"Papa Smurf," you will be always be in our memories.

Rest in peace, Coach Jimmie "Papa Smurf" Parrot. I just learned about his passing. He had planned to come to our reunion this July. Here is a story on him and his recent retirement. Cherish every moment, Class.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, American High graduates, among them my own dear Class of '85. We're seven months away from our 30th reunion. If you haven't purchased your tickets to the July 18th Happy Hour at the Marriott in Hollywood Beach, please do so soon! Details are to the right of this blog. Coach Charlie Yanda who led our football team to many wins is our special guest speaker. Other coaches have also been invited. In the meantime, here are a few images that might bring back some memories. I just pulled out of my memory book and saw my much neater handwriting offering the following: Favorite Movie: Beverly Hills Cop Favorite Group: New Edition (I actually added a slash and wrote Lionel Richie). Favorite Movie Star: Eddie Murphy Favorite Sport: Football Favorite food: Pizza, subs Favorite car: Cherry apple red Nissan Favorite television show: The Cosby Show The only thing still true is favorite sport. It's still football. And Roll Tide even though I must watch those Oregon Ducks duke it out with Ohio State tonight. In memory of the latter's win over the University of Miami in 2002 owing partly to a bad ref call, I'm going for the ducks. What about you? Sharony

Countdown to the July 18, 2015 Reunion

Coach Yanda will be special guest at reunion

Coach Charlie Yanda, head football coach at American High during our days there, agreed to be our special honored guest at the American High Across the Years Happy Hour Reunion. Today is his 74th birthday. Listen to this hearty Patriot hello recorded via phone today with him. We are blessed to have him with us and just blessed to have known this man. Addendum: I just spoke to Coach Jimmy Parrot who worked with Coach Yanda and others and he said he will attend as well and will see if he can get other coaches to do the same. It will be an honor to see them all.

that building could have been anything

I don't know about you, but I never thought too much about the physical structure of our high school when I was a student there. But I think about it now as I get older. Architecture figures into my lesson plans, but also my favorite television shows, among them House Hunters and House Hunters International. I now wonder about how from afar American High looked like it could be anything: a factory, a correctional facility, an office complex; heck, even a spaceship. It was, however, just a school. Save for one skylight window, I don't remember any windows. Was that deliberate? Did someone want us to stay focused on the schoolwork before us? Were they trying to minimize the energy costs by keeping out the sunlight? If so, what were the costs? For a time during the 1980s any release from the postmodern, sterile look of our high school came from the energy of the people inside (and that brightly-colored mural of birds on the Central Plaza stairwell. Remember that?).

first ticket to the reunion purchased

A shout-out to Jeanne (Carpenter) Bradley of American High's Class of '85 for being the first person to purchase a ticket to our the Across the Years Happy Hour Beach Party Reunion (is that a mouthful or what?). Again, it will be held 5-7 pm July 18, 2015 at the Hollywood Beach Marriott hotel! Jeanne made her purchase via etsy and I can't thank her enough. In addition to the invite, she gets a special prize: an American High coffee mug. A shout-out, too, to all of the people who have worked on our school's yearbooks over the years. I've been looking through them to remember the good times. Have you? I have posted here the yearbooks in my possession. I don't have the one for the Class of '84 and suspect my brother, who was in that class, has it. That or it's somewhere in my mom's house in Florida, which means I may or may not find it anytime soon. By the way, a classmate is looking for Arlene Johnson who was also in our class. If anyone can tell her as much and provide her contact information to me via email, I will be happy to pass it on. Again, thanks Jeanne! And thanks to everyone who has RSVPed or emailed to say they plan to come to the reunion. PS I'm blogging now as I am already blogging for my fall courses. It's called "flipped" teaching. After August,I'll post updates a lot less. For now, please don't forget to make your plans to join us next July!

where we all are....

Lebron James has announced that he's going to Cleveland and I'm not sure how I feel. Go Heat, yes. Go Cleveland, not sure. His long-awaited decision to return home to the state of Ohio does presents a moment to consider the many places the members of American High's Class of '85 have settled over the past 30 years. This blog has had hits from many places in and outside of the United States, suggesting some of us definitely live or travel outside of this country. Based on the estimates of one of alumni website, it appears our residential breakdown is as follows: Florida (109), Georgia (9), Alabama (1), Maine (1), Michigan (1), North Carolina (2), Texas (3) and Virginia (1). I know one of us lives in the Bahamas and at least one other lives elsewhere in the Caribbean. There is also least one in Europe and possibly Africa. Please let me know if that site has missed a state. PS Both of my teams lost the fight to become national champions again - that would be Alabama and the Heat - after both won such a title the year before (I am also a 'Canes fan especially the '80s vintage as I was a student there back then). I am more than ready for a new season of sports. I am also more than ready for a trip to the beach. Here are photos taken during a trip to Florida last year. This crazy, hippies-styled truck was parked in Coconut Grove. There's also a shot of the ocean from Juno Beach. I sort of understand, Lebron. I miss my home state, too.