Paul Blazer Class of 1988

GO ELF YOURSELF!!!

Check out Joe Avila and his family Elfing themselves

Joe, Tina and Cane Avila

The Ashland Daily Independent did a story on the 1988 Tomcats.

Click on the link to read the article about the football team.  The 88 Tomcats

FOOTBALL CAMP 1986 and A Get-Together...

This image I stole from Susan Dowdy's Facebook page - I hope you don't mind Susan but I could not resist posting this.

Speaking of Football - The 88 Class (and whoever else would like to join us) will have another tailgate party next Friday night.  Oct. 31, 2008 is the Tomcats last home game and because we had several requests for another get together some classmates had the idea to use this time to get together.  Everything will be BYOB.  Everyone is invited.  We had a great time last time let's get together and do it all over again.  And if KERRY VANHOOSE TAGUE doesn't make this one I promise to post some very embarrassing info on her; and Kerry you know I got it.

ANYONE ELSE HAVING WITHDRAWALS?

I had such a great time seeing everyone and catching  up that I am ready to do it again.  I hope everyone enjoyed themselves at the reunion?  How many were able to experience Brian Barber serving food from under his shirt?  There are still moments, comments, and quotes that are still cracking me up.  Ask Chris Eby why Carrie Huber broke up with him in middle school.  The whole point of this post is that I have had some requests for local get togethers.  It could be just drinks after work, a weekend cookout or tailgate, poker night (C.F.'s great idea).   Anyone interested or are you saying that you don't want to see those people for at least 5 years.

Julie

P.S. If anyone has pictures from the reunion that you want posted just email them to me.

In lieu of Flowers...

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the

Gary Bailey Memorial Fund, which has been established for the benefit of his daughters, Kaitlyn and Olivia.

Gary Bailey Memorial Fund

c/o North Dallas Bank and Trust

5150 Keller Springs Road, Dallas, TX 75248

UPDATE ON GARY BAILEY...

I wanted to let everyone know that Gary is really having a difficult time and seems to have taken a turn for the worse.  Please remember this family as they are struggling to get through this.  Here is Gary's website for those of you who would like to leave a comment and let Gary and his family know you are thinking about him.  Gary Bailey   Also please keep in mind that Gary's children are very young - maybe 1 and 3 - and unfortunately will have limited memories of Gary should something tragic happen.  I think it would be nice if we all could write down a fond memory you have of Gary for his girls to read later in life.

Julie

GARY BAILEY......

Unfortunately Gary Bailey is not doing very well.  He is stable but on a vent.  I have contacted his wife twice about our idea to make a donation to them but I know she has more important things to focus on right now.  Here is the link to Gary's Page: Gary Bailey   It does have a place to donate on there but if you read the info it states it does not go to the patient but to the Caring Bridge Company. 

I want to share something.  We all know Bryan Barber as the funny man, the life of the party, never in a bad mood - always happy.  Always smiling and always making us smile.  But I never knew how wonderful and sensitive, thoughtful and caring Bryan was.  Not that I thought he wasn't but I don't see that "serious" side of him.   Here is the Journal entry he wrote to Gary.  I cried when I first read it and I am crying now typing this.  Bryan I hope you don't mind that I have blown your cover.

Hey Gary! I haven't seen you since high school and we missed you at our 20 year class reunion!! Just wanted to say get your ass out of that hospital and get back to work!!!!! I am putting you on the prayer list at church and will have you in mine. By the way are you sure those beautiful children came from you!! You have a beautiful family and I am proud of you buddy! Keep the faith strong, the good lord works in mysterious ways. By the way I'm single, never married (imagine that) no kids living in Cin. Oh as a purchasing agent and loving life. I hope you know that I saw you everyday of my 12 years of Ashland education from Charles Russell and then Homeroom all the way through message center together our senior year!!! Take care bud and I will be hoping to hear back from you!

Your friend,

Bryan Barber    

                                                  

ONE THING I DID NOT EXPECT...

When I started this BLOG I was hoping that it would help the '88's reconnect and help find lost classmates.  One thing I did not expect was for it to help me reconnect with classmates who did not graduate with us.  Because of this BLOG Lara Bucklew has called me (Lara if you are reading this please email or call me back - I accidentally deleted your number :) I am dying to catch up) Also Mandy Conley and I have enjoyed catching up via emails.  Mandy moved away in 8th grade but she was here with us long enough to snap and keep some really great images of our Middle School journey.  Here is my personal favorite.

Will Tanner, Elliot Caggins and Wee Blake.  I  hope Elliott's wife and children see this image.

Elliot and Dove Gevedon.

Joe Avila, Matt Dixon, Jason Durham, David Douglas, ?, Toni Blevins and Heather Chaffin.

Don't worry.  Mandy has promised me there are plenty more where these came from.  I can't wait to see them all.

~julie

A GREAT IDEA FROM KIM REGARDING THE CD...

I haven't seen a post here in a few days and I 
haven't seen too many posts about the photos 
so I have a few comments. First I would like 
to say to those of you (Christy Ford) and 
others who have near perfect grammar skills 
please don't make fun of me too much.lol I 
did fail English my junior year and barely 
graduated my senior year. Secondly I don't 
mean to step on anybody's toes by any
comments I make, this is only my opinion.
I'm sure most everyone doesn't know this, 
but I worked for Winnie Greer
my senior year in the co-op program and 
some, in the years that past. I
mention this because while doing so, I 
learned a lot of the things that
go on behind the scenes that most people 
don't see after photographers
take their photos. They try to capture 
what they hope to be the perfect
picture or the perfect memory for you. 
But after that, there is much more work 
to be done. They have to go through all 
the photos, get rid of all the ones that 
they don't want you to see, the ones that you
don't look so good in. They touch up 
photos so that you don't so that you 
don't see little imperfections, otherwise 
the photo may you may not have looked so 
good in the photo. Then a slideshow put 
together just so you could see it as the 
night went on and all of your friends came
together after 20 years of seeing each 
other, for some, maybe not others.
For me, this was a slideshow that I would 
watch again and again. Only hoping to have 
some of these photos to download, 
so that I could put them into an album to 
keep handy and show my kids and my 
friends as well. 
I would love to ask Julie to do this 
but at the risk of offending her,
I wanted to post this instead......
................ Julie I truly thank 
you for taking all of the  photos 
at our reunion, and the whole weekend, 
for all of us, so that we can remember 
this wonderful time we shared with our 
friends and their families and their
children forever. 
I know it is possible that you can make 
these photos on CD format but
from past experience I don't know 
whether you would be willing to
accept any money for doing so. 
So, I would like to suggest something if 
you are willing to make these
available to us on CD's and will not 
accept money for them. Since we
didn't get to have poker night to raise 
any money for Gary Bailey, maybe you 
could instead set a price and it be 
donated to him to help with his health 
care expenses. I think it would be a 
great way for us to help out a fellow 
classmate and show our appreciation 
for all that you have done.         

Great Idea Kim.  Anyone who would like to  
donate to Gary Bailey and his family I will 
send a CD including all the images from 
our reunion weekend.  For those of you who 
don't know Gary was recently diagnosed with Acute
myelogenous leukemia .  Here is the link to 
Gary's Blog Gary Bailey 
Please contact me or Kim Maupin
for further details:  kimaup2000@yahoo.com or 
info@juliethackerphotography.com

WILL TANNER'S VIDEO...

Will I hope you don't mind me sharing this here.