1984 Oxford, OH (7/26-30/1984)

Saturday, July 14, 1984
Sneaking in a photo from Charlestown Beach, RI.

Kent, Erich, and Kyle

Thursday, July 26, 1984

We were going to Kent’s reunion of his college buddies, and it was Mary Jane who suggested he take me. She was bringing Barney and the kids.

Ralph picked up Kent to go to work today. I took Kent’s car to Goodyear on Taunton Avenue, then walked to work. After work, Mary B took me to Goodyear to pick up the car. I cashed my paycheck, then dropped my keys off at Cathy H’s house, so she could use our kitchen if she wanted while hers was being remodeled, and water my plants. I arrived at Kent’s office late at 16:45 (he expected me at 16:30), but he was still working. We left at 17:00, took I-95 south and counted six 35-cent tolls through Connecticut. Took I-287 in New York over to the Tappan Zee Bridge (I used to work there, my brothers live here, etc.), then to the Garden State Parkway (my dad grew up here, this is how I used to go to work, etc.) with only two tolls. Next I-80, where we stopped in Parsippany for gas. I took over driving, and Kent didn’t appreciate my following the lanes in the empty parking lot, and took I-278, then I-78 to Harrisburg. Paid 10-cents to enter Pennsylvania. There was a lot of one-lane traffic due to construction. Kent slept while I maneuvered between Jersey barriers. I saw signs for the PA Turnpike, already?! I got on, then realized I was on the Northeast Extension. Later joined the actual Turnpike. At Harrisburg I exited to find a cheap Red Roof Inn, but it was full. I was having trouble getting Kent’s manual shift into first gear. Kent drove us to a Howard Johnson where we got a room for $54.

Friday, July 27, 1984

We had breakfast at HoJo’s, then checked out and left at 9:00 to return to the PA Turnpike and head west. Went through several tunnels, and it turned out that Kent also thought the area looked like the Swiss Jura! After eating two more of our packed sandwiches, I took over driving and turned onto I-70. I got to drive through West Virginia and into Ohio. Kent took over 30 miles from Columbus, since he knew the way. In Reynoldsville we could see a chimney and a couple outbuildings, the remains of a place that Stuart and Cheryl T once rented. Columbus had changed a lot since Kent was there last, but he found King Street near the Ohio State University campus, and Hewitt’s house, a lovely old house. Martha answered the door and the inside was exactly what the outside promised. Oriental carpets in every room, antique furniture, mostly of oak to match the fantastic oak woodwork.

Hewitt's house

We had arrived at about 15:30. Soon Hewitt came home from work, and 2-year old Sarah woke up from her nap. Sarah was very into "The Wizard of Oz," and was Dorothy for the day, complete with red slippers! They had a video of the movie, and could search the tape to replay favorite parts. We saw the “Yellow Brick Road” six times!

Sarah

Hewitt, Sarah, and Martha

Kent and Hewitt left to do errands and came home with beer. At 17:30, Stu and Cher arrived. He is American with both his parents being Japanese. She is a petite blond of Scandinavian descent. They had two adorable daughters; 6-year old Cecelia was a beautiful “Polynesian-type,” and 2-year old Sonja was more Asian looking, but with sandy-colored hair, absolutely cute! Sarah was happy they had arrived.
We sat outside as the sun lowered. It was decided to have pizzas, and so Kent and Hewitt went to get pepperoni and cheese. They were gone an awful long time. It was getting dark when the pizzas were finally started. We all went in the living room to eat, and they put on the Nutcracker Ballet on video. The four youngest girls were enthralled! Kent and Stu were put to sleep. They convinced the littlest ones that the video was over before it was actually done, so that they could be sent to bed. Cheryl went to one bedroom with her two girls, and Martha went to Sarah’s room where she and Hewitt would sleep. Sarah has a crib with lots of spiraling spindles. Hewitt and I watched a couple music videos between the sleeping Kent and Stu. Then I got our bags and Hewitt showed me to another antique bedroom with a ceramic pitcher and basin, pictures that hung with red ropes tacked to the picture rail, and a ceiling fan.

Saturday, July 28, 1984

The bright sunshine woke me at 7:00. Kent and I went down at 8:00 to find Hewitt giving Sarah breakfast. We had jelly-filled croissants. One by one the others came down, heading straight for the coffee. Kirby was also coming to the reunion, but there was no plan for getting him to the reunion until Kent and I initiated it. Kirby was then called with the plan, and I cleaned out Kent’s car (something to keep me busy!), and we packed Hewitt’s car. Stu and Cher left with their girls to visit old stomping grounds before heading to Oxford. Martha had to work that day.
We went to fill Kent’s car with gas while Hewitt did not, and followed Hewitt to the airport, where we left Kent’s car for Kirby, leaving the keys inside the gas cover. We also left a note at the People Express desk, with directions to Oxford. Plus Kent called Kirby again to clarify the details, while I showed Sarah the airplanes. At 13:00, we all climbed in Hewitt’s car to head to Oxford, and now he stopped for gas! We followed I-70, then turned off to follow country roads through slightly rolling hills of cornfields, and could smell the “fresh country air.” We stopped in Eaton at a beverage store to stock up on beer. We had fruit and pretzels in lieu of lunch.

We entered Oxford, with its good-sized Miami University, where Kent had graduated in 1971. We drove straight through town; the business section had grown since Kent was here last a dozen years ago or so. We found the Miami Motel at 15:30, and checked in where two rooms were reserved in Kirby’s name! Kent and I took one room with the intent of sharing it with Kirby, and gave the other to Stu and Cher. Howard and her clogging friend Duane saw us as we checked in. (They seemed to call many people by their last names, including women!) We were ready to leave, but Hewitt had things to do. Then he got a call from David and Adienne R, who were at her mother’s house. They would meet us at the hotel. Howard and Duane left to go on to Hueston Woods. I got more ice for the beers, and a third set of towels from the Asian Indian proprietor. When they arrived, Adienne was tall and thin, unlike all the other petite women I had met. Kent called David “Robert Redford’s brother,” and he was definitely in the best shape of all the men. They had two red-headed kids, Colin and Sonia, both pronounced with flat ‘o’s. They were also six and almost two years old. We drove to Hueston Woods, a huge state park, to the camping area to find section 'O,' place numbers 149-150 in the 'B' camping area. When we arrived, only Howard and Duane were there. As I got out of the car, I spotted a 4-leaf clover!

Four-leaf clover

Barney arrived with Mary Jane, Kyle, Erich, and 5-year old Hannah, the daughter of Morgan. All the kids ran off to the playground, and I went off after them. One by one the adults wandered over. I went with Erich to get a drink, and we ended up talking to Duane. People got together to plan a dinner, and Mary Jane and Barney took Hannah with them to go shopping, and stop at Hewitt’s room in the hotel to shower. They were gone a long time. Then Morgan and her friend Rick arrived in a VW camper with Minnesota plates. But they had come from Alaska. Howard had lived in Alaska, but moved to Oregon to be with Duane. David and Adienne came from Illinois.

The T family had also arrived at the campsite. Morgan and Rick decided to go see sailboats, and I took Kyle, Erich, Cecelia, and Colin to go with them. We stopped at the beach and let the kids go wading, but of course they got wet up to their waists! Cecelia fell in and got wet all the way. They found a couple two-inch long dead fish. We meandered back to the campsite, with Morgan practicing driving. We stopped to pick a bouquet of wildflowers and to see a bunny rabbit. Morgan, Rick and Hannah had traveled through India last November, too!

Stu was marinating and shish-kebobing chicken while larger pieces cooked on the grill. Corn on the cob was boiling and then rolled on sticks of butter. There was a tossed salad and dessert was M&Ms. Beer was freely guzzled. Kyle wanted his dead fish on his plate!

It got dark and the kids caught lightning bugs and played hide ‘n’ seek. Soon Kent was asleep on my shoulder. The kids were bedded down, and the adults gathered around the campfire, while Kent snoozed. David and Adienne left for her mother’s house. On their way out they ran into Kirby, and showed him the way to the campsite. So everyone who was to be there had arrived, except Margot, who used to be Jim. She was a nurse with the Olympics in Los Angeles, which had just opened. A lot of names and places were tossed around, but at least I wasn’t the only clueless person! Kirby drove Kent and me to the hotel for the night. Kirby wanted to try the massage vibrator hooked to the bed, but even with one quarter used to push in the other, both quarters got stuck. No massage!

Sunday, July 29, 1984

We checked out of the hotel for $37, and went for breakfast at Kroger’s. We met David and Adienne there. We toured Oxford a bit, seeing the old houses where Kent and Kirby used to live. We drove down the main drag and found an old bakery hangout. Kirby got a jelly donut, Kent a cheese pastry, and I got an iced roll. We reached Hueston Woods about 10:30, and breakfast was still in progress. Most of the kids were at the playground. Kent tried to shave using his car’s rearview mirror! I tried taking some photos, but the light was too contrasting.

David with Colin, and Sonja T

David with Sonia, Colin, and Adienne

Duane with Hannah and Sarah

Colin, Duane with Kyle, Erich

Cecelia

Mary Jane, Kyle, and Howard

Barney and Kyle

Kirby and Erich 

Morgan and Kirby

Stu and Hewitt

Stu, Kent with Kyle, Mary Jane with Erich, Howard with Sonja,
Morgan, Hewitt with Sarah, Rick, Kirby, Barney, Tamiko

People started to pack up and leave, first David and Adienne at 12:30. Then Stu and Cher. We were scheduled to leave at 13:00, but then another car pulled up, with another couple who almost missed the reunion. It was Ron and Loiann I., and their two blond boys, Spencer and Jordan. Morgan took aside one kid to talk about his troubles at school. I later learned she works in psychology. We then reset our departure for 13:30.

We took off with me in the back seat with Kyle and Erich, and Kirby in front with Kent. Hewitt followed us with Sarah. Near Springfield, we made a pit stop and Kirby transferred to Hewitt’s car. He would go visit with Martha, then catch the plane from Columbus. Kent headed down a highway towards a water tower to follow his nose in search of the Ohio Masonic Home. He stopped for directions at a gas station; we were on the right road, just going in the wrong direction. Soon we arrived at the impressive grounds of the Masonic Home, where Kent’s grandfather, Ray H, is living. We had a short visit with the rather alert 92-year old.

Ray H, Kent
Erich, Kyle

Next we drove Kyle and Erich to their Uncle Bill’s house in Columbus, OH, stopping at a Wendy’s for dinner. We arrived at 18:00, and met the uncle, and his two children, Billy and Cassie. Mary Jane and Barney hadn’t arrived yet, but we went ahead and left at 18:30. Kent drove to the next pit stop, then I drove into Pittsburgh to arrive at Anita C’s house at 22:30. Michael was still up to greet us. Yun-ko took Kent into the family room to watch the Olympics, then put Michael to bed. Anita fried up some egg rolls for a snack.

Monday, July 30, 1984

After breakfast, we took off at 8:00, taking I-81 to Harrisburg to I-80 to New Jersey. We stopped in Stroudsburg for lunch, then continued from I-80 to the Garden State Parkway, to the NY Thruway and the Tappan Zee Bridge, then I-287 to I-95 into Rhode Island.