You only think we have interesting things to blog

Last week I checked at the thrift shop (’cause that’s how I roll) and found a gorgeous 100% wool L.L. Bean sweater, cranberry, never worn, $5.99.  Even better, it is a large — now, you might be saying, “But Deb, I don’t remember you as a large sort of person,” and you would be correct. But I didn’t buy the sweater to wear, I bought it for the yarn.

Know what a niddy-noddy is?  Know what a nostepinne is?  Well, you would if you were a knitting fanatic without the wherewithal to bankroll a pretty hefty yarn habit.  There is more than plenty to be had, though, with just a little patience.  A splash of OCD doesn’t hurt.

I spent this evening unraveling and winding the yarn into 50 yd. skeins on the niddy-noddy (that’s what that is) although mine really should just be called a niddy. Or a noddy.  Because the real ones do two yards per loop and Chris made mine to do only one.  But that’s neither hither nor thither…

Next step is to wash the skeins, gently in cold water so as not to felt the wool, and then let them hang on a broomstick or something to dry.  That way, the weight of the water will pull out the kinks left in the yarn from being knit into the first sweater. 

Then I wind them into lovely center-pull balls on the nostepinne (that’s what that is) and start knitting!  Couldn’t be simpler.  Well, ok, it could be simpler… but not for $5.99.

The end.

There, Steve, are you happy now?  I would bet you a million dollars that you are not.

Brush up on your Spanish before visiting Meira

If you’re gonna bring it in a fight with Meira Green, you best bring it Espanol style, amigo. And si tu espanol es muy mal, here’s a video to help you become bueno in no tiempo at all. Sra. Chacon would be muy feliz. And all las chicas dig the amigos who habla this stuff.

(Thanks, Krissssss)

You only think you don’t have time to blog

I am timing how long it takes me to post this. You see, lots of people think they don’t have time to blog. But the truth is blogging takes no longer than writing an email. You put in a headline, you write a sentence or two and then you’re done. You don’t need to send in a picture, but if you do, figure on adding 3-4 more minutes. Trust me – you can do this. It’s a welcome break in your day, and it’s a great way to kill cubicle time, too. We’re all wicked busy. But you do have the time. I learned my crappy typing from Mr. Kavaleski and this took one minute, eight seconds.

WAE Outtake Video

This video pulls together some video scraps and digs up the dirt left unspread after Steve’s version of our interview. They don’t call it scraping the bottom of the barrel for nothing. In it you can see Steve and I tossing Steve’s son coconut boy across the pool like a Tony Vaccarino tossing a brad. See Jack Russell’s greeting to the world. Get the latest news on Gregg Levin. Hear the scuttlebutt on Anne Bennett and Anne Bennett’s husband. Hints about the unnamed  woman (in this video anyway) that Steve got some action from in 8th grade. And find out why Steve is a nightmare house guest. A cautionary tale.

As Gary would say:

Enjoy……………….T

A sign from above.

I was driving along, and suddenly came across this sign. Inspired, I went in and prayed for Gary’s soul. I can only hope it helped.

Wayland Academy: SPLITTERS!

Lokerites will remember Mr. O’Rourke and remember him generally fondly I believe. That is, until he raged against the machine and started Wayland Academy, a – shudder – private school. O’Rourke started the Academy in ‘82, after they shut down Loker. He’s still the headmaster. The school met in one of the churches, I believe, near the Wayland/Sudbury line. It’s now in Framingham although it kept the Wayland Academy name. This makes as little sense as “The Cambridge School of Weston.” Anybody know anyone who went to Wayland Academy?

WAE has best day since launch. And fewest posts ever. Discuss.

Tuesday saw the most visits to the site since our official launch: 733 pageviews. That’s – what – like, three times the size of our class? This makes no sense. For one, until late in the evening there was only one post for the day and it was a baffling in-joke that only I got. Also, I unveiled a redesign that went over about as well as our Freshman entry into the Winter Week plays. So we’re now on our third look in as many days. I don’t think I can properly explain how confused I am. Of course, as a generally confused man, this is nothing new to me.

Senior Show Band takes on Yvan and the Badcocks

Upon hearing the Yvan and the Badcocks version of “Louie Louie,” Rob Schurgin and the WHS Orchestra kicked it old school at the Senior Show.

Is this look any better, you ingrates?

I got some complaints from those of you who have ancient computers (made pre-September 2006) that the “new look” wasn’t displaying properly. So, another $750,000 in development later, along with millions in venture capital (you saw how I singlehandedly crashed the Dow today) I’ve gone from the three-column look to this VERY spartan two-column affair. If this doesn’t work, Kavet’s buying everyone new MacBook Pro laptops.

Impress me you have, Steve Safran

Steve – thanks for the kind words about your motivation to start the blog.  I have to say, the only thing you have impressed me with more than this blog is what you showed me when we were in the 14th pew of the Trinity College Chapel back in ‘88.

Video: Yvan and the Badcocks LIVE!

To celebrate the new WAE look and the 10,000 pageview mark, never-before-seen footage of Yvan and the Badcocks, featuring Yvan Pillette on the acoustic samisen.

Last Minute Get-Togethers

It was so much easier to get everyone together, when we all lived in the same town. I live in LA now. The days of last minute get-togethers, filling up the tank and joy riding up to North Wayland are just a memory now. I imagine though, for Steve, Anne, Ken, Ashley, Kerry, Vac, Shem, Mape, Rubbahead, Ziz? and everyone else (who am I forgetting?) that lives in the area, it’s actually just as easy as it used to be. That amazes me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love hanging out with Gary and Gregg at the Mansion, but it can be a still a hassle.

It would be great to get everyone together again, play some ping-pong, get a few Carvel cakes.

WAE Cracks 10,000 views. You people are nuts.

I started this blog experiment on January 13th as a way to impress Tim Clemmey. (Mistake #1.) We went public when we hit 2,000 views on February 7th. And now we’ve broken through the 10,000 pageview mark. This proves several things:

• There is a hunger for information about the WHS Class of 1986
• There is a demand for Photoshopped pictures of WHS babes
• We have tapped into a previously unfilled desire to see pictures of Ashley on a regular basis
• You guys kill a lot of company time
• You still have it when it comes to ragging on each other
• We can still stand by each other
• Especially when it comes to ragging on Gary Gray
• You really like video of the Senior Show
• You really don’t like video of me and Tim
• You show excellent taste in video
• A lifetime of wise-assery pays off
• Unless it doesn’t
• There is a great need to get a ton of stuff off your chest
• You need therapy
• This is cheaper
• Karma, dude, is totally true
• “Anne Bennett’s Husband” is among the better nicknames I’ve come up with in a lifetime of nicknamery
• “Jack” Russell is still first
• “Deke” Short is second
• This list has gone way off track of what cracking 10,000 views proves
• And finally…
• If you build it, Starr Sinnett will come

Thanks to everyone for visiting WAE and making it an unneccesary, absurdly unneeded success. And a special thanks to all the bloggers who have signed up. I can only hope and pray you will actually blog some day.

A new look. Same old attitude.

In honor of us hitting 10,000 views, and to better highlight the pictures ya’ll have, a redesign for WAE. I’ve widened the column in the middle to give us more room for embarrassing pics and videos. I also tried out the new look on several focus groups, spent about $400,000 on development and research and hired a design firm out of Berlin, Germany to give it a clean look. All to impress the chicks. Did I succeed?

Deconstructing Peebles: A sixth grade in too much detail, with humilation points for all!

Owing to the limited resolution of the web and the width of this blog, the group pics have been a little fuzzy. So for the following picture of the Mrs. Peebles Sixth Grade Loker School Class of 1979-1980, I provide the group shot and three details. Because we all want to be seen in detail as we were at age 12. I’ll leave out the names entirely from this one, to provide a game as well: Name Those Nerds:

DETAIL ONE – THE LEFT:

(OK, I’ll give away this much. I’m thrilled that my parents let my hair grow just long enough to show off what appear to be a tasteful pair of pearl earrings. Also, Levin’s hair remains perfect as always.)

 

DETAIL TWO: THE CENTER

(Again, it won’t be giving away too much to point out Amy Larsen in the middle row. What you probably don’t see is that Nancy Curtain is holding a gun in Larsen’s back. True story!)

 

DETAIL THREE: THE RIGHT:

 

(Why is Gayle smiling? Did someone not explain to her this was 6th grade?)

 

So good luck and good hunting all. Extra points if you can name the horrible, life-scarring nicknames given to each of the above.