Event: MSHS '90 Reunion

To start off my series of posts about my last two trips to New Jersey, I thought I’d start by talking about my reason for making the first trip – my twenty year high school reunion. Technically, I didn’t graduate from any high school (I got a GED many years later), but since I had to pick one, I went with the one where I would see the most familiar faces – Millville (NJ) Senior High School Class of ’90 Reunion. I went to private school until 6th grade, but I’ve known many of these people since my junior high days (7th grade onward). Many others I met when I started high school (9th grade at Memorial). But good God, did those 20 years since 1990 go fast or what? I’ve lived a whole other lifetime since then, and strangely enough, even though this reunion was a little over a year ago, it feels like I’ve lived a whole other lifetime since then. Who knew so much would happen during 2011?

Here I am with my friend Amy.

Me & Amy at MSHS '90 Reunion

The memorial they put together for classmates who have passed was touching, especially for me since two of my very close friends were among them. Strange that only me and one other person from my core group of friends have survived. But the world is a less bright place without these people in it.

Gone But Not Forgotten - MSHS '90 Reunion

The food? Let’s just say that it was a bit underwhelming. There was an open bar, though – with a bartender with a heavy hand, so I don’t think people really noticed the bad food, LOL.

The toasted ravioli? Seemed straight out of a food service box, but probably one of the better things I ate that night.

Toasted Ravioli at the MSHS '90 Reunion

The same goes for the chicken, which was served on skewers.

Chicken at the MSHS '90 Reunion

The rest? Well, take a look for yourself. None is really worth mentioning separately, except the roast beef, which was so overdone it wasn’t funny. It was one of those “what did that poor cow ever do to you to deserve this?” kind of moments.

Garden Salad at MSHS '90 Reunion

Caesar Salad at MSHS '90 Reunion

Bread at the MSHS '90 Reunion

Rolls at MSHS '90 Reunion

Butter at the MSHS '90 Reunion

Roast Beef at the MSHS '90 Reunion

Pasta served at MSHS '90 Reunion

Desserts at MSHS '90 Reunion

Fruit Skewers at MSHS '90 Reunion

Mystery Fluff at MSHS '90 Reunion

So, all in all, it wasn’t about the food. Not in the least. It was about making the effort to say hi to everyone (even those who were less than nice to me in high school), it was about some people changing so much they were unrecognizable, about other people being exactly the same (nice people and douches alike), and it was about realizing that people that I thought had it all together and leading perfect lives living anything but. I misjudged a lot of people back then, in the same way that many people misjudged me. Most of all it was about new beginnings – making new friends, reconnecting with old ones, and everything in between. So how many of you attended your high school reunions? And how many of you had your expectations turned around on you as well?

Rapide set to be made in region.(Features)

Birmingham Mail (England) June 10, 2011 Byline: Edward Stephens THE exotic four-door Aston Martin Rapide is to be made in Britain three years after it became the first of the company’s cars to be built overseas.

Aston chief executive Dr Ulrich Bez has announced that from next year the car will be produced at the firm’s headquarters at Gaydon in Warwickshire. go to site aston martin rapide

Since 2009 the pounds 150,000 supercar has been made in Austria at a purpose-built facility at the Magna Steyr factory near Graz.

“In 2008 we had facility restrictions at Gaydon which indicated that production of Rapide at Gaydon would likely compromise production of our other cars,” said Dr Bez. “We were not prepared to do this.

“Now, three years on things are very different – Gaydon is more established, more flexible and more efficient.

“While our overall volume has not changed significantly, we now produce a far richer model mix – eight model lines (plus five variants) compared to three model lines (plus two variants) in 2008 – so Rapide production is now possible.” The Rapide is the first fourdoor, four-seat car Aston Martin has made. Last year the company sold 1,080 cars, down almost nine per cent on 2009 sales. here aston martin rapide

Work on the transfer will start immediately and the first Rapides should be built at Gaydon by the second half of 2012.

CAPTION(S):

The four-door Aston Martin Rapide is to be made at Gaydon in Warwickshire.