The Track Hack: October 2023

There is terror…there is madness…and there is a high school reunion.

Traveling clothes at the ready.

Can’t believe I’m smiling….a 4 hour delay because the mechanic can’t isolate a water leak in the galley.

Finally on the ground; two trains later, the sleepy hamlet of Somerville, NJ.

And I do as one does; two slices at Central!!!

Now a walkabout to work off the pepperoni.

Iconic Hotel has been around forever. The folks who run this place must know what they’re doing.

My old church.

When I lived here in 1998, neighbor Tom was picking up steam in his design career. Incredible store; i think he did a project with Martha.

It…..has…..begun…….Felipe set up lunch at Wolfgang’s, and Bob limped in with a busted foot.

Felipe is in the wine business and brought some samples that the restaurant wouldn’t let us open. Then Shawn, the erstwhile Mayor, who always knows a guy who knows a guy, gets a thumb’s up.

Good stuff, Felipe.

My classmates have an interesting idea of finger food.

I don’t do much beef, but this porterhouse was perfect. And no, this wasn’t all for me!

Oh, but we’re just getting warmed up.

Motley crew, indeed. Bob, Felipe, Shawn, Kevin.

What’s a reunion without a football game?

We received some remnants from the NYC storm, but it wasn’t bad.

Longtime Ville resident (and our resourceful QB) Jeff would walk past my house regularly. Chris was the star twirler, now curing cancer in DC.

Time to saddle up!

I take on a critical role: bouncer.

Didn’t get the ten bucks a head I wanted, but Darren did buy me a couple of Blanton’s. Thanks, DB!!

It was hysterical watching the Ubers pull up to the curb! Alaskan Mike left NJ in college and never came back. You want food porn, look at his pix of freshly caught salmon….but I don’t know about the bear cam in his backyard!

Chris is still working on his great tan out in Tucson.

Mike was a finalist for Best Dressed, most definitely.

Ft Collins resident Lynn has a busy schedule; i haven’t been able to connect with her out in Colorado yet. Ricky is loving Chicago, and knows of the Purple Pig (great tapas).

Vickie, Eric, Karlyn, Christine

Jim was our class cut-up, always laughing. Now he’s in charge of all computing services everywhere (or at least at Prudential). I will forever excoriate him for becoming so damned respectable.

Steve and Wendy. We were sitting outside when a group of kids walks by…they saw the reunion sign and said, “Oh, we went to SHS.”

Really? What year?

The one wearing the Woodstock shirt said “2012.”

Steve exploded, “we were ALIVE during Woodstock!”

The kids ran to find their mommas. We laughed.

Chuck, Felipe, Sue.

Laura M.

Sue and Deb, BFFs since around birth.

Annette, Karlyn.

Did I mention the footwear? Renee and Felipe killing it.

Laura too.

And Karlyn.

Steven brought out some blackmail material….Heather, Mary, Kathy, Felipe, and some guy who was always eating.

I don’t know what Maura was telling me here, but I gotta enjoy my sulk face. Or maybe Stallone?

Jamie and Beth. I remember the nasty broken wrist he suffered after jumping a foot above the rim…he didn’t need the reminder.

Best friend Noel, that knucklehead.

Early Sunday morning, some miscreant was seen doing lunges down Main Street. But he was wearing the proper school colors, so the cops let him off with a warning.