Fryday
After attending the Sunset concert the night before, committee members scurried about, readying all of the Giant City Cabins for the approaching hordes. 3pm was the deadline to be ready to start registration. At 3pm, the frenzied activity peaked. An anonymous committee member uttered over the radio “It’s 3 o’clock, and all’s hell.”
Somehow, registration began at 3pm at Cabin 13.
Enter with a full head of steam from travel. Stage one (this was registration) confirm ID & payment. Stage 2 receive credentials, t-shirt, cabin key. Stage 3, receive pineapple surprise and propaganda. Exit with drink in hand, sporting credentials and a smile. Gatherings in front of cabin 13 to observe this process.
8pm we arrive at Pinch Penny, which now has a large outdoor beer garden. We are allowed to program music until the live band starts at 10 pm. Committee member John Dillon prepared 247 songs from the 40 years of WIDB, mixed perfectly, and everyone is satisfied. Everyone meets & greets, and some retire early to be ready for Saturday.
Saturday
Starts at 5am when Committee member Randy Lynch rises to deposit himself to reserve the picnic site. At 7am reunioners trickle into Mary Lou’s. By 8am there are several reunioners on the first tee at Midland Hills. At 8:30 am many others are at the Student Center, waiting to go on the air at WIDB. Some are able to make it to Mary Lou’s, golf and WIDB before 11. By then, things are winding sown at Midland Hills and WIDB.
Now to Giant City, where the picnic starts, just 500 yards from the cabins. It is a hot summer day, but the beer and soft drinks are ice cold. There are burgers, hot dogs, barbeque, many salads. There are horseshoes, volleyball, and a spirited softball game despite the heat. Not because we are older, at 2:30 or so, we seem tired and want to rest. Must be the heat.
“Nap time” is scheduled for 3-5 pm. It seems welcome. A few oversleep cocktail hour at GC. The bar is completely packed, and runs out of everything. Dinner starts. Fried chicken, roast beef, pasta, and fish are all featured, along with the usual veggies and cobbler. This is the only time all weekend everyone is together and wearing clothes.
Speeches, awards, videos and lauch everyone to the pool party.
Pool party begins as the sun sets and the full moon rises. Beer kegs and wine, along with cookies, fruit and sandwiches. Hard to believe that after the massive food consumption at picnic and dinner, more food is needed, but everything at the pool flows & goes. In the “wee hours,” party focus moves away from pool to cabin area “sub-parties” and reunioners wander from one to the other until sunrise.
SUNDAY
9am, breakfast starts. Gary is the only one there. But soon everyone trickles in for the breakfast buffet at GC. This is welcome for recovery and replenishment purposes. Eggs, ham, sausage, oatmeal, toast, coffee, fruit. Check out by noon. Group photos in the parking lot—everyone is smiling.
For some, off to Lambert Airport or Chicago, or elsewhere home… For the rest, on to the Cape, where Broussard’s features the finest Cajun seafood this side of New Orleans, according to Chris Wissmann (and he should know). Musunderstudio (recording resort of WIDB’er Mike Lescelius), is on the way back from the Cape and a perfect place to relax, listen to live music and come down from the weekend.
That’s what happened last time—and that was our SEVENTH REUNION.
The next one will be the EIGHTH.
There is a proven track record here.
