Blog 109 As Time Goes By

With the country staying home, it has come to my notice that too many people have time on their hands. I profess not to be one of them. Yet here is another submission to you. The impetus for that is that the company that posts the blogs advised that I only posted 14 times in the past 12 months.

How does this blog get posted? I write it in Microsoft Word and copy it to a blog format and then send it as a draft to the website. There I review and publish, though the published version rarely looks like I formatted it.

The website is free to post, hence the ads that sometime pop up. However, I do pay $18 a year for the simplified web address of www.jeffclassof54.com. Hence, I accept the foibles of publishing.

Title of the blog today came to mind from staying at home. Then came recall of the song. The song was featured in one of the great all-time movies, Casablanca, with As Time Goes By Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. If you have never seen it, you should, and for those who have, it is worth seeing again. The song was preceded by Bogart’s comment, “Play it again, Sam.” If you want to listen to the original version, sung by Sam (and played by Dooly Wilson—ever heard of him?), click here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d22CiKMPpaY

Mention of Bogart calls to mind Marvin Kalisky, whose nickname was Bogey. Jim McNeel
said the name came because Marvin was enamored with movies starring Bogart and saw every movie several times. If anyone has a better explanation, let me know.

Here is a shout-out from those who emailed after the last email I sent to all.

Gordon Bartley
checked in, happy to keep up with class happenings.

Edward Brown
has a 20-acre spread in Muldoon, Texas, near Smithville. Edward was widowed last year.

Richard Kaufman
sent these words: Hope this finds you guys well. Everything good here. I had my second round of radiation yesterday. 3 more to go.

Still planning on coming to the fall luncheon, assuming there will be one. Coming that way no matter what.

Jerry Cline
sent a good update:

Thanks for the email. I enjoy reading them all. I’m remain good health, doing well, sheltering in place in my home of 39 years in Thousand Oaks, California. Marianne, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in January 2013 lived at home with the help of caregivers until I needed to place her in an Alzheimer care facility. So I communicate with friends and my two daughters via phone and internet. Hiking the hills and trails around here keep me in good shape physically and help with stress. stay safe and healthy.

And here is a note from Jeanine (Kliefoth) Price
from the valley;

Just got around to reading your 108 blog. I have been meaning to write about Billy Dube’s obit but the days seem to fly by. I thought he was a nice guy and am so sorry about his passing. If I remember correctly, Billy and Betty Sue dated in high school. I thought they were such a cute couple then and also later when they reconnected. Isn’t it amazing how many of our classmates went on to bigger and better things after graduating from Jeff?

Polio……oh, I remember that…..the Iron Lungs,etc. My mother thought it was caused by flies, the ones that flew around the Watermelon Screened areas. Do you remember those? They were screened areas with picnic tables where slices of watermelons were sold. I was forbidden to go there. Well, one evening a neighbor took me with her family to the movies and then to get a slice of watermelon. I refused but she insisted and bought me a slice. I never told my mom, but for weeks I was afraid that I would get polio. To this day, I still think of that when I see watermelon.

After graduation, I trained at the Robert B. Green and that was the hospital that treated the polio patients. In fact they still had some on the floors. My supervisor was in a wheel chair because of her bout with polio.

Here is a photo taken at our 60^th reunion in 2014. Do you recognize the lobby of the Aztec theater? The group was on tour. How many can you name? Send your list to me and I will attempt to list them in the next blog.