommend he pursues politics. I'd certainly vote for him as City Councilman...or School Board member. He'd definitely get things done, albeit in a somewhat confusing manner, with his bizarre sense of humor. He is particularly good early in the mornings which is when most of these political meetings take place. I think he would confuse everyone, but with a smile.

Early afternoon power nap in the office couch or staff lunchroom like Churchill used to have, then writing letters of advice (Gawd!) to his constituents in the late afternoon. Then back home for an early dinner and then off to bed and sleep by 8. Minimum contact. Not much togetherness. Keep him busy, exhausted and sleepy. That's the ticket!

Weekends; rent lots of war movies, particularly from the 60's of German extraction. Blue Max, Battle of the Bulge, Patton, Hell is for Heroes, The Longest Day, Guns of Navarone, Das Boot, Kelly's Heroes. Those will keep him locked up in his room wearing his German helmet until dinner time. Feed him sausages and sauerkraut and off to bed. I'll provide more input as retirement day gets frighteningly closer.

Bill"

[Say, speaking of the "Guns of Navarone," watched probably 10-12 times between '61 and '63 by your WWII adventure movie-obsessed blog fiend - always wanted to know what that foul Greek word was, which Anthony Quinn spits out in anger at some Stukas trying to bomb him into Hades...sounded like "karadalos" or "karadinos"...any experts in Homer's tongue out there willing to provide a translation, discreetly...via email? Names will be withheld to protect the guilty-AQ]

Mrs. Q could not allow the above-quoted message to stand without reply...

"From: 'Lynne Quiroga' quiroga@xxxxxx.xx
To: urbizub@xxxxxx.xx
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 10:12:22 -0500
Subject: Re: Psst...if anyone got left out, please pass it on - and we thank you for your support! - Thanks - some great ideas!

Bill,
Thanks for your great ideas (and making me laugh...). I'll look forward to many more ideas as 'retirement day gets frighteningly closer.'

If he were to pursue a career in politics, we'd have to have separate residences since we're a 'house divided' - in other words - my vote would cancel out his - what a dilemma... guess nonpartisan politics would work...

It scares Albert to know I could run for President, but he could only be 'first dude'. That would really shake up Washington...

Have a good one! Lynne

Lynne S. Quiroga"


Mein Gott! To be thus mistreated by the Love of my Life! What is the world coming to? Must one turn to courting Sarah Palin this late in life? Perhaps she might reciprocate the affection if one were to dress in a moose suit, knocking on her door with a bouquet of roses in hand - no, fear instead the last sound heard would be that of a high-caliber round being rammed into the firing chamber of her hunting weapon.

Not to be outdone or outgunned, the innocent, peace-loving, and harmless editor felt compelled to defend himself with honor; thus he fired a salvo at the two partisan provocateurs...

"From: Quiroga, Alberto
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 11:21 AM
To: urbizub@xxxxxx.xx; Lynne Quiroga
Subject: RE: Psst...if anyone got left out, please pass it on - and we thank you for your support!
I VILL get back to bozz of you about ZIZ...mein liebchen Frau, I haff a notzion zu eet ze sausages mit zee sauerkraut (das ist der ganz korrekt spellink, Herr Wildebeest!) und der Schwartze - or Black - beans und zenn you muss leaf mit dat, no?

I LOF you bozz? I don't know! You make me sour Kraut-Kuban today!

Kleiner Albert

Back zu zee trench..."

Oh, well...you think you know the heart and mind of your life-mate, of your good brother, classmate, friend...alas no; poor little blog-editor must come to this sad conclusion...

"I know NOZINK!"

Permit me to annoy you...

Tripartisan Congressional Committee discusses implementation of the 700 billion bailout...in hopes of keeping the economy afloat

Just a short reminder - of course it is short - consider the source - about Friday the 10th of October, starting say, around 4:00 PM EST at the ILS grounds. This refers to the Alumni Pig Roast and Homecoming game; blog-editor's unnamed sources have informed him the roasting honors will be carried out by Virgil Fernandez, a post-'68 grad; there will be an Alumni flag football game, but, not to worry, no one will be flagged and flogged into participating - the roster has already been established, all contracts and draft waivers are in place.

There was an email sent to our great group earlier; this is merely a more graphic reminder - it would be nice to see as many of you there as can make it; think of it of a post-Reunion Reunion. We - your Infernal Committee friends - realize it is neither possible nor practical for a substantial number of our graduates to show up. Still, we'd love to see your faces even if only for a short while, give each other some back slappin' hugs, talk, catch up, eat, drink, be merry, and all of that sort of stuff. Editor boy will be there, camera in hand; bring your magnifying glass so you can find him easier, and watch where you step! Bring your mobile phone too; if everything else fails, attendees can connect and rendezvous in cellular fashion. If you paid attention to the preliminary email, you have this classmate's number - so does the FBI, no doubt. Should you not have it and for some inexplicable reason still want it, "pop" an email to ils6468@gmail.com - "ask and you shall receive." No text messaging! Have enough trouble punching the right number keys already...

By the way, for those of you who may have a Facebook page, Immaculata-LaSalle has a presence on Facebook as well - and they have sent invitations for this Friday fun to all ILS friends through that medium. Yes, it is possible to be an "oldie" and have a Facebook page...it's rather fun, and as a good friend, another smart Immaculata gal - except she's Class of '73 - puts it, "I got my page just to piss off my kid!" There must be something to that, as my kid refuses to be her dad's Facebook friend. Guess she thinks he's more of a fiend. She may be right...

Let us have pleasant conversation, avoiding religion - well, that may be a hard one on ILS grounds - and politics whenever possible. However, your blog fiend is not averse to discussing economic issues and/or bailout packages. He is trying to figure out how to engineer his own monetary bailout. Any assistance and/or advice which may help make that reality will be gratefully appreciated! Anyone wishing to donate one of those presses from the Bureau of Engraving, Department of The Treasury...see me!!

And now, a more serious and more personal annoyance - please indulge the writer, all kidding aside. On Sunday the 5th, an email was forwarded to all of you on our email Contacts List, originally sent by Maria Restrepo Forte, Class of '66. This was regarding baby Faith, granddaughter of Norma and Willie Cueto, both graduates of Immaculata-La Salle. You were asked to keep all of them in your prayers, and invited to visit the Faith Memorial Foundation web site.

This is not an attempt to "guilt-trip" anyone about making donations to the Foundation, but a gentle reminder to - again - keep this family, this child in your prayers. We are all one Big Family, the ILS Family, regardless when we graduated. For the writer, this has added significance. You see, as with baby Faith, my - and wife Lynne's - baby was born in St. Mary's Hospital, West Palm Beach. Unlike Faith, Lauren had no problems and has been blessed since birth. She and her mother had the best care anyone could have hoped for from the warm, caring staff at St. Mary's. This may not matter much to anyone but to us "little Quirogas;" nevertheless, if your heart calls you to help with this beautiful remembrance, know that whatever you do will be for a very, very good cause. Before closing, and since we're on the subject of remembering and praying, do not forget our classmates - and their families - who need us to keep them in our thoughts and requests to the Almighty. And as this goes to press, by now most if not all of us on the Class email list have heard from our classmate Laida Arcia Carro, with the wonderful news her husband Jose, AKA "Pepin," Class of '67, is slowly but surely improving. Laida is very appreciative of all prayers and concerns towards Pepin and the Carro family - so let's keep that prayer wheel turning; Somebody is listening!

A link to the Faith Memorial Foundation has been added under the "Interesting And Useful Links" header for your convenience; hopefully this should also generate more visits to the web site.

Love and God Bless all of you, my ILS Family

Albert

Reunion Images and Classmate Testimonials

Sorry for the delay in sharing the following images, comments, testimonials, and sentiments. Time goes by too fast, and the more time elapses, the more it accelerates. Is that part of the Law of Relativity? Regardless, this is dedicated to all of you who were there, anytime between September 1964 and June 1968 and in all the reunions and get-togethers since graduation; by the way, it only takes two to make a reunion and we hope to continue the linkages, whether in small or large scale.

Attribution of course will be given to our roving photographers, correspondents, and contributors, whose voluntary efforts make this posting possible. There are over 100 images to be displayed; the editor believes this may be a little overwhelming for one blog session, so the graphics will be spread out over several posts in the next few weeks.

First of course came the preparations for the Friday May 16th school bash...

The Corps of Volunteers who gathered in the school "cafetorium" included, left to right, Maria E. Consuegra (Mendez), Silvia Gonzalez, Lourdes Carroll (Fernandez), Elena Pastoriza, "Webmistress" Adrianna F. Ramirez, and Amalia Garcia. The photographer was Marily A. Reyes (Benitez) - hereafter identified as "MAR."

Maiden surnames above are shown in parenthesis; lack of same does not imply single status - it implies the blog imp-oster just plain forgot a Significant Other's surname or did not want to further delay publishing this in searching for Who's On First and all of that. Heck, there are days he's not sure what he is named - although he has been called by many monikers not to be repeated here.

But of course we cannot leave the irrepressible and lovable Bestial Lunk out of the picture - Bill Urbizu; who, ably aided and assisted by the other Infernal Committe members, did a lot of heavy lifting to make things happen. The photo is courtesy of MAR - as are all subsequent ones posted, except as noted.

The photographer got into the picture here...surely you can spot her; this begs the question: Who captured the image? There are a couple of possible paparazzi...but it was Marily's camera.

Dear friend and Informal Committee commissar Ricardo Reimundo (aka "Lumumba") ensured things would not balloon out of control during Reunion Friday...

Were the ladies perhaps thinking of putting together one of those helium balloons-and-lawnchair contraptions so as to overfly the bay "in style?" Personally, would not recommend that as a traveling medium, although considering what passes for "service" in the airline industry today, perhaps it is an idea whose time has come; it would certainly be an uplifting experience.

OK, Elena and Amalia! Get back to work; no time to play tag now!

T-shirts, t-shirts; gotta have t-shirts! If by chance you did not get yours, maybe you want to go to the Class of '68 website - Webmistress Adrianna may yet have some in stock; stock up on t-shirts. Stop groaning...blog minime knows he would have never made it on Madison Avenue, with all them Mad Men. He does qualify as far as the mad - as in loon - part.

Decor and arrangements coming along nicely...the roving blogger hears the food in the new/old cafeteria is light years better than the vittles in the old/old cafeteria; if the quality of the edibles on Reunion Friday was any indication, all one can say is: Too bad we had to wait 40 years for gourmet cafeteria rations! But then, the Israelites had to wonder 40 years in the desert too, and they did not even get free t-shirts to commemorate the experience.

AQ photo

As the guests started to arrive that Friday, they could not help but behold this poignant reminder that one of their own would not be joining his classmates...but there is no doubt "Armandito," the diminutive version of his name - but diminutive he was NOT, in body or spirit - was there, his impish smile unseen. More than one of us experienced a "lump in the throat" moment and some tears too, when confronted with this necessary remembrance. God bless and keep you, Armando!

At least none of us needed permission to park on the grounds, said privilege once made evident by the mandatory permit we had to affix to the windshields of our wheeled steeds four decades earlier.

The blog author well remembers sticking the sticker on the windshield of his wheezy, lumbering 1960 Prefect; yes folks, there was once such a marvel of automotive engineering. The quaint little car did not help the flow of traffic one bit, barely managing to keep out of its own way. But in retrospect, it is easy to understand why blogger's papa insisted this be his boy's first car - zero-to-30 in about 60 minutes; cheap too...$350 cash at Paigo Brothers on NW 36th street back in Anno Domini 1966.

We are fortunate to have this little piece of the past courtesy our good friend and classmate Richard Reinhart; blogger is glad to see he is not the only artifact pack rat in the bunch.


On the other hand, one is glad the pack-ratism did not extend to keeping the Prefect - white it was, just as in the photo; the styling reminded one of a 1940s American car built for midgets. Hmm - perhaps dad Quiroga thought that was precisely the reason he should acquire it for his offspring. He's always had a unique sense of humor...

Then the guests began to arrive, and a special evening began to unfold.

Left to right: Cecilia Grande Gonzalez, Ana Diaz Cepero, and Silvia Gonzalez Dalmau.

We'll follow this simple convention on names/surnames whenever possible, to help jog memory - the author's is not that sharp, except when it comes to irrelevant facts or things that happened around 43 AD, more or less. The name, maiden and married surname will be displayed, in precisely that order. And if errors are made, your understanding is requested - and pray tell us what needs be done to fix said errors.

L-R: Marta Sotolongo Pardo, Charmaine Gauthier Icaza, Isabel Sanchez Rodriguez with...Mr. Rodriguez, of course.

Our beloved Infernal Bestial Bill Urbizu and his decidedly Better Half Diana made their appearance...just teasin' you, Bill - you'se a good guy...but, pray tell, what brand embalming elixir you've been downing all these years?

Glad you're having a good time! Left - Mr. Cepero, Ana Diaz Cepero's Other Half, with Juan Pino, brother to classmate Lilly Pino. Clarification: The term "Other Half" will henceforth be adopted when referring to spouses - we're not getting into any arguments about which Half is the Better Half!

L-R: Lorna and Nelson Orta, Maria del Carmen Fernandez Palmieri with Mr. Palmieri, Marily Benitez Reyes.

Our Infernal Unofficial Most Excellent Roving Photographer with her Other Half, Frank Reyes. This begs the question: "Who photographed the photographer?" Answering "the camera" is not a valid response!


Juan Gonzalez - Cecilia Grande's Other Half, and Juan Dalmau, Silvia Gonzalez's Soul Mate, seem to be wondering what happened to Mr. Dalmau's libation...OK, who took his drink?! 'Fess up!

"Woman, Man, in Black." As to the alien-looking creature on the right, one wonders how is it Men In Black in fact did not show up and haul it away to Area 51; perhaps the storage costs were a factor, what with all these Federal deficits...Marily should perhaps be choosier about her company. Really, really, they just let anyone in these days!

To say it was a great honor and pleasure Brother Francisco Martin - who we remember best as "Brother Andres" - joined in the celebration is indeed an understatement. Thank you, Hermano Andres; we who had the pleasure of your instruction appreciate your valiant efforts to keep our Spanish from mutating into Spanglish! God bless you.

L-R: Amalia Garcia, Marily, Teresita Casajuana

As previously stated, there are quite a few graphics to share with all of you. This will be the first installment - otherwise, nothing may be posted until...who knows when! In such a case, you may think the class blog and website have disappeared into the ether. No such luck! All kidding aside, we're not letting the ball drop for another twenty or - God forbid! - forty years. Forty years? No can do! There will be no brain left in the blogger when he's 98; not that much left at this point as it is.

Please share your images of the Reunion! It will be a pleasure to publish them in the future. You are reminded that pics from the past are also most welcome; help us flesh out the history of our class.

Now, some from-the-heart testimonials and compliments from our friends; to these, nothing need be added; we'll start with Graciella Cruz-Taura, who had earlier sent her comments to the blog.

This was a truly great class reunion and the organizers deserve our most heartfelt "thank you" for all the hours they spent enthusiastically putting together this gathering.

There were so many of you I had not seen in 40 years! Whether hugging Martha or laughing with Arturo, I could not avoid the awareness of being at a place where we mastered the tools to face a tough world and to appreciate our parents' sacrifices to send us to the school of their (not the state's) choice! Raquel was right when stating we are special. We graduated the same year the Soviet tanks rolled into Prague, students protested everywhere from Paris to Tlatelolco, and political violence in the US seemed uncontainable. Yet we moved forward. Without forgetting the few who stumbled along the way or those who have died, let's be thankful to the Lord for the many blessings in our lives. I will count last evening at the cafeteria as one of them.
Sincerely,
Graciella

Ricardo and all of the Infernal Committee:

We should be the ones to THANK YOU GUYS, because never in my life could I have thought that I would have been able to experience such wonderful moments like the ones on Friday night. To have seen everyone and specially those that were close to me from way back of St Peter & Paul and ILS. I agree that we shouldn't wait 40 more years to do this, even though I understand it was quite and ordeal to everyone together and you guys had to put a lot of your time into this.

Well I guess I have no other way to put it but by saying THANK, THANK, THANK.

LOVE, ISABEL RIERA

Hello Marily, just want to let you know (and please pass it along to the others in the planning committee) that IT WAS GREAT seeing "everyone" again.
I think that it was a very good turnout. Everyone seemed to have a good time and get reacquainted with old friends.
We took a lot of pictures (like many others did) and I will pass along a few that came out really neat.

I hope that the picnic turns out great. Sorry, but I could not make it.

Take care and rest, you need it !

Cariños
Pepita

Finally, from our own Infernal Marily - Infernal here meant as a high-level compliment...

Yo todavia estoy flying high...

Las emociones me han soltado con un cansancio increible....

Gracias por haberme acariciado el alma dandome la oportunidad de trabajar con ustedes y lograr estos re-encuentros que mirandoles a cada uno abrazance y recordando el antaño, me ha dado vida y fuerzas para asegurarme de que esto se continue...
Ahi les adjunto mensaje de Pepita...

Un fuerte abrazo a mis infernals y gracias por regresar a mi vida,
Marily

Many no doubt can "feel the feelings" penned by Marily, but nevertheless, to maximize the impact of her words, a translation is in order.

"I am still flying high...

The emotions have let me go with an incredible weariness...

Thank you for caressing my soul, granting me the opportunity to work with you and achieve these re-encounters; seeing each of you embracing and recalling times past has given me life and strength to ensure this will continue...I attach a message from Pepita...

A strong hug to my Infernals and thank you for returning to my life,
Marily"

No one could have put it better, dear friend; until the next installment of this continuing, beautiful story, we close with a strong, mass hug for all of you - we love you and, as Red Skelton used to say at the conclusion of his show, "may God Bless."

WE HAD A BLAST!!

May 31, 2008 5:02 PM EST

STS-124 Discovery Launch. Taken from Space View Park, Titusville, about 12 miles away with the equivalent of a 1280mm lens.

A shuttle launch is something everyone should experience at least once.

Photograph by George Quiroga

We believe that to be the case - that WE HAD A BLAST - that is, not because of any scientifically-conducted polls, but based only on the anecdotal evidence comprised of the from-the-heart testimonials of our friends and classmates. These will be published, together with images from the Reunion, both of the Friday social hours - five of them, in fact - and the Saturday picnic. It is regretted the blog has not been updated since the last posting, but please understand that (1) your Infernal Editor was a bit under the weather, although he would have still made it to the Reunion even if it had to be on a stretcher; (2) after intensely working on this and other necessary tasks required to make the Reunion happen and be a success in a relatively short span of time, there is some burnout and jadedness involved - but be assured things will be back on track soon.

This is how it works: The Reunion came off very well, but that was thanks to all of you who participated, whether in the planning, organizing, and general running around, or - this perhaps being the most important thing to do - attending. Not all who signed up to come were able to do so, but you still honored us with your good, warmhearted intentions to affectionately join us in friendship and fellowship. Now, to ensure we can repeat the experience in the future, you've gotta stay linked/connected. You now know where to go; the Infernals are here at your service and perhaps annoyance. However, we can only help you if you help us. Therefore, the most important message in this post is: Please stay in touch! This requires very little effort now that the "infrastructure" is in place. You have the email address for the Class of '68 Committee - ils6468@gmail.com; you have the addresses, phone numbers, and other alternate email addresses for some of the Committee members, which were sent to you by email, if you provided one, or by "snail mail."

Therefore, when you move around, change phone numbers, email address, and so on, all it takes on your part is an email or phone call, or even a letter to any of us and your information - voilà! - shall be updated on our records. There is no need to spend money to stay together via some of those paying sites which do not offer as much as they claim to do.

There is also another very good reason for making our network of connections grow...there are many talented personalities in our group; one never knows when the skills, knowledge, and experience of one or more of us may come in handy; who better than your friend-classmates to lend a hand...after all, isn't "a friend in need a friend indeed?" Granted, not all of us are rocket scientists - starting with moi - but rest assured many a helping hand would be proffered from amongst our group, at least to point you in the right direction.

The blog and web site for our Class of '68 - for all of us who "were there" at any time from 1964 to 1968 indeed - will continue to live. Along those lines, please share your memories and materials from those days; cannot tell you how many good laughs - and some cries too - we had on Friday and Saturday, listening to anecdotes and reminiscences. Please help preserve those memories and bring them back to life again by making submissions to the blog and/or web site. Your editor confesses he is partial to any good stories involving the infamous curmudgeon Coach Al Minter - himself having lived through some of those stories - with Minter, being a survivor was a large part of the classroom experience...

Stay tuned - there's plenty more to come. Pray there will be many more wonderful gatherings like the ones just enjoyed, in the not-distant future. Speaking of wonderful gatherings, here is an idea, stemming from blogger's cousin's comment, to wit: "A shuttle launch is something everyone should experience at least once." Indeed, this was exhilarating and pride-generating; there are ten scheduled launches left...perhaps a good number of us could organize a "mini reunion" around one, secure a good viewing venue and have another blast!

Marine's Final Communique! For you, blokes...

I lied...the last posting was not the last one before the Reunion. But one dares not go against the Gunny's wishes - unless one wants to risk having hairless scalp ripped off. So, here is the message, unembellished.

"Dear Infernal committee,

Please review and pass on this info to ALL possible attendees.

SUBJECT: PICNIC

WHEN: SATURDAY MAY 17TH, 11:00 AM TIL SUNDOWN

WHERE: CRANDON PARK, SHELTER NO. 6

TAKE THE SECOND (SOUTH) ENTRANCE INTO

THE PARK

THERE IS A $5 PER CAR PARKING FEE

FOOD: BRING YOUR OWN OR PURCHASE AT

CONCESSION STAND, SEE MENU IN BLOG

DRINKS: BRING YOUR OWN OR PURCHASE AT

CONCESSION STAND, SOFT DRINKS AND

BEER AVAILABLE.

YOU CANNOT BRING ANY GLASS BOTTLES,

AGAIN, YOU CANNOT BRING ANY GLASS

BOTTLES, ONLY PLASTIC OR ALUMINUM

CLEAN-UP: WE MUST CLEAN UP THE AREA BEFORE

LEAVING OR THEY WILL NOT REFUND THE

CLEAN-UP DEPOSIT I PAID, THANKS IN

ADVANCE FOR YOUR COOPERATION

CRYING: NOT ALLOWED DURING PICNIC

FUN: UNLIMITED CONSUMPTION

?QUESTIONS?: CALL ME, (305)525-7803

IT'S GOING TO BE A SUPER DAY, CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL!

NELSON ORTA"

By the way, is there such a thing as an IMPOSSIBLE ATTENDEE? Be that as it may, it seems the Gunny is asking us all to remember and be responsible attendees, being on best behavior, and helping with clean up. Bill Mauldin illustrates the latter point best...

Up Front - Bill Mauldin - World Publishing Company - 1944

If perchance, during cleanup, you happen to find a nice Luger...please surrender it to your Blog editor for examination and safe disposal...

See ya, over and out!

Heed the Signs!

We do not want you to get lost on the way to the party Friday; by no means do we mean this to insult your intelligence or sound demeaning. Nor do we want you to get lost on the way to the picnic Saturday. So consider this just a diplomatic reminder to get your directions and your times straight, so all will go smoothly - the key here is FUN, not STRESS. Then too, sad to admit, guys do not ask for directions. Speaking of which, surely you know the campus is located at 3601-3603 South Miami Avenue, Miami F-L-A. Remember: 8:00 PM to 12:00 AM. Make sure you have your ride scheduled, and of course a designated driver, as needed.

If Mrs. "Q" - on the left - say...is that Mr. Alonso in the middle? - was able to find her way there on a hot July day in '91, surely you can too.

Why, that's Danny Thomas on the left, and Brother Andres Agustin on the right - that same balmy day.




And then there is the picnic on Saturday. Here are some useful directional signs to help you get there without a hitch. They are very precise; you do not even need a GPS.

OOPS! Wrong signs! How did that happen? Never mind; must have run into a time-warp problem. Do not recommend woolen garments at Crandon, and by all means wear comfortable footwear...leather does not work well in the South Florida climate.

Follow this sign instead, and hop to it!

Just make sure you get yourself here around 11:00 AM or thereabouts, 'til the sun don't shine no mo'.

Don't forget your condiments for your fixins'.

Speaking of time-warps and things like that...thought you might like to remember our 1988 Reunion picnic through the magic of these images. Some of our friends and classmates depicted therein are no longer here to attend our 2008 outdoor gathering. But no doubt they will be there in spirit.

Recognize your friends? Top: Lilly Pino and Ricardo Reimundo; bottom: Elena Pastoriza.

Surely you recognize your classmates in this collage. However, you might not know everyone; not to worry, you will be properly introduced.

Let's see, starting with the upper left quadrant and working our way clockwise, we have Ricardo Reimundo, Nelson Orta, our much-liked Problems of Democracy instructor Don Masterson, Fernando Vidal, and that annoying little guy. Next in line, Mrs. Dinorah Orta and Mr. Jose Orta - also known as Nelson's parents. Quite a few of us who hailed from Sts. Peter & Paul remember being taught by "Mr. Orta," as we called him. To his right stand Elena Pastoriza, Lynne Quiroga, that annoying little guy, and Lorna Orta, Nelson's Better Half. Nelson Orta Jr. stands next to his dad in the following image, together with Fernando Rey and Mr. Orta. Nelson and Fernando are in the next one, being annoyed by that annoying little guy. What a pest! Somebody swat him down! No, do not bother - he's already swatted down...since birth.

Now you've got the idea how this works and how not to get lost on the way to our get-together. This will be the last blog posting until after the Reunion - aren't you happy about that? However, rest assured - perhaps to your dismay - the blog will not go away. The history and stories about our school, about us, shall continue. We of the Infernal Committee ask you stay with us for the ride...there are more places to go together, and future Reunions to dream about.

We are almost there!

Reunion Rehearsal

Because we CARE, and because we want things to go smoothly, no unpleasant surprises, "bugs" or critical system failures, with this Reunion, three of the Infernal Committee Members volunteered themselves for a strenuous dress rehearsal to ensure everything will go "just peachy" on May 16th-17th. The aforesaid dress rehearsal took place May 1-4, 2008. It was grueling and relentless...see what we do to assure your satisfaction and happiness on the Reunion days, dear friends and classmates?

The Three Committee Amigos - from left to right, Nelson Orta, Albert Quiroga, and Jorge Pastoriza - first tested the waters in the proving grounds chosen, since after all, water also flows in the Crandon Park environment. It was determined, with scientific precision, that water can be fresh or salty. Conclusion: Do not drink the water lapping the shore at Crandon Park. Drink it only if it comes in a bottle or from an H2O fountain.

Linville Falls, North Carolina - May 1, 2008 - Day One

Alternate modes of transportation for our group were also explored and delved into; after all, one needs be able to come-n-go...places to go, people to annoy and all that sort of thing.

The region is known for the creativity of its mechanics; the Yosemite Sam theme appealed to the Yosemite Sam side of Blogdevil's personality. In the end, the sub-Committee members decided inflation precluded purchase of this local artifact, even for the benefit of our group. Besides, the logistics of getting it on the plane for the return trip, and worse yet, refusing to let the airline treat it as checked baggage would have proven too daunting. We feared making too much fuss, causing them TSA boys and girls to be all over you in less time than it takes Larry The Cable Guy to say "Possum bake time!"

Terrain needed testing. After all, we wish to ensure everyone gets off on the right foot and also provide ambulatory tips to make things easier for you as you walk to and fro to the various points of interest found in our Reunion locales. The bar being one such point of interest, for example.

Since the mountain would not come to us, we went to the mountain...

And to yet another one, to ensure our testing was thorough and statistically valid.

After going over hill, over dale, through some steep knee-jarring inclines and declines, we reached this scientific conclusion: No need to wear hiking boots to Crandon Park, and certainly not to the Friday dance; the lay of the land in Florida can be described as flat, flatter, and flattest. Therefore, wear comfortable footwear suitable for essentially horizontal surfaces. The steepest incline you will find during our Reunion will be the stairs leading into the school "cafetorium."

Next test: The Brew-n-Wine sampling and selection test. After all, we want to ensure the bar is stocked with the finest libations on Friday. See what sacrifices we are willing to make for your sake, beloved Brothers and Sisters of the Reunion?

Blue Moon is good, Pilsner Urquell is good, Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout is good, Peroni is good...hmm good, hmm good. Now wait a minute, that sounds more like a certain soup commercial.

You might wonder how such small entity can hold so much. He had help.

From none other than the experts in the Alcohol Assessment Team (AAT), a Subcommittee of the Infernal Committee. You may wonder who the reclining fellow in the background is; he is our self-appointed In-House Attorney, Jorge Orta, Esq. Also known as Nelson's brother. Mr. Orta provided legal guidance throughout this assessment and evaluation process to ensure no member of the AAT ran afoul of municipal, county, state, Federal or international law, regulation, stipulation, treaty, or policy before, during, and after aforesaid assessment process and procedure. Non sequitur, res iudicata, ipso facto, corpus delicti, and other such nonsense as regulated by the EPA. See? We're really looking out for you and acting strictly in your best interest.

Conclusion: These brews are good...darn good! The question is whether they will be available Friday. There is always Crandon on Saturday, and if you need help assessing and testing your chosen beer, ale, stout, porter, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, rioja, or what have you, the AAT is here to help!

Finally...the culinary test. It must be said the Doctor in the group is also a fantastic gourmet cook! Not only does he not skimp on the quality of the ingredients, he makes sure the Real Stuff is employed - REAL butter; REAL olive oil - none of this low-fat, wimpy, bland stuff. What's a little cholesterol here and there? After all, no one gets out of here alive...and the red wine flushes your plumbing quite well. Ask the French. The Doctor knows. He is a cardiologist.

So, here is one suggestion for your picnic cuisine: How about a nice carpaccio? Or salmon sashimi; fried scallops - in butter - for appetizers, how about some nice manchego or gorgonzola cheeses. Who says guys can't cook? Eat your heart out, Emeril!

We pray you appreciate our efforts to make sure things go well with our Reunion. Hopefully, the results of these scientifically-conducted tests will serve as a reliable guide for your Reunion planning, and perhaps provide useful suggestions which enhance the soon-to-come wonderful experience of the joyful gathering. We're here to help, even if we are NOT from the government! Well, wait - slight disclaimer - one of these Infernals is from the government. Not to worry, he can hardly govern himself.

Regardless, the important thing is: We're looking forward to seeing y'all Friday and Saturday. The time is almost here!

And here's to all of you! Cheers and prosit! Can't wait to see ya!