10-year Class Reunion

Briana, you mentioned you had a reunion coming up and you might like a peek at the surveys we sent out (oh, so many years ago) for ours. We mailed the surveys to all the classmates we could find, bearing in mind that was 1994, before home computers and the internet made it a lot easier to find people. I literally resorted to stalking, and calling people in the phone book with the same last name, trying to track down old friends. I’m telling you, there should be a LAW that women don’t change their last names when they get married, just for the sanity of reunion planning committees!

Back to the survey -- we took all the replies and typed them up individually, then had everything bound together in a spiral book, along with copies of things like the program from graduation, the Jr./Sr., a class roster, our Senior Prophecy list, a whatever-happened-to list, etc. We had also completed a short “favorites” survey the week we graduated, so we asked a lot of those same questions again and compared answers. Some of the answers my classmates wrote down were touching, and introspective, and told me a lot about them as people …. and a few were so funny I practically wet myself reading them. Of course, I wouldn’t feel comfortable printing any of *their* answers, so you’re stuck reading mine. That book is one of my favorite mementos of the entire weekend. Of course, considering the other memento I got was hives and diarrhea from the sheer nervousness and apprehension of seeing my old boyfriend again, you can understand why.

Here are the questions with my answers, just for fun. I do feel compelled to point out that this survey was done almost fifteen years ago --- BEFORE I had a computer (gasp, shock, outrage!) and BEFORE I had children. So my idea of “busy” and “fun” and “fulfilled” was way different than it is now. Not wrong …. Just different. Hope you enjoy reading! Current day comments in italics, because Lord knows even *I* have to critique myself.

Name: Kristie (Maiden Name) Escoe
Address & Phone: Blah blah
Occupation: Medical Office Assistant
Spouse: Blaine Escoe
Spouse’s Occupation: Captain, USAF (Captain -- hee-hee! He was such a young whipper-snapper!)
Children: Fosters, age 5 (Golden Retriever); Lager, age 2 (English Setter) No, I wasn’t so shallow that I really thought of my dogs as my kids, but I was about year three into the fertility saga and couldn’t bear to leave this line blank.

Favorite Food: (1984) Shrimp (1994) Anything chocolate; anything but Mexican (Hmmm, anything chocolate. Shocker, some things never change.)

Favorite Song: (1984) For Crying Out Loud, You Know I Love You
(1994) For Crying Out Loud, You Know I Love You (Again, still the same today. Perhaps I should broaden my horizons a bit.)

Favorite Movie: (1984) The Champ (1994) The Princess Bride (I do feel compelled to mention that the very next weekend I saw Forrest Gump for the first time, which promptly knocked The Princess Bride to second place, where it remains to this day.)

Favorite Restaurant: (1994) KC Masterpiece BBQ, Kansas City, KS (Yum! Have any of you eaten there????)

Hobbies: (1984) Reading, listening to music (1994) Crafts, cross-stitching, reading, dancing, shopping! (Hello, Super Dorks of America calling .... how lame.)

Favorite Musical Artists: REO Speedwagon, Styx, Boston, Dead or Alive, Kon Kan, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure (Kon Kan? Seriously? What kind of bizarre synth-pop-dance phase was I going through, anyway???)

Hero: (1984) Adam Ant (1994) Steve Vaughan, world-champion frog dissector (nope, never going to let him live it down)

Proudest accomplishment since high school: Going back and finishing college …sort of (Oh my gosh, did I not have any goals??? That's the best I could do???)

Most interesting place I’ve been since high school: Underground nuclear missile bunker (Hey, it *was* pretty interesting.)

Most interesting thing I’ve done since high school: Snorkeling in the Caribbean (Geez. That’s just sad.)

On a Friday night, you could probably find me: Dancing at Angles (local gay dance club) or home with a rented movie

The thing about me that has changed the most since high school: Not much, isn’t that pathetic? (Yes. Yes it is, you loser.)

Places I’ve lived since high school: Oklahoma, California, North Dakota, Kansas

Favorite Phrase: (1984) Let’s jam! (WTF???)

Words I like to Live By: (1994) Advice is like a fine pocket watch – only take it out when someone asks you the time. (Hey, I still really believe that to be good advice.)

Three words that describe me: Optimistic, dependable, festive (Festive? What am I? My very own Mexican parade???)

I try to avoid: Confrontation, hypochondriacs, liars, racists, bigots, hurting people’s feelings, and stepping in wet things with socks on. (Still true.)

I think a lot about: My future, and where my husband and I will next be stationed. (Ha! No more! We are SETTLED, baby! Take THAT, Uncle Sam!)

My fantasy occupation: Lead tenor sax for Maynard Ferguson (Actually, this is still kind of true. Man, that guy could rock.)

If I knew I would not be caught, but I could make it happen, I would: Make all politicians and professional athletes give half their incomes to charity. (Um, not quite sure what kind of statement I was trying to make here …..)

My favorite high-school memories: 1) Band and Drill Team adventures, like the time I snagged Jimmy P’s trombone slide with my pom-pom and flung it into the football stands during a half-time performance, 2) Sonic (see??? Even back then!!), hanging out at the well-house, and doing things like “stickering” Louis’ car (another way of saying “getting drunk and being obnoxious without ever getting into serious trouble.) 3) Friends, guys, the places we went, the things we did, etc.

I will never again: Drink too much green beer on St. Patricks’ Day (Oh, dear God, I’m nauseous just thinking about it. Still true.)

I refuse to eat: Beets and Mexican food

I would give anything for a chance to meet: DB Sweeney …. Is he hot or what?? (Current, substitute “Kyle Chandler” for DB Sweeney)

If I won $1 million in the lottery, I would: Buy my husband his own hunting and fishing paradise and a private plane to get there, and while he’s gone, hire DB Sweeney to be my personal “boy toy”.

I set my VCR to record: Northern Exposure, Seinfield, and anything with DB Sweeney in it.

The one thing I like most about myself: My husband, even if he did get stuck in Alabama during this reunion.

The one thing I would most like to change about myself: My complete and utter lack of patience, and I want to change it NOW!!! (Hmmm. Some things never change.)

My pet peeve: When people sit behind me in the movie theater or on an airplane and kick the back of my seat. (Actually, this list is so long, I think the line-limit on a single Blogger post prohibits me from telling you all of them.)

My most prized possessions: My photo albums, scrapbooks, and family pictures

If I was told I only had 24 hours to live, I would: Quickly find another doctor

I am happiest when I’m: Eating chocolate-almond ice cream.

My biggest fear: Came true in the 1992 Presidential Election.

1984 Prophecy: Will be working in public relations for Adam Ant

Class Awards: Best Personality, Biggest Flirt, Most Talkative … (They drew a picture of me, facing a brick wall, with words coming out of my mouth ….. how rude!)

My Goal for the next ten years: (1984) Trying not to look almost 30

My Goal for the next ten years: (1994) To study a second language, take piano lessons, and decide what I want to be when I grow up! (Geez I’m a loser. I’ve done none of those things.)

Then we gave everyone the chance to write a personal summary about themselves since high school. Most people wrote a little about college, where they had lived, and if they had married, had kids, worked, etc. Honestly, I am a complete nosy-parker, so they were very interesting to me and I loved the chance to catch up with classmates this way.

Anyway, hopefully that might be helpful to some of you currently planning a reunion and looking for ideas. I just got a call tonight letting me know our reunion committee is having our first meeting to brainstorm for our reunion next summer ---- our 25th!

Holy cow, I’m old. Does anyone know how much Botox costs? Or lipo? Or transplanting my head onto Jessica Alba’s body???