I really appreciate the thanks some of you have been sending my way, especially since recently I haven’t been putting all that much effort into making this column very great. Just getting news on people is nice, but there are some things I really would have loved to do (and someday still will do) but this school assignment has not been very good to my schedule for getting them accomplished. In three months (mid-June) my family and I will be packing it up for Colorado and moving to USAFA. Being in the very heart of Grad-Land will certainly ‘up the burner’ a few notches, and you’ll start to see a veritable plethora-o’-pictures in this column, gare-own-teed. My job is going to be great! The classroom should be a very fun place to be challenged to do a great job, now that I won’t be on the sleeping side of the desks. Can’t wait to finally have the power to say “….whaddya say we move class out to the Air Gardens today.” Then again, getting on the Dean’s List probably isn’t a good thing when you actually work there, huh?

But one of the best things is that we’ll soon have our chance to ALL get together again, and I can’t wait to hear all of the amazing stories you have bottled up out there and haven’t been telling anyone. Did you know we only have 559 days and 20 hours left?! Woah, ouch! Somebody, call a caterer, quick! Something tells me there’s going to be more involved in planning this one than there was for my wedding. But, hey, my wedding went great and the marriage has been even better, so what does that say about our reunion prospects? Should be a very meaningful time, I’m sure. By the way, if you’re wondering how come I used such an incredibly specific reference for our ‘time remaining’, it’s not because of my mind-numbingly awesome mental prowess. No, it’s because ONCE AGAIN our most-deserving-but-pathetically-paid webmaster, Angie CADWELL, has been about the job of making your lives better connected with each other, and in the process has added a special page for our reunion at www.usafa91.com/reunioninfo.htm. As of this writing, there is still very little on the page except a statement that we’ll be sitting down face-to-face with an AOG rep sometime in July, after my ‘moving’ dust settles into ‘boxes-around-the-house-like-some-deranged-packing-yard’ dust. Boy, I just can’t wait to find out how much more exciting moving is with a 4-year old. Yep. Can’t wait. Uh,huh...

So what this means for you is that instead of reading this trashy column you should be logging on and sending me an email about who YOU want to have on the reunion planning team. Last time I checked (which was just two minutes ago) I still couldn’t read your minds, and if you think I’m going to plan this thing by myself you’re nuts! You must admit, at least I’m not asking you to send info on yourself – you just have to pimp over your friends. Aaaaaah, the good ol’ days have returned! But seriously, send real nominations, because I <probably> will take all suggestions seriously when I get them. And don’t go thinking that being in COS is a requirement for this team, since we should be able to do most of the planning work electronically.

What’s that?! Quit yapping and get to the news?! Alright, alright! One last thing, OK? Though I’ve mentioned the webpage in virtually every past column, I really haven’t said much about how it has changed. If you haven’t seen it this year, please go back and check it out. Fill out your info, and please ENCOURAGE OTHERS to do so as well. You will be amazed when you see how cool the classmate contacting capability is now: Angie has given you the ability to search for people by name, cadet squadron, current (if info is updated!)? location and she has (some of) those who left from Stop-Out as well! It never ceases to amaze me to think about how, when I want to start looking for where my friends are, I have to start with “which continent?!” You are truly a world-class, world-traveling, world-serving group of people, whether in or out of the service. Keep it up!

Okay, here we go. <sound of emails being silently shuffled about in cyberspace>

Let’s see, pretty good pile here…first one out of the bag is from…a spouse! Oh, surprises never cease! Shannon CURRY’s wife, Angie, says, “[Shannon’s] now out of the Army and flying 50-passenger jets for Continental Express out of Cleveland! He's currently on a trip flying his first set of passengers. He's very excited and happy. He was more excited about this than about Christmas, which says a LOT!…[also] Shannon saw Wayne COOPER in Wichita. Shannon went there for some training for CoEx and Wayne is stationed there.”

Next one’s interesting. It’s from Sean MCKENNA, who was with us for 2 years before doing Stop-Out (27 as a freshman, 10 as a sophomore). He got his commission through AFROTC and is now finishing up his Master's through AFIT at the University of Colorado before moving on to Space Command HQ this summer. Cool! I’ve held onto his contact info if anyone wants it, but he’s moving soon after you read this, I’m sure, so don’t procrastinate as usual. Another Stop-Out contact was Mike COYER (27 as a freshmen, 30 as a sophomore), who wanted to get back in touch; I’m holding his data as well.

And now, let’s see…oh wow, a grad wrote this one! Ooooh, my goodness, I’m feeling faint…. And look, it’s from Mike CZARNECKI. He writes, “Howdy all! Just wanted to drop an update for the new year...I left the corporate walls of IBM in Boulder, Colorado and headed back to medical school at Ross University School of Medicine on the island of Dominica in the Caribbean (not to be confused with Dominican Republic). How I got here is a long story but needless to say, my first semester is successfully over and the program is both challenging and rewarding. After spending 2 months vacation in NJ with family, I sold everything, except my dog Navajo, packed 2 duffel bags and headed to school...reminded me of doolie summer...it's just now I am 30 and even more nuts. One thing I sure do owe the AF is the great experiences and rapid maturity...because the people down here and doctors in general sure don't have a clue about life...hopefully I will be a better doctor as a result...I'll keep in touch. Happy New Millennium all!” Woah, Mike, that is definitely a unique move! I’m inspired by and concerned for you all at the same time! : ) Let us know how everything turns out, please.

Peter GARRETSON had sought a teaching position at USAFA, and the interview at the Academy went well, but AFPC said no way [my day is full of surprises today!] and shipped him off to be a TALCE guy in Okinawa. He and wife Darlene (and two children) arrived in Kadena 12 Feb. Rob SANDS has been instructing in T-37s at Vance for over 2 years, and his wife Lena gave birth to Joseph in July of 98. Happy ‘2’, Joseph! Fellow grads in Rob’s squadron are Don STRICKLAND, Rich LOUTHAN, and Rich SVOBODA. I had a chance to pursue Ed MONAREZ for some info about Pentagon offices; he added in his mail back to me that he got there last Oct (after previously suffering through Grad school and thesis work) and is currently working on airborne recce systems/programs on the air staff. Andrea (LONG) PSMITE and Lois (BAIRD) TRUE are still out that way as well, but James "Haji" HODGES moved on last summer to Kunsan. After that, he’s going to AF Space Command at Peterson, so we’ll see him in 2001 for sure and for certain.

Here’s good news from Chris SNEED. “I'm out of the Air Force and working on my MBA at Indiana University Southeast. I'm working in Human Resources at UPS currently, but have also started my own business, finally! It is a referral service that covers some major cities in the southeast. Still single, but dating. Recently returned from Capetown, South Africa. Quite a place! That's all. Looking forward to the reunion next year” Chris’ business page is www.roommatestogo.com. After I inquired of him, he added, “I've also applied for a job at an internet startup called Darwin Networks, here in Louisville, KY. If they hire me for the position I wanted, it will be a Networks Design and application function. Lots to learn but I would be glad to be back on the technology side. I was able to start out in Satellite Operations at Falcon and ended up teaching it.” He will also be hopping around the Springs from time to time, apparently.

Then Mark BURNETTE sent a quick review of the past. He got married to Lisa in Oct ‘94; later went to Columbus as a T-37 IP, had a son, Austin, in Apr ’97, a daughter, Shelby, in Jul ’98, then moved to Robins in Dec ‘99 to fly the E-8 (JSTARS). David and Laura FOGLESONG have moved to Italy. He is the 31st Wing IN and she’s going to work for 16th Air Force. They believe they will return to DC within the next 5 years (but their assignment to Italy is not for 5, I don’t think). Laura is such a regular in this column, I’m sure we’ll get to hear about the Italian adventures somewhere along the line later in the year. The quick news from Andy HIRD is that he and the family wrapped up 4.5 years at Charleston and got on “the wagon train heading west to set up a homestead” at Altus last Feb. Andy, this is the 21^st century now. The cowboys drive pickups and the cattle are genetically altered. Hope y’all are having fun together, all the same.

Susan RANK had to go do some presidential support in Dec, NZ/Antarctica again in Feb, the Combat Air Tactics school at Ft Dix, NJ in March, and is planning on doing a marathon in June. Maybe that’s why I saw her in January? Susan, you’re making me tired! Thinking of people who have life going on both burners, who can tell me where Jim and Erin DUTTON are at these days? I saw his picture in the March OCF newsletter, and it indicates he’s flying F-15s. I would like to get in touch with him, so please send the cluebird my way if you have info. Thanks!

My final request is for any wrestler out there who would be interested in helping provide/organize grad data for an Academy effort to organize letter winners to please contact me. This request is for wrestlers, but apparently all the sports are going to be trying to nail down this data project as well, so if you’re an interested ex-athlete for another sport, you can contact me and I’ll pass your name on.

Okay, now remember, only 559 days and 19 hours left! Tav.