On Saturday June 4 2005, Elaine Jones had a dinner party for the So Cal Chapter of the OB Society. I did my part by watching her and matching the other guests drink for drink. The other guests were David Gregory ('54-'61) his wife Kay, Keith Kennedy ('48-'56) and his wife Marina. David and Keith both live in Palos Verdes, which is a peninsular just south of Los Angeles which is threatening to slide into the Pacific Ocean...just joking...only the 18th hole of the golf course did that...so far.
The occasion was to mark the return from China of the Joneses and to meet David the newest member of the SoCal chapter and his wife. David had also been to China previously so there was much to talk about and it was agreed that this was an amazing country to see if you have the opportunity...THE future superpower...no need to learn Mandarin though as ALL Chinese children now study English and they attend school for twelve to fourteen hours a day! This of course gives their parents the opportunity to work 12 or 14 hours a day...got to get that aircraft carrier fleet built you know.
Neil Gracey had told me that good old what's-his-name lived in China and I read a letter from him on the OB web site. So I looked for him in Beijing, population 12 million and then I remembered he had moved to Shanghai, population 16 million, in search of new friends. I didn't see him there so obviously he wasn't wearing his OB tie, neither was I, so that just goes to show that you should if you want to be recognized.
During the dinner party we spoke of the School song. We must not have had enough to drink because none of us could recall it. However a 'phone call to John Walton ('46-'52) in Northern Calif on the speaker 'phone soon corrected that and John gave us a spirited rendition of two verses...no, not the rude version! We all thanked John immensely although Keith did remark that some voice training might be of advantage should John intend to sing the school song regularly.
We parted, fully intending to meet again in the not too distant future...don't want too much of a good thing, do we? As Keith now has four stents in his descending aorta we shouldn't delay too long. Of course Howard Gracey is still setting the OB record for stents with 'six not out' on the scoreboard.
Now with this pop-up "OB Reunion Sept. 2006" I'll say "Farewell".
Reg Jones ('46-'51)
