Name: Michael Backus () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 22:13:01
E-Mail: michael@backusstudio.com
Maiden: O )( O
Class: '74
City and State: Eugene, OR
Message: Misspent Youth, Part 2 Although I hadn't really discovered alcohol in high school, many of my friends had. One particularly memorable event occurred during our junior year. Four of my best friends had 'scored' some rot gut wine and sloe gin from the neighborhood derelict adult. Our 'supplier' was this old guy (must have been at least 30!) who was missing about 50% of his teeth and an equal percentage of his brain cells. This good samaritan would buy alcohol for teenagers, presumably to share the good fortune that it had brought to HIS life. If you've never tried sloe gin, it's like red Robitussin cough syrup, only thicker, nastier, and worse tasting. Oh yes, and it is loaded with alcohol. The wines that our 'connoisseurs' had chosen were vintage labels like Red Mountain, Night Train and Annie Greensprings. Their plan was simple; get out of school at 3:00, go over to one of the perpetrators houses where both of the parents worked until 5:00, and get blasted. It was planned with the precision of a "Mission Impossible" episode. They planned to get actively drunk from 3:15 until 3:45, sober up from 3:45 until 4:15, and then dust the furniture of any fingerprints from 4:15 until 4:45 or so, being safely gone before my friend's mother, and catastrophe, arrived at 5:00. It was a brilliant plan, conceived in part by a person eventually to score nearly 1500 on his SAT and then go on to teach physics at MIT. It was also fatally flawed. The drinking part went off without a hitch. We retrieved our stash from it's hiding place behind the crawl space screen, and drinking began precisely at 3:15. Much silliness and laughing followed. This drinking looked like fun! I was tempted. Then 3:45 rolled around. It was hard to get all four of them to stop drinking at the same time. I would get the wine away from one and another would get back into the sloe gin. All, of course, thought that my attempts to collect the bottles were hilarious! I finally got all of the booze corralled by about 4:00. Okay boys, you're going to have to sober up quick. We're fifteen minutes off schedule now. Only they didn't sober up. Despite the fact that they had clearly stopped consuming alcohol, their condition continued to deteriorate. By 4:10 they had lost the ability to stand upright. By 4:15 they were all talking loudly, but incoherently. By 4:20 they were vomiting. They vomited in the toilet. They vomited in the kitchen sink. They vomited in the bathtub. One vomited an amazing display of red sloe gin onto the kitchen floor. And there I was, the designated mopper. I tried to prop each vomiting reveler (including the future physics professor) up in a position where they could expel their contents with minimal damage to the decor. I cleaned the mess up as best I could. 4:45!! And not one of them could walk. I decided to move each of them, one at a time, to another drinker's house about a block away where the parents returned home later from work. The only break I got was that I was larger than any of them. I 'steered' all four of them, one at a time, for a full block to safety. As I was moving the last body from the house, I sprayed the house with aerosol air freshener. Perfect. 5:00 on the button and no drunken 16 yr. olds in sight.
Next time: The Inquisition
Hey this is gettin' good......

Name: Janet () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 21:52:51
E-Mail: jmburkett@att.com
Maiden: Humphreys
Class: 62
City and State: Mission Viejo
Message: Hey Dennis, Better that Eileen stuffed the money in her bra than you stuffing it in your pants! I think you two just didn't want Paco to stand a chance. And as for this whole power thing, hey we got warm blankets and candles!!
JB2
Check out Pacos pics for the Super Bowl Party of the year. Thanks Janet for sacrificing your place for XXXV. We had a great time.

Name: Bob Rierdan () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 21:38:41
E-Mail: printer@cheerful.com
Class: 61
City and State: Mountain View, Mo.
Message: Speaking of exploding cigarettes - there was a joke/magic shop on that little street next to Sears Inglewood, (Hazel?). That's the place where I would get all my great little toys. I bet that about half of the gadgets that they used to sell there are illegal now. Anyhow, I think that the exploding cigarette-load was the greatest invention of the twentieth century!
Yep, Fun Haven was the name of that shop and I too got lots of gags from that shop. Thanks Bob

Name: Petey () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 21:37:11
E-Mail: theonlygoodtreeisastump.com
Maiden: Honduras
Class: 1972
City and State: Bright Lights and Big City,Oregon
Message: I remember seeing Wait Until Dark with Surfbabe Currie at Hawthorne High. Or going to the 99cent-er in Redondo and watching movies like, The Two Headed Transplant. I loved Bond...James Bond, Easy Rider, Deliverance, Cardinal Knowledge, and lots of foreign movies at El Camino. Freaks is a movie I saw at the college I'll never forget. Oh a couple more I remember are Frankenstein 3D by Andy Warhol or a scratch and sniff movie starring Divine. My first movie that really scared the hell out of me was Lizzy Borden. I was with a baby sitter and way too young to appreciate all the horror. Century Drive In was cool as a kid too.

Name: EL ROJO () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 20:23:03
E-Mail: I-DY-HO
Maiden: YOU KNOW
Class: WHOREALLYCARES
City and State: SOMEWHEREINGODSCOUNTRY
Message: Tom O'Keefe...I'm curious as to you asking the whereabouts of Jim Zeller. He was one of my closest buds in school. The last time I saw him was at the big 10 year reunion a couple of years ago. I tried to contact him for over a year and came up with nothing. He did say that he had cancer at the reunion. If you do find him please let me know his whereabouts. Providing of course its the same (class of 60) Jim Zeller. By the way John, should I bring a "current bush" with us when we come down in Apr.? Ya'll be good now, hear? MAY THE COUGAR BE WITH YOU. JAKENJUDE!
Ya lost me on that one Jake......

Name: Dan Johnson () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 19:33:36
E-Mail: wch1ispink@aol.com
Class: 77
City and State: Lost Angeles
Message: Movies? One of my nieces (HHS Class of '96) was conceived because my brother in law dragged my sister to Saturday Night Fever (which, I'm told did the trick) at the then very new Hawthrone Mall Theaters. That's the only good thing to come out of that movie as far as I'm concerned. Which One's Pink? -- LA's Pink Floyd tribute band -- upcoming schedule: 2/16 @ House of Blues, Sunset Strip; 3/3 Paladino's, Tarzana; 3/24 Pink E's, Las Vegas; 4/28 Pleasures, Pasadena; 5/19 return to the Pitcher House, Hermosa Beach.

Name: Charlotte E. Woodzell () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 19:21:42
E-Mail: Nuchieroo@aol.com
Maiden: Mitchell
Class: 60
City and State: Roanoke,Va. 24012
Message: If anyone would know where I could reach Mary Joyce Graves Nelson, class of 61, please email me her address and phone #. Have lost track of her.

Name: Sharon MacDonald () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 19:10:29
E-Mail: rmac@genevaonline.com
Maiden: Badger
Class: 63
City and State: Burlington, Wisconsin
Message: The "Thing" was a pretty good flick, but my favorite will always be "The Navy vs the Night Monsters". Do any other Cougars watch Mystery Science Theatre on the SciFi channel? It is great to see those wonderfully terrible movies being poked fun of.

Name: Doris () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 17:07:43
Maiden: Donaldson
Class: '57
Message: Boy, Mickey ... I sure didn't mean to give you a tongue-lashing. Sometimes my sense of humor tends to be a tad sarcastic ... that comes from living with men too many years!!! ha! When I was at good old HHS ('53 - '57), we had pretty new movies at noon which would go all week. You'd get an installment each day. Or maybe only 4 days ... refresh my memory somebody! One of the first movies I remember was with Burt Lancaster in the tightest BRIGHT RED tights I'd ever seen, jumping around a ship and cavorting totally bare-chested through the whole movie!!! CRIMSON PIRATE ... remember that one Patti V? Also, I remember going to see the original THE THING at the Plaza Theater in 1952 with Duby Wayne Frier. We walked to the Plaza, he bought the tickets, bought me some popcorn and then he went and sat down front and I sat in the back with a girl I knew. That was my first date! What a great and funny memory!
Bet you OR Duby Wayne didn't know that James Arness (Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke fame) played "The Thing".

Name: PV5 () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 16:43:36
E-Mail: pvalencia2@aol.com
Class: 1974
Message: Oh yeah, the Nyman Hall movies. I remember seeing "Mister Roberts" and "The Lorax". I wonder if they still do that? I also remember going on a field trip with Mr. Williams' art classes to see "Soylent Green" at the Cinerama Dome.
Now that's your parents high school tax dollars well spent there boy. What did Soylent Green have to do with art?

Name: Laurie Kelleher () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 15:39:53
E-Mail: lauriekelleher@hotmail.com
Maiden: Bednarski
Class: 74
City and State: New York City, New York
Message: RE: Movies How many of you remember going to those B movies that they used to play at Nyman Hall? I remember seeing The Fly and Shot in the Dark(I think) or was it Wait Until Dark?, maybe both. And does anyone remember going to the after-the-game dances in the gym? My favorite was the one with the light show.

Name: Dave Hanson () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 15:03:37
E-Mail: dave@cyclinggoods.com
Class: 1975
City and State: Torrance, CA.
Message: Hey John thanks for the pic, I don't look much different, less hair and a few more wrinkles...
Dave

Name: Paco () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 14:43:35
E-Mail: doo4usc@aol.com
Message: Patty V, How about "Summer Place", "Gidget", "Endless Summer", and "Texas Chainsaw.."

Name: Walter Holt () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 13:02:39
E-Mail: Iain'tgonnaeatnomorepossumngrits.com
Class: 66
City and State: Mission Viejo, CA
Message: Doris You’re welcome... Your story on the Black outs reminded me of when I lived in the Foothills outside of Corona, CA. We used to have Blackouts quite often, not from power shortages or people running into the Poles. It seems the raccoons & possums in the area would climb the poles, I guess thinking they were trees, and get fried by the transformers causing the area to black out. Everything the Power Company tried to stop them with failed, the raccoons & possums would figure a way and get around it. We could count on that happening about once every two or three months. Patty Valencia... Movies... How bout “ A Clockwork Orange”(my mind reaching back into the esoteric period).

Name: Mickey Mathena () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 12:53:51
E-Mail: mathena@canby.com
Class: 58
City and State: Woodburn, Or.
Message: Dang, Doris, I'm not sure I got all you said but I do think I got a tongue lashing. No where did I say Oregon was the only state "helping" out Calif. and I was not crying in my beer. We have a very serious problem in this region and we got there partially of our own doing. All I did was raise the issue, asked how others were being affected and reported on what I am seeing taking place where I live. CT is a way to facilitate asking a great number of people in many locations about an issue that can affect us all.
You are correct that CT can't do anything about this but as individuals WE can IF we pay attention and let our representatives in our State and National Capital know how we feel about issues that affect our daily lives. How many of us ever contact our representatives about important issues? We've got to stop swallowing that sweet BS the politicians keep handing out every election cycle. When we hear about some "free lunch" deal being offered in the capitol we have got to set the politicians straight. Calif's. "deregulation" that forced the Util. CO's. to sell their generating plants and permitted the wholesale price of electricity to rise but not the retail price was a disaster just waiting to happen. Why does it take turning off the lights before we start paying attention? Anyone giving any thought to who is going to bail out the Util. CO's that are 9 billion in debt because of this action by the politicians?
I need to get off my soap box but if we don't start paying attention to those things affecting our lives and livelihood, there will be more crying than laughs.
Pushem Back Pushem Back Waaaay Back!!!
Thanks Mickey, but this forum is about HHS and Hawthorne in general. There should be a newsgroup where you can vent your Utility Frustrations. Try misc.industry.utilities.electric They'll be happy to talk "Edison Company" with you. I'm not saying it's an unimportant issue, but it's just not HHS. Thanks........

Name: Sherman Berman () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 11:48:52
E-Mail: srbranigan.srb@verizon.net
Message: Let's just get it over with now... thank you (chorus) OREGON WASHINGTON IDAHO IOWA NEVADA MEXICO ARIZONA NEW MEXICO TEXAS ALABAMA (FOR GIVING US JIMMY BUFFET) AND EVERY STATE IN THE UNION for your kindness and generosity in giving free power to California. Oh, it's not free? I just got my power bill for 12/27 thru 1/26. It's $10. more than my previous months power bill. That's about a 10 percent increase. But it also lists a "Legislated 10 percent reduction". HUH? Oh well, it beats those $120-140 bills I was getting a year ago. God Bless America, my rates have gone DOWN! (repeat chorus)
Yes thank you, especially Oregon, for giving so much so we can have cheap electricity. OH can you send down some water now too? I want to hose down my driveway.

Name: Dennis AKA Mammal Campbell () on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 at 09:13:36
E-Mail: DennisCampbell_2000@Yahoo.com
Class: 61
City and State: Mission Viejo, Ca.
Message: Hey John, You and Janet did it again Eileen & I had a great time. Regarding all that money well Eileen shoved all the money into her bra so I never counted it ‘O’ (Eileen said don't go there John) I'll send the 20 today along with the dues for 2002. Hey who was the winner of Super Bowl 35 anyway? We were having so much fun laughing.....well you know.
Outstanding Party!
Thanks Again Guys see ya next year!
Thanks Dennis, and yes it was the Ravens over the Giants 34 to a.........sumpthin'

Name: Dave Hanson () on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 23:55:15
E-Mail: dave@cyclinggoods.com
Class: 1975
City and State: Torrance, CA.
Message: Hey everyone , hope the holidays were well for everyone, just thought I would pop in and see what was happening, spent about 2 hours talking with Mike Ferry the other day over espresso at Starbucks, seems as though a lot of the class of 1975 is M.I.A. from what he says. O.K. Johan where is that pic of me?
Dave

Name: Patty Valencia () on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 22:12:45
E-Mail: pvalencia2@aol.com
Class: 1974
Message: Hey, Sloe Gin? Sue Bierman? Geez. I even remember that. Didn't we watch Young Frankenstein and drink that? I think so. And, Moms B. and V. thought it was a slushee, I'm positive. Up until this moment, I had forgotten with whom I had seen Y.F. It also brought to mind the people with whom I saw Rocky Horror Picture show and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I loved the recent comparison Brit Hume made between Al Gore and the Black Knight during election 2000, too. For some strange reason I still remember not seeing the Exorcist because after Danny Forbess saw it he was so convincingly spooked, I decided I didn't want to have that experience. Other movies guys?

Name: Tom Okeefe () on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 21:02:19
E-Mail: tomokeefe@mail.com
Message: We are trying to reach the following people: Gary West, or Sharon West(?) Jim Zeller or any relation of his..
Any relations of Donna Hare..

Name: Doris () on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 19:44:06
Maiden: Donaldson
Class: '57
Message: Thanks Walter, for the joke. I laughed out loud. BOY! Did I need that! Oh John! You're so funny ... a diesel-powered computer ... not only would it be louder than even the old computers were, it would also STINK!! ha! It's kind of funny, now that someone mentioned they used to have blackouts because of people running into power poles. When I lived in Sun Valley, Idaho, it was, naturally, a great party town. It had one theater when I first moved there in '71 and 104 bars ... maybe not 104, but close! One night one young man named Bill Whitehead was attempting to drive home late one evening after having drunk the bars dry, ran smack, jam into a power pole blacking out all of Sun Valley and Ketchum for quite a few hours. From that time forward, he was known as Blackout Bill and is still called that! And we had a LOT of blackouts in Sun Valley and Ketchum right through the 80's ... just old, evidently poorly maintained power facilities, I don't know. We also were hit by lightning a lot. HEY JUDY WUDY! WAY TO GO! Another 50's person for the PROM!!!!

Name: Sandy () on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 19:18:38
E-Mail: sandys00@lvcm.com
Maiden: Snyder
Class: 1962
City and State: Las Vegas, NV
Message: I haven't been at the site for quite awhile, just read the article "Good Vibrations from the Beach Boys" by Dave Barry....Funny and sadly enough, I'm sure some of us could relate. Thanks for putting it up on the site. I needed that laugh...
Hi Sandy, Glad you're still out there in cyberspace. Haven't seen you since the Las Vegas Reunion. Please try and make Prom Night. I know you'll have a great time. See you there.

Name: Don Di Tomasso () on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 18:35:09
E-Mail: dond@ix.netcom.com
Maiden: Not today
Class: 75
City and State: Torrance, CA
Message: "and just think how many babies will be born in about 9 months." Wellll.....Judy....I will just have to remain in well-lighted areas!
Blackouts: Much better than being in some outhouses I've seen...especially in European train stations...
"Wanna get rich? Come up with a diesel powered computer. " John....very very bad on the circuits...and your typing would be terrible...not enough O2.

Name: Ron Dickson () on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 18:18:05
E-Mail: ron201@linkline.com
Class: 67
City and State: Norco, Ca
Message: Like the old statement from the past, that seems to be getting more realistic as the years go by. MAY ALL YOU ECOLOGICAL FREAKS FREEZE TO DEATH IN THE DARK!!!!! THAT`S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ON THIS SO CALLED CRISIS.

Name: Judy DeGrazia Blomsterberg () on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 16:52:41
E-Mail: JUDYWUDY@att.net
Maiden: Blackout-nobiggie
Class: 64
City and State: Torrance, CA
Message: Black out!! what black out??? Now listen up here.. this is one of the great reasons to be a ROWDY.. we literally don't need any electricity at all.. we don't cook, clean, sew, or anything else that takes electricity.. besides, blackouts will give us a whole new outlook on luxury..and just think how many babies will be born in about 9 months. Bring on the blackout.. we can take it. Now, regarding PROM NITE.. we just got another 50's person in... GARY ATKINSON '59. See Doris, some of them still dig rock and roll. Today, I'll be snail mailing about 12 teachers..still on my quest.. I'm also home with a cold and I have to start my vaporizor..and watch some T.V. -- hey, what's this.. no electricity!!!! WAAAAAAAAAA Judy Wudy on a quest
Wanna get rich? Come up with a diesel powered computer.

Name: Ruth Watson () on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 16:47:25
E-Mail: ruth_watson@customchrome.com
Maiden: Kara
Class: 1964
City and State: Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Message: I live in Northern California and have for the last 12+ years. In my town of Morgan Hill we got used to power outages primarily due to drivers hitting telephone poles. Morgan Hill was part of the rolling blackouts two weeks ago and it affected just parts of the community. I was at work when it hit at 12:05 p.m. My office is pretty dark so I was able to contact my boss, who was having lunch at one of the local restaurants that still had power, after I went to my car and got my trusty flashlight and dialed out. Luckily we have a backup generator and it did not affect our Sales Department or we would have been doomed. The power was out for two hours and, depending on the location of your office and the availability of light, you were able to work until everything came back on. Perhaps more power plants should be considered to rectify this situation. I know the "tree huggers" would object as they did when the 101 Freeway was widened 15 years ago. I would like to see solutions to these types of problems and if it means higher rates for all concerned then I say go for it and let's move on. Whew, sorry to be so wordy. Thanks John, too, for your continued devotion to this site.

Name: Alexander () on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 16:42:21
E-Mail: IBJodi@aol.com
Maiden: Torgerson
Class: 75
City and State: Bakersfield, Ca.
Message: Hi Fellow Cougars, This e-mail is for the Class of the 50's Cougars! (53,54,55,56). My mom Barbara Milazzo went to Hawthorne High the first 2 years it was open. Then they changed the districts and she went to Leuzinger her last 2 years. My mom was in a car accident in 1989. She had major head injuries, but with alot of work and by the grace of God, she now can do most things she used too! She has short term memory, but remembers all about her years growing up in Hawthorne. If any of you remember her, or grew up around 119th and Menlo, would you please e-mail her a note. It would really brighten her day! She talks about people that she grew up with, it sure would be nice for her to hear from some of you. Could you help a fellow cougar out and help brighten Mom's day? I would really appreciate it! John, I know you probably get tired of hearing it, but buddy, YOU ARE THE MAN!! Please e-mail notes to me @ IBJodi@aol.com or just post them on Cougartown and I will print them and get them to her! P.S. Her brother is Bob Milazzo! Any good stories about him would be great too!! Ha Ha!
There you go early Cougs. Send Barbara an email, even if she did graduate from Leuzinger.