The Party is Over...

I just wanted to write a post to kind of wrap things up after our reunion. I am finally back at home after being at the reunion and then time at the lake... back to reality I guess.

I think we all had a great time and I know it went by too fast for me! Many of you thanked me for the hard work, but I want to thank all of you for first of all coming and helping find all of our classmates!! Thank you to many of you, but especially Tyree for updating me on so many of our classmates!!

Many of my friends here in Atlanta do not understand why I like to work on our class "stuff". And sometimes I wonder myself, but besides my complete need to organize an "event" I have to say that I really love our class. I think we are a unique group of friends. I didn't move to Opelika until I was 11 and none of my family lives there now, but I still consider Opelika my home, it's where I say I am from.

I love my classmates because they knew me when I wore glasses, had buck teeth, then braces and they still love me and accept me. And I knew you when you were not quite sure what to do with your hair, had acne, never should have worn that dress to prom, got in a fight with your friend, acted obnoxious, etc. etc., but I still love you and accept you.

I have to say when I saw many of you last Saturday it was like time had stood still. I work on this reunion "stuff" because I think we have a special class and I want us to be the class that is still getting together 50 years down the road... I hope you all feel the same way.

Many of you have started giving me ideas of what you would like to do for our 20th. The main idea has been "let's do this big" and I think I agree! But this one will be more difficult and I can't do it alone. First and foremost you must must must keep me updated with any address changes. My email address will not change: msmvance@bellsouth.net

So if you had a good time at our reunion and would like to donate to the 20th please send it to:
OHS Class of 1993
c/o Michelle Metzger Vance
2715 Battery Trace
Marietta, Georgia 30064
and you can make checks out to OHS Class of 1993

If you would like to help plan the 20th, email me and let me know.

When you are in Opelika and you are looking to get some people together, let me know I can put out an email!!

Thanks again for making our 15th great!!! Can't wait to see you all again!!!
Michelle

Your Questions...Answered!

Hi Everyone!!
One week from today we will be seeing each other at our reunion!! I hope you are getting as excited as I am!
Over the past couple of weeks I have gotten a few of the same questions, so I will answer them here in case anyone else might have the same questions!!

The party starts and dinner will be served at 6pm.

Dress is whatever you want, but I'm dressing casual!

Cost: Nothing. Even if you didn't come to the 10 yr. reunion, your cost is still nothing. Although I will have a "donation jar" out to fill our coffers back up for the 20th. (We will be almost completely depleted after this!) If you want to write a check, I am able to take checks, just make them out to "OHS Class of 1993".

Let me know if you have anymore questions!

Marty and Ashley McGill Haywood

Hey everyone!! Marty and I are still together, married 13 years in October. We are still in Opelika. We live out in Beauregard. We have two beautiful girls Cierra is 8 and Mattie is 6. Marty works from home for a company called Premaco. He does outside sales and market consultation in Columbus, Phenix City, Valley and Lagrange. I have been at home since our oldest was born but am about to return to work when school starts back. I am going to work at Beauregard Elementary doing computer work, I have a degree in computer science that I have yet to use because I finished college in December and our first was born in January. We are very active in the community out here. I am on the Board of Directors as Softball Commissioner for the Beauregard Youth Athletics Association. I never thought 15 years ago when we were graduating that Marty and I would be big Hornet fans, but we absolutely love it out here.

Unfortunately we were unable to make it to the 10 year reunion and won't be able to make it to this one either. We will be out-of-town the weekend of the 26th. Hope everyone has a good time and is doing well. I have been sitting here reading everyone's blog posts and enjoying hearing what everyone is up to. Everyone take care and maybe we will make it to the 20 year.

Reminder

Just a reminder that I need to know if you are coming to the reunion on July 26th by this Saturday, July 12th!!!!

"I'm Dissapointed In You"

Didn't you hate that when your parents would say that. I would have rather just been spanked and had it over with than to feel my father's disappointment.

Well, I'm dissapointed in you. Out of the 60 plus people we have going to the reunion I have had ONE ONLY ONE song request!!! Now, do you really expect me, a 33 year old stay-at-home mom to be able to generate a playlist that is remotely any good???? Really. Help a girl out!! It does not have to be songs from our "hey day" it can be current or WHATEVER, but I think you will be highly disappointed when the only thing I have to contribute is any Wiggles songs or songs from my Debbie Gibson cassette tapes. That would be a travesty. (Although you know you would love to "shake your love")

If you don't request any music I don't want to hear you belly aching on July 26th that you don't know the motions to "Fru

it Salad, Yummy, Yummy." (How many of you just sang that in your head, can I get an amen for some Wiggles...)

So here are two easy ways to help me: one, go under this post and click on "comments". You can post without having a gmail account, or email me: msmvance@bellsouth.net It's that easy...it's the least you can do!!!

Here is a website that might jog your memory...

http://members.tripod.com/john_larocque/90.html

Christi Daugherty Bradley

I sure have enjoyed reading all the posts. We all have accomplished so much!!! It will good to see everyone again-the 10th was lots of fun! After high school, I went to Southern Union and got my Associates degree in Radiography and then moved to Birmingham to get my Bachelors in Radiation Therapy. I moved to Huntsville after graduation, where I met my husband, Justin. I worked at a Cancer Center there, while training to be a Medical Dosimetrist(I design the radiation treatment plans for the cancer patients). In 2006, Justin and I moved to Dacula, GA-about 30 miles outside Atlanta, where I am currently working as a Dosimetrist at Radiotherapy Clinics of Georgia. Justin is a Financial Service Officer at Georgia Federal Credit Union in Duluth. He is from Guntersville, so we get back to Alabama as much as possible. We do not have any children yet, but have 5 crazy pets at home that keep us entertained until that time comes. We'll see everyone soon.

Help Needed

For those of you that would like to help in anyway I could use some volunteers with break down and clean up on Sunday. In order to get our $50 deposit back we have to leave the place the way we found it. I need to know who might be available for clean up on Sunday. I would imagine we would meet after lunch sometime and get the place cleaned back up. I have to drive back to Atlanta on Sunday and I would hate to have to spend the afternoon cleaning the place by myself!! Please email me if you are able to help: msmvance@bellsouth.net

Heather Hope Weston

Hey guys. I can't believe what success has come out of our class. You all sound so happy and loved. What a blessing that is to hear.
I married Brad 13 years ago. Amazing and probably to many peoples suprise we are still together. I think we are just too old and too lazy to find somebody new!! Really we are back in Opelika after 8 years all over the country with Brad's work. We moved back after we had our first child, Hunter. He is now 6 and my angel child. Two years ago we added our second, Peyton, and boy he is already giving me a run for my money. My mom says he's me made over, I however think he acts just like his dad.
Brad started his own business here, Titan Metals, making architectural steel. I got my teaching degree from the University of North Carolina and taugt for 5 years before the kids. I have just gone back to work part time teaching preschool at FUMC in Opelika. The little one goes with me to work so that has been the big plus.
I can't wait to see you. I missed the 10 so I can't wait to catch up with you all.

Stites Whatley

I moved back to Opelika/Auburn two years ago after finishing my ENTresidency in Memphis, TN. I married Adele Spears (from Auburn) who Imet in Birmingham while in medical school. We've been married now for7 yrs, and have 2 boys (Duncan, 2 and Stewart 2 weeks). I lookforward to seeing everyone in July.

More Updates & Reminders

1) If you plan on attending the reunion we MUST MUST MUST have an rsvp from you. Since we are using the leftover funds from the 10, we are only ordering food for those that rsvp. At $9 a pop, I need to have a good number. So if you do not rsvp and then show up that will leave less for your classmates! Here is who I have so far as having RSVPd: (If you did and your name is not here, please let me know!!)

Natosha Butler Rivers + 1
Christen Hathaway
Tiffany Kennedy +1
Daffany Kennedy +1
Lashun Lockhart Fields +1
Chris Duncan +1
Chad Moore
Jennifer Strickland Marko +1
Emmie Tippett Sellers
David Sellers
Leigh Abernathy +1
Jason Nichols +1
Amy Jenkins Schaffer
Merry Jones +1
Laura Gilliland Dunlap
Michelle Metzger Vance
Amy Gayler
Tyree Melton +1
Shonta Johnson Lowe +1
Sharelle Edwards +1
Tyvoria Williams +1
Jenni Day
Shannetta Gibson
Emily Awbrey Fields +1
Tamika Jones +1
Ray Matchen +1
Demetre Wayne Reese +1
Kirsten Whatley Shriner +1
Andy Crouse
Leigh Jacobsen Crouse
Lynette Hinton Boone +1
Brandy Hilyer +1
Jenny McMurray
Michael Roberts +1
Calvin Johnson
Heather Hope Weston +1
Dawn Floyd +1
Dawn Denson
Bryan Primm +1
Scott Hinkle +1
Kaponia Ray Holloway +1
Christi Daugherty Bradley +1
2) We will be having music at the reunion, but it will be "home grown" so if you have a song request that you would like to hear, you better request it now, because if you don't you may be listening to the Electric Slide all night!! We will be playing the music on classmate's private property, so we will not be having "multiple DJs". In other words, you break it, you buy it!!

3) The food for the evening will be Chuck's AND JimBob's!!! Quoting one of our classmates "That sounds like a little slice of heaven!"

4) Along with the other classmates listed in the previous posts with returned mail we have some new additions. So if you know the address for any of these, please let me know!

Shanita Goodwin
Erica Heard
Tonya Brown Tarbert

I hope you all are getting excited!!! Please let me know if you have any questions!!

Return To Sender

Last week I sent out over 180 invitations to our reunion and I had over 30 returned. I'd say that's not so bad after 5 years!! So thank you for keeping me up to date on your whereabouts!! I am going to list the names of those that where returned to me. So if you have any current info. on these folks or it is YOU, then please let me know asap so that I can get an invite out to them!!!
Marcy Johnson Clark
Scott Freeman
Tabiatha Robinson
Jenny McMurray Key
Bruce Shelton
Andy Sumner
Reed Aston
Karen Robinson
Gwen Harris
Natosha Butler
Cornelius and Kawana Black Pink
Thomas Fenn
Andy and Leigh Jacobsen Crouse
Kelly Johnson Allen
Heather Hope Weston
Elliott Grace
Kit Voit
Shannon Gunter
Callie Pugh Lindsey
Garrett Grace
Amy Whitlow
Tia Deneal
Dawn Denson
Brian Barrett
Larry Baker
Colandra Lynn
Kwesi Marshall
Kevin Brown
Shawn Broach
Holli Parker
Marty and Ashley McGill Haywood
Jason Gillespi
Aleisha Lockhart
Eric Riddle
Joseph Vickery

So if you know the whereabouts of any of these folks or if it is you please give me your info. asap!

A couple of things about the reunion:

• First the cost is FREE!! Because of the leftover money from the 10 yr. reunion, we are able to absorb the cost!
• Second, because this reunion is a smaller reunion compared to our 10, we are making this an "adults only" event. When we do our twenty we will have an event planned where we can all show off our kids!
• And most important if you have not RSVPd, by July 12th, I am going to assume you are not coming, but I would like YOUR UPDATED INFORMATION!!! I have received quite a few emails that people will be there and I think we are going to have a great time!! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!!

msmvance@bellsouth.net

Paige Lindsey Hiett

Hello all. Frank and I have been married for 13 years and we have 2 children. Lindsey is 10 and Will is 8. It took me 15 years, but I finally graduated from college this year. I got a degree in Radiology and I am in the x-ray department in an orthopedic clinic at East Alabama Medical Center here in Opelika. Frank works for a company based in Auburn that sells headsets to football teams. He travels a good bit, but we have never left Opelika. Look forward to seeing everyone in July.

Clint Smith

Hi folks,
Hard to believe that we graduated prior to the Oklahoma City bombing, the baseball strike, Forrest Gump was released, Windows 95 was unveiled, and the OJ Simpson case dazzled us… If you weren’t feeling old enough already, certainly this information helps!
My wife (Brande of Huntsville, AL) and I have been married for 10 years (and together another 4 or 5 prior), and are currently living in Birmingham, AL. I work for InterCall (if you’ve sat on a conference call, there’s a good chance it was hosted by us), and just celebrated my 10th year there under various positions. The latest is managing a team of Sales Engineers out of Louisville, Colorado (where I happen to be writing this).
We did a few years living in Columbus, GA after Auburn (where we both attended) before moving to Chicago (where I’d always wanted to live) until the birth of our daughter, Madison, in 2005. The clock started ticking on my end of the deal – once we had a baby we had to move back south… So we moved back to Birmingham, almost exactly between our respective parents. I still get back to Chicago every chance I get (even to see Adam Hood playing his debut there last year at Joe’s, home of the Chicago AU club).
I spend all of my free time playing golf (I live on Greystone’s Founders course, so if you’re ever in the area, look me up and we’ll play), with a little work thrown in here and there for good measure and to keep the lights on. Brande recently ‘retired’ from 10 years of service at TSYS in Columbus to be a full time stay-at-home mom to Madison, and we’re planning to try to have another baby next year.
Hope you’re all doing well.

Ivey Banks Murdock

Ivey Banks Murdock here! It makes me sad to say that I won’t be home to Opelika for this year’s reunion but I’m counting on being back for 20th! Hard to believe that it was 15 years ago when I moved 15 minutes away from my doorstep to my dorm room at Auburn where I went on to meet my husband (Brian Murdock). After graduating from Auburn, Brian and I were married, we moved to Nashville, Tennessee where we have been living for 10 years. I worked in Alumni and Development at Vanderbilt University but “retired” to be a stay at home mom when Banks was born. Brian is a Senior Project Manager for American Constructors.

At this moment I’m in the kitchen starting dinner for my family while Banks (6 years) and Sally (4 years) watch Pet Star on Animal Planet and baby Ridge (16 months) tries to eat crayons. I can’t pull myself away from the computer with Square Dance rap playing!

Banks returned on Sunday from a week in Opelika and I am so jealous I didn’t get to go as well! My parents are still in Opelika and so I do get back a couple of times a year. Unfortunately, it won’t be the weekend of the Reunion--- Brian has a work trip that takes us to Pebble Beach, California. I’ll be thinking of you all and want to hear stories about your time together!!

Jennifer Strickland Marko

My husband, Adam, and I live in Jacksonville, FL, with our 2-year-old son, Max. We’ve just celebrated our 6th anniversary, and we love north Florida. I have been in PR for ten years, and I’ve had my own practice for 4 1/2. We’re now in the process of buying and expanding a baby product company. We hope to launch it regionally and online later this year. Adam has an advertising agency, so hopefully with our combined backgrounds, you’ll hear of it soon in some big box stores. Fingers crossed! It looks like everyone is doing great, even though we are spread around the country. I’ve got some family pics and other info on my MySpace page at www.myspace.com/jennmarko, and I’m also on Facebook. We’re going to the Bahamas in July, so that may keep us from attending the reunion. Hope to hear from some of you soon!

Zack Hall

Greetings everyone. 15 years….wow. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it down this time...maybe for the 20th.

My wife (Anna) and I have been married for almost 9 years now and have two daughters (Emma is 4, Freya is 9 months). My life is pretty much consumed with work, family and as much golf as possible. Anna is just starting back at the University of Kentucky to get her Ph.D in Early Childhood Education. I’m hoping that she will one day teach at Auburn, so we can get back down there.

I’m living in Frankfort, KY now. Horse and Bourbon country. Moved here in 2005 from the Philadelphia suburbs. I have been working for the YMCA since 2001 and I am the Executive Director here in Frankfort. Work is fun for me…get to wear shorts and flip flops whenever I want and my family is very involved in the programs. I am running a good bit, just finished my 9th half-marathon in Louisville this past April. Trying to do one per year to keep the weight off. That is about it for me.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Matt Madison

Hey guys! I can't believe it's already been 15 years. I've been married to Janet Caraway for 12+ years now and we have two great kids - Luke is 6 and Lori is 3. After graduating Auburn, we went to seminary at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham. Then as Chad was getting out of the Army, I was going in - first as an enlisted soldier and then I became a chaplain. I was on active duty for 5 1/2 years and deployed to Afghanistan twice and once for about a month to Iraq. We got out of the Army last summer and moved to Phoenix where I am the Family Minister at North Phoenix Baptist Church. I'm preaching on July 27th so I won't be able to come, but you can check out the podcast of my sermon at www.discoverandlive.com! I've been able to link up with a bunch of you guys through facebook - are we too old to be using it? - so I would recommend checking it out. If any of you guys ever come out to Phoenix or come to visit the Grand Canyon, give me a holler and I'll give you a place to stay! I hope to get back for an Auburn game this fall, but it's rare we get to come back. I've got a lot of great memories from Opelika even though I was only there for senior year. (Climbed any radio towers recently Graves?) Anyway, may God bless you guys and keep in touch.

Chad Moore

Hello all! 15 years, Wow. We're getting old. I reside in Kennesaw Ga. just 20 miles north of Atlanta with wife Renee and daughter Kaitlyn(one year old). I have been in the Pharmaceutical industry for 8 years with both Pfizer and my current company Boehringer-Ingelheim. This all after resigning my commission as on officer in the US Army just prior to 9/11. Things are good, can't complain. July will be fun. Hope a lot of you can attend. Oh yea! Tyree where is a shout out for your boy? later,Chad

Andy and Leigh (Jacobsen) Crouse

Hello ALL!!!
Surprise. Surprise. Andy and I are still married – we just had our 12 year anniversary and have officially “been together” longer in life that we have been apart. How scary is that!! We are living in Madison, AL (just outside Huntsville). We moved here from Birmingham ~2.5 years ago. Andy works as a Technical Marketing Scientist at Open Biosystems (he just moved out of Research and Development). He finished his PhD at UAB in Molecular Genetics in 2005. FINALLY!! Of course, we both went to Auburn for undergrad – I majored in Nutrition and Andy in Molecular Biology. We moved to Birmingham for graduate school at UAB. Currently, I am a stay at home mom of 2 kids – Anna, 6 and Ben, 2 years old.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion!

New Music

I need suggestions for new music on our website!! What are some of your favorite songs from our high school days?
Please help!!!

Graves Lovell

guess i could contribute ....

i still have a pumpkin head. i haven't lost any hair, in fact i believe it is even thicker. i am still married to my wonderful italian wife, Ashley, from Alice, Texas. She is almost 1.5 feet shorter than me, but that's good because she can't reach things i don't want her to. We've been married for 6 years and are trying to expand the family. They say red hair is recessive, but i am confident any infant we have will have red hair and be forced to take on comedic qualities to maintain friends in school. She is currently a wildlife biologist for USDA out of Montgomery and I am a district biologist for Alabama Dept Conservation and Natural Resources. So we get holidays (like today) that no one has even heard of. It's great. I used to work for a private resource management company, and there were few holidays. The work followed me home. life too short for that business. We live in Clanton, AL and like it just fine. It is just like Opelika used to be back in the 90s. We play in a casual bluegrass band. I play the mandolin and she plays the fiddle. We aren't so good at performing yet. We started at the bottom - nursing homes and such, and we are still pretty much there! Hood would probably not be impressed. We go back to visit the farm near Opelika often to enjoy the outdoors. We travel as much as possible. Ireland was the favorite. My best friend from AU passed away a couple yrs ago, but i still go to his hometown in Iowa every fall to visit his family. Ashley usually comes too - they are like our 2nd family. Still keeping my eyes peeled for Shelly. That's about all that is interesting.

Emmie (Tippett) and Dave Sellers

David and I have been married and living in Newnan, GA for 9 years now. We never thought we would be here that long, but the Lord had other plans. We have two girls, Hayes ( 7 yrs. old) and Bennett (5 yrs. old). David is a Mechanical Engineer (graduated from Auburn) at Hoshizaki America, Inc. (a Japanese company), in Peachtree City, where he designs commercial ice makers for hotels, restaurants, etc... He is doing very well there and seems to enjoy it (his work history is less complicated than mine). I graduated from Auburn as well in Human Development and Family Studies. My concentration was Child Life- preparing children for medical/surgical procedures in the hospitals. I did an internship at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville. After graduation I stayed in Nashville for 2 years but did not work as a Child Life Specialist. I did a couple of jobs just to pay the bills so I could live there. I loved it in Nashville! When David and I got married I worked as a Program Facilitator teaching a pregnancy prevention course to girls ages 8-18 yrs. I stopped that after a couple of years and then worked as a Counselor for children with emotional and behavioral issues. I did that for about a year and then taught Kindergarten at a Classical school in Newnan. I stopped work after our first child and now I'm a photographer. Wow! What a switch! I started my business about 5 years ago (sellersphotography.com). I love it! David is behind the scenes with that as well. He designed our website and helps with the business side of things. We also help lead the praise and worship music at our fellowship where David is lead on guitar and voice and I am lead on voice as well. Playing a musical instrument was never a strength of mine. :-) The Lord has truly blessed us, and we are trying to enjoy everyday He gives us! We hope to see you all in July!P.S.- Tyree, you had me and David laughing! Your humor hasn't changed a bit!
Emmie (Tippett) Sellers

Heather Johnson Dean

Hello everyone-It is hard to believe that we have been out 15 years! I still live in St.Augustine, FL with my husband Robert of 9 years and our daughter Bailey (4 years old). I still work for the Trauma service at SHANDS in Jacksonville, FL. I have been practicing pharmacy for 9 years and we have been here for 7 of those 9. My husband teaches and coaches high school football, so we still enjoy Friday nights at the football game. We really enjoy living in Florida despite all the hurricanes! We will be unable to attend this year's reunion because we will be giving birth to our son Colby Robert. I hope you guys have a GREAT time and hopefully we will be able to attend next time.

Tyree Melton

Hello Everyone,
Tyree Melton signing in.....It's amazing, I've been away from high school for 15 Years. Wanted to start by saying that the Lord is surely Blessing Me and
giving me Mercy for all the High School & College craziness I was involved in....I'm 11 years out of "college"....Can't believe it....As you know, I graduated
from Bama in Engineering (never used it....) and also Univ. of Louisville w/my Masters in Biz (MBA). I've worked for General Electric since college and have
been enjoying my ride all along. It's taken me all over the world, including Mexico for 2.5 years. I have been married for nearly 7 years and now have two
kids. Looking to have one more before I'm out of that game. So, total, I have 30 toes on the ground that I'm responsible for. Biggggg surprise huh?
Well I currently live in Cleveland, OH...the Armpit of America. Top 5 in everything negative...unemployment, poverty, crime, flight, snow, etc....
I lived in Louisville,KY for Ten Years and never went to the KY Derby...go figure.....

At any rate, I'm relocating again this year.....plan is to move back to the Southeast...I'm looking forward to seeing all of you at this years reunion.
Hopefully, you'll realize that many classes at OHS don't have the involvement or the connection to get back to town with the numbers that we have, so
let's take advantage of this connection and plan a small trip back to the O-Town......So let's get back and kick sum'dust up!!!

Where's my man, Mac Freeman? Stites? Jaquita? Monica "Byrd-Heard" Byrd? Emmy? Heather?
Jason, my boy is your new Supply Chain Mgr of the Americas @ EXXON-MOBILE......in Houston...so hollaaaaaa at him for me...Artis Brown.


So, whhhhaaatttzzzzzzzzzzuuuuuppppp? What SAY YOU 93?

Merry Jones Martin

I am in Opelika. I have been back here 9 years after living & teaching in North Alabama for 2 years. I am now teaching Chemistry & Physics, as well as a part-time Assistant Principal at Smiths Station High School in the Lee County School System. I am looking for a full-time administrative position. I hope it will be in Lee County Schools because I have been with them for 9 years, and I love it. However, if I have to change school districts to get a full-time administration job, then, so be it! I cannot believe I have been teaching for 11 years. Is it just me or does it not seem like we were in high school just a few years back????
I am still single - as I was at the 10 year reunion, and I don't have any plans of changing that as of now! I don't know if married life is for me after the first experience! No babies either for me. Not sure if that will ever happen! I have lots of children that I love & care for daily. Then, we all get to go to our own homes at the end of the day!
You can contact me at: merryjmartin@yahoo.com

Kelly Greene Pitts

Hi All from Kelly (Greene) Pitts

My husband Eric and I will celebrate our 10 year anniversary this December. He is from Pensacola, Fl and we met while he was getting his Master's at Auburn. We moved to the B'ham area (Helena to be exact) in 1998 so he could attend law school at Cumberland. Once he graduated we decided to stay in the B'ham area but moved to Alabaster where we currently live and work. He is in Private Practice and I'm a Dental Hygienist for a Pediatric practice. We have 3 children. Our son, Brayden will be 5 in June and our twin girls, Ella and Emma will be 2 in July (the weekend of the reunion). Unfortunately because of the girls b'day we will probably miss the reunion this time around. Hope you all have a great time and hope to see you next time.

Jason Nichols

Konichiwa from Jason Nichols.

Hey Everybody,

I have been living in Tokyo, Japan for a little over 2 years now. I am working on a project for ExxonMobil. We will be moving back to Houston, Texas in July. We lived there for 8 years before moving to Tokyo. I have 3 sons, Sam (6), Jake (4) and little Abe (7 weeks old). Lisa had Abe in Tokyo. That was an interesting experience! I hope to make it to the reunion, but we may be in the middle of moving. It sounds like fun & I hope I don't have to miss it.

Go Dogs!

Lynette Hinton Boone

Ok, I guess I will be the first...

Lynette (Hinton) Boone...I am married to a wonderful man named Michael from Oxnard, CA. We have 3 beautiful children. Ayanna - 3 and twin boys, Xavier and Isaiah - 2. I am living in Nashville, TN, and teaching 3rd grade. I graduated from AU and taught 4 years in Phenix City before moving to Nashville. I plan to move to CA or VA in the next 2 years. I am very involved with my church (that has not changed from high school). My husband and I are ministers and I work with the Women's Ministry and the Youth at my church. I think that sums up it. Anyone that wants to contact me at Ldhboone@comcast.net.

Where in the World is...

I'd like to try something new. Since trying to keep things organized for our class various people will email me and ask about our classmates. They want to know what folks have been up to, where they live, etc. So I am asking if you are interested in letting us know how you are, to email me at msmvance@bellsouth.net and tell me what you have been up to and I will post it on our website. Hopefully, this will keep our classmates coming back to the site to find out more about their long lost friends! So who would like to go first???

I Need Your Info.!!!

If you have changed your address or contact info. in the last 5 years could you please email me asap...
msmvance@bellsouth.net

Thanks!
Michelle

Getting Closer

Many of you have emailed me (Michelle) asking about the reunion. Just so you all know we are posting ALL information on this blog. Because we want to keep this one low key, we are not doing mass mailings this time and lots and lots of email. I think this is amuch more efficient way of keeping information out there. As it gets closer we will ask for you to rsvp. You will be able to email that to me or respond through the blog. We are planning on being able to pay for the whole event, but we will need a good head count before hand...

As far as what you can be doing to help is to get this blog address out there!!! If you have a MySpace or Facebook page, website, blog, etc. please put this web address on there so that we can get the word out!!

On a disappointing note, Adam will not be able to play at Eight and Rail on July 26th. He was able to get into a festival that he was really wanting to and it is that same weekend!!

I hope you all are enjoying your spring and I am looking forward to seeing you all this summer!!!

Plans

Hi All!
I just thought you all might want to know what we have come up with for our reunion this summer. With this being just our 15th, we decided to keep it fairly low key.
Here is what we have scheduled:
Saturday, July 26th
Evening: We will have a catered (casual) dinner at The Train Depot in Opelika. We will be renting out the facility and we will most likely have BBQ and drinks catered in. If you want any "adult beverages", please bring your own cooler. This will be a good time to eat and spend time catching up. Then later in the evening for those that still want to do something we will head to Eighth and Rail to HOPEFULLY hear Adam play.
Because of the leftover funds from our 10th, we will be able to absorb the costs of dinner and the rental of the Train Depot. If we end up going over what we have, then we will hopefully only need a minimal amount from everyone. Eighth and Rail will be "Dutch treat".
So, this is why it will be important to know who all is coming this summer as we get closer!!!
We will only be communicating through this blog, so please forward the link on to anyone you still keep in touch with from our class and keep checking back for more details!!
These plans are not set in stone, but I thought it would give you all an idea of what we have planned!!!

What Are Your Plans???

We are in the beginning stages of planning our "shin dig" and we would like to have an idea of who is coming. Even if you think you might could possibly swing it, let us know if you are coming and if you are bringing anyone with you!!! You can let us know through the comment section (again you can post anonymously and just leave your name at the bottom of your post) or you can email me: msmvance@bellsouth.net!
This will really help us in planning!
Michelle

Homesick???

Forwarded to me by none other than our own Ivey Banks Murdock...


20 ways to know you're a true Alabamian

1. You can properly pronounce Conecuh, Cahaba, Opelika, Sylacauga,
Tallassee, Oneonta, and Eufaula.
2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states
are sissies. .
3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard
and look for a funnel.
4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not
determined by the Distance to the door, but by the availability
of shade.
5. Stores don't have bags or shopping carts, they have sacks and
buggies.
6. You've seen people wear bib overalls at funerals.
7. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.
8. You measure distance in minutes.
9. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the
ocean.
10. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.
11. You know cowpies are not made of beef.
12. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their
wedding date.
13. You have known someone who has a belt buckle bigger than your
fist.
14. You aren't surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, and
bait all in the same store.
15. A Mercedes Benz isn't a status symbol. A Chevy Silverado
Extended Bed Crew Cab is.
16. You know everything goes better with Ranch Dressing.
17. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to
multiply.
18. You actually get these jokes and are "fixin' " to send them to
your Friends.
19. You have used your heater and air-conditioner in the same day.
Finally:
You are 100% Alabamian if you have ever had this conversation:
20. "You wanna coke?" "Yeah." "What kind?" "Dr Pepper."

HELP WANTED

If you are interested in helping with the Saturday afternoon event, please contact me! msmvance@bellsouth.net

Save the Date

We have set a date for the weekend of our 15 year reunion!!

Please mark your calendars for:

July 26th

Some music for your 18 year old soul...

If you look at the bottom of the page we have a playlist playing some songs I thought were popular from our teenage years (we are so old) and couple of Adam's songs. So sit back and just go back to those easy going days...

If you have a song you would like added, please let me know and I'll be happy to add it! Amy G. I know you have a few that you would like added!!!!

A little more help

It has been brought to my attention that some of you may be struggling with posting, so I'm making it easier. You can now post anonymously. I wanted to avoid that so we wouldn't have any weirdos posting. So in your comment please put your name so we know who is commenting. So go below this post (or any of the others) and just click on "Comment" and it will take you right through it!!!
Please comment so that we can figure out what everyone would like to do, even if just to say hi! and you are fine with whatever we do...we would really appreciate the input!

Help

Okay, so finally we have had ONE comment (thank you Tyree). In the blogging world the rest of you would be called "lurkers". You come and check out the blog, see if there is anything new and then leave. I know that you are there, we bloggers have our ways!! So Tyree has been the only brave one to comment. So, I'm going to help you out.
Here's what you need to do...
First, set up a Google account. It is so easy...just go to www.google.com and go from there.
Second, make a comment. Let the rest of the class know that you are there!
Third, answer these questions:
Do you even want to do something for our 15 year reunion?
Are you planning on attending?
Do you have any ideas?
Would you rather a different song for our blog and what are your requests?
Thanks!

15 years

Wow!!! This June marks FIFTEEN years since we graduated from "Dear OHS"!!! Raise your hand if you feel old!!!

This blog has been created as a means to get information out there about any upcoming events or links to all things Opelika!

So five years ago this summer we all got together for a great time of catching up. After talking to many of you, it seems you all are interested in doing something for our 15, but maybe a little more "low-key". So here is your chance to put your two cents in...


What would we like to do?

Here are some thoughts I have heard:

Just meet up at a restaurant/bar and make it "dutch treat"

Rent out Eighth and Rail and charge a "cover charge" to get food, etc. and then have a cash bar.


What ideas do you have??

If you would like to leave a comment you need to be a Google member. (It is very easy and does not take long)


If you would like to make a post, please email me (msmvance@bellsouth.net) and I will help you do that.


Please forward this link onto anyone in our class, as I don't have everyone's email address!!!

Thanks!

Michelle Metzger Vance
By the way if you would like a link to something of yours, let me know and I will add it!!