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Post by Admin on Aug 12, 2020 6:43:29 GMT
Classmates as I remember them Classmates as I remember them, lets begin.....  I will try to get to all I remember without cheating, it will take time, but if in my past, you will be memorialized sooner or later, if not by name, than be behavior or 'event', or description. So be patient, your time will come, maybe multiple times actually. Oh if I could have those days back, oh well, I have now, so will work with 'now'... Lets begin this long journey into the past.
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Post by Admin on Aug 12, 2020 6:53:44 GMT
Gavin S
I can't get them out of my head lately.
Gavin was like a smart kid, who actually tried to 'dumb down' to be my friend.
But Gavin S had more of a mathmaticians head or mind, and their parents, if remember correctly, were University Teachers, as were many parents in Pullman...his parents were very bright and smart to.
I think I went to his home just once, he invited me home after school or the weekend, I forget, I think after school.
Gavin was just Gavin, he, they, loved to laugh, I do remember that, and Gavin was one of those type of guys, at least in school, who had a heart, they were smart, tried to dumb down to hang with the more fun people, and sometimes they got picked on by others.
I wish I had a actor or someone famous to compare them to, it'll come soon.
They had like that golden blonde type of hair, straight at the roots, but then got curly the longer hair got, so kind of had that 'hair curl around the head' type of hair.
They had the pedigree to be a uppity snob, but he wasn't he was so grounded, and all my years in Pullman, even though we never really hung out, they were always just so ever nice to me, they were one of those guys, or personalities, that when around them you didn't have to 'fake' being anything other than yourself.
They lived down on that hill above that park on the way to Moscow, forget the name of that park, that very low laying park that the bridge ran over where they use to keep that cougar years ago...'Butch' the mascot, they use to keep live cougar in that area on bridge for people to see.....
Those days are so very gone, if they tried that now, instant law suites from animal rights protesters.
Anyways Gavin, be well if out there, I always remember you wearing that back pack, and always doing your homework, you were so smart, and thanks for dumbing down at times, to be my friend...be well.
Veeeeeee...remember that?...LOL
Much more to follow, more memories to come, and many more special names to mention.
(added memory note: Tonto or Taranto, could never pronounce his name right, an Italian kid, lived on that same hill, they moved in later, middle school later, I think, were very athletic, and tough, and also very smart, many of the kids from Pullman, my classmates, were very smart, I could hardly keep up cause had other stuff on my mind at the time)
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Post by Admin on Aug 12, 2020 7:04:40 GMT
Gavin S I can't get them out of my head lately. Gavin was like a smart kid, who actually tried to 'dumb down' to be my friend. But Gavin S had more of a mathmaticians head or mind, and their parents, if remember correctly, were University Teachers, as were many parents in Pullman...his parents were very bright and smart to. I think I went to his home just once, he invited me home after school or the weekend, I forget, I think after school. Gavin was just Gavin, he, they, loved to laugh, I do remember that, and Gavin was one of those type of guys, at least in school, who had a heart, they were smart, tried to dumb down to hang with the more fun people, and sometimes they got picked on by others. I wish I had a actor or someone famous to compare them to, it'll come soon. They had like that golden blonde type of hair, straight at the roots, but then got curly the longer hair got, so kind of had that 'hair curl around the head' type of hair. They had the pedigree to be a uppity snob, but he wasn't he was so grounded, and all my years in Pullman, even though we never really hung out, they were always just so ever nice to me, they were one of those guys, or personalities, that when around them you didn't have to 'fake' being anything other than yourself. They lived down on that hill above that park on the way to Moscow, forget the name of that park, that very low laying park that the bridge ran over where they use to keep that cougar years ago...'Butch' the mascot, they use to keep live cougar in that area on bridge for people to see..... Those days are so very gone, if they tried that now, instant law suites from animal rights protesters. Anyways Gavin, be well if out there, I always remember you wearing that back pack, and always doing your homework, you were so smart, and thanks for dumbing down at times, to be my friend...be well. Veeeeeee...remember that?...LOL Much more to follow, more memories to come, and many more special names to mention. (added memory note: Tonto or Taranto, could never pronounce his name right, an Italian kid, lived on that same hill, they moved in later, middle school later, I think, were very athletic, and tough, and also very smart, many of the kids from Pullman, my classmates, were very smart, I could hardly keep up cause had other stuff on my mind at the time) Think Chevy Chase, as a kid, and you kind of sorta have Gavin, same hair style or flow even, but Gavin's hair was golden brown. Yes, Gavin = Chevy Chase as a youth.  And for the fun of it, will for now on find celebrity personality and look a like match for all of the classmates I remember, just to add a bit of fun to the process. |
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Post by Admin on Aug 12, 2020 7:23:10 GMT
Julie F Oh Julie oh Julie F, how could I ever forget about you?? You were the only one to actually ever reach out to me about one of the first class reunions, trying to remember if we spoke or not?...I think I was in Scranton PA at the time reunion took place, I was driving a big rig behind or near a Petro Truck stop in the woods. What can I say about Julie F, I can't say enough, she had a golden heart, was beautiful and always oh so nice. She had lushious white/pepper black, type of golden hair, like the youngest Brady bunch sister had, Cindy? But she always kind of had a light layer of baby fat on her, so to some she was 'plump', but proportained, the guys loved it, or her looks, but I think her family was Mormon. She was mainly known for going out with a guy named Louie G, he's a whole character in himself, and very good hand drawing artist, he could draw life like comic book figures back then with led pencil, and if they had had computer graphics back then no telling the level of his school era talent, their father also was a coach of the WSU football team, so Louie's family had clout, but to us he was just Louie. Back to Julie F. I think I asked her out once, and she said 'yes', but it was one of those... 'I'm saying yes just cause I feel sorry for you and no that you don't even know what to do with a gal even if you had one' Even I could sense it was a 'mercy yes' at the time, and she was right, I really didn't know what to do with a gal back then, around the guys I did, but around girls like Julie, I froze, was way to innocent to be dirty.. Julie knew that, and like Gavin, she knew I was basically a shy angel on the inside going through identity phases like all others. Julie F just gets a 'C' for Cool, she was just a very cool chick, and carried herself well. It's hard to be in high school, a female, look outstanding, and yet still be grounded, but she pulled it off, and to this day I miss her. Now for the celebrity comparison...it's a toss up OK. I could go with Goldie Hawn, or Cindy, from the Brady Bunch...hmm.......  I'm going with Cindy, cause of the eyes, look up the actress that played Cindy, on the Brady Bunch when she's older, and that's kind of Julie F. Big beautiful eyes, and lushious hair, a gentle heart and mannerism to boot. Julie F, to this day you're still one of a kind. (added note: Julie was one of the original 'Franklin Foxes' girls, a nick name given to the girls that arrived to middle school from Franklin elementary, they all had a reputation for being 'hot', when the arrived at Lincoln middle school, and the Queen of Franklin was babe named 'Ann M', more on her later)
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Post by Admin on Aug 25, 2020 17:29:59 GMT
Next up, Tony C, the anointed coolest kid in Pullman at the time, and once a close friend
Who the hell, if from Pullman, and went to Sunny Side elementary, who the hell could ever forget Tony C--P?!
They were like the Fonz of our day, handsome, witty, clever, and even nice...I think I'll do a podcast episode on them, cause writing about them wont do them justice.
Tony C--p so set the tone of what the rest of us would become, how the rest of us would learn to evaluate ourselves, who and how we measured ourselves against when it came to be very cool, or not cool at all.
Tony C was like 'The Beatles' all in one, the only grade school guy to like have a fan club of girls chasing him, no one could compete, then sadly they moved away to Yakima, WA right before middle school...last encounter I had with them was at '5th grade camp, where they teased me, stole my hat, I was humiliated, cause back then ashamed of hair.
Anyways, Podcast on Tony C coming soon and those he influenced.
You know, looking back, it's as if we were all adults, even back in the 5th grade, cause looking back, the emotions, the social dynamics we had back then, still feel the same as today, odd, very odd.
Added side note: Tony's equivilant at Jefferson would of been and or was 'Greg J, and David C-x, David C-x, back then was to Jefferson what Tony was to Sunny Side, more on Greg J, and David C-x in future posts.
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Post by Admin on Aug 30, 2020 19:21:30 GMT
As promised, here's first Tony C--p Podcast of my memories of them and impact they still have on my life, even today! mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/ti3hxj/Tony_Culp_memory99i0v.mp3 Folks, the older you get, the more you realize memorize are all you got, no one is tougher than sweet, nice soft memories. None of us were born to be 'monsters' or 'hardcore'...usually it's others who project that crap upon us. And while still alive, and healthy, I simply want to share the memories of Pullman, WA, and the times I had while growing up there. Also, if anyone has any year books from that era, please contact me, I'll buy them from you. I'll remaster and share with the world in dignified way...memories can't be allowed to die. Even though 'I', forgotten about, I shall never forget about 'you', those who impacted my past...and will only recount 'you' in positive light, whether you liked me or not at the time, I'll only recount my memory of you in a way that makes you look 'good'... Why?, cause that's just who I am, that's who I've always been, just to bad so many of you didn't see it at the time, but what the hey, we were all young and dumb back then, hopefully maturity has set in by now... If from Pullman, reach out...if not, stories told here will probably be relatable to wherever you happened to grow up as well.
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Post by Admin on Sept 9, 2020 11:28:28 GMT
Todd K--p This is how I remember Todd K--p, they remind me of Barney Rebel from the Flintstones cartoon.  (Todd K's celebrity match) They just always had a very agreable personality about them, they always seemed happy in almost any social environment, and could hang around with anyone, although in Pullman, growing up, they were always in the 'Cool crowd'. Everyone just thought Todd K was cool, he just had like a perminant 'cool pass', and I think last I remember, they married fellow classmate Sheri L, who had birth marks on their forehead, but was herself always in the cool crowd, the A-list of popularity type of crowd. But aside from that Sheri was actually really, for real, grounded and cool, even aside from her 'cool status', she was cool, and had a older brother who was also just as cool. Some people were just like that, maybe do to how they were raised, their parents, who knows. You can always tell when someone really is 'cool' for real by encountering them away from their 'group', and if they still act 'mature', calm and nice, even away from their 'crowd', then usually they're a for real type of cool. But if away from their 'in crowd', they act insecure and edgy, than they're faking their coolness just to fit in. Both Todd K and Sheri, were cool people, even when away from the in crowd they normally rolled with. Me and Todd K go back to my earliest years at Sunny Side elementary. I mean folks, my fist social contact, outside of my home, was with these people I'm describing here. Some I can remember from as early as when I was 5 years old, so of course they all have special places in my memory and heart. Anyways, yes, Me and Todd K would walk to school together at times, and create our own backyard adventure on the way there as we took short cuts through peoples back yards, I doubt you could do that in todays paranoid environment, but back then it was tolerated. Looking back now, Pullman was indeed heaven, it was heaven, at least to me it was during me younger years. When I pass, I don't need to go to some other cosmic place, just send me back to Pullman, as I was, as it was, when I was 5. Hope you're still doing well Todd K.
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Post by Admin on Sept 27, 2020 23:55:26 GMT
Me and Tony Culp ran away together, in the 3rd grade Yes, me and Tony Culp ran away together like in the 3rd grade, my last year at Sunny Side elementary... If I recall correctly, my family just moved to Albion, WA, and I don't know, maybe Father yelled at me that morning, I forget, but also Tony C, had bad night at home as well, and for whatever reason we decided to run away together, so weird, so strange, looking back. Whitman County, imagine running away in that county while in the 3rd grade, I mean where are you going to go?...lol. Long story short, for Pullman that was a big deal back then, to have two 3rd graders missing, not showing up for class. We ended up, somehow and through fate, actually ended up following train tracks that led us to Albion, the place my family had just moved to. And the person who saw us first on main street was my older brother, who we use to call 'Tabit'. I'll never forget that, that's back when my older brother was actually cool to me, before religion and women screwed them up in the head. Back when older brothers were 'tough' and protected you, and led by example, then religion and other saucy crap comes in and turns older brothers into dog mess. But ye, me and Tony ran away together in the 3rd grade, what a adventure that was, think got spanking from Mother, and Tony got a hug, story of my life. 
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Post by Admin on Sept 27, 2020 23:58:50 GMT
Story may still even be in Newspaper or Police report, who knows.
I just know I miss Pullman, and my time there growing up, so innocent, I just wish I had realized I was already living in heaven while there.
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Post by Admin on Oct 18, 2020 23:47:57 GMT
Laila K, you're next up on the classmate is right! Ahh yes, Laila K, I can't remember if she was an original Franklin Fox, or Jefferson babe or one of those odd Edison elementary ones (Edison elementary got closed down, but it was like the wild west of elementary schools, located very close to the Pullman University campus) Either way, Laila K, how can I describe her? I thought of two different celebrity women to best compare her two, and the two are.. 1.  Lavern from Lavern and Shirly TV show and or... 2.  Or Kirste Alley from the TV show Cheers? Hard for me to decide in that Laila, like most girls growing up, evolved with age, I know while I went to school with her she started of in middle school as a very hyper active trouble making type of bratty gal, always annoying the teachers with her hyperactivity behavior, but because she 'looked good', braces and all with very golden brown fluffy hair, she was always in the popular crowd of girls, like their little bratty sister or something., when in school she was like a 'W' version of 'Tootie' from 'The Facts of Life', in that she, Laila, just couldn't keep her mouth shut. Laila was both adorable and annoying (not to me, but to others, this I observed while sharing classrooms and going to school together, remember when you spend so many years and hours, and class time with your classmates they become like family to you, for the better or worse, but you have plenty of time to observe and get to know them) Now the reason why I can't decide which TV character better fits Laila K, is cause like I said, as she aged, she became a bit more mellow, as most girls do, and in high school she started looking 'sexier' to the guys, and probably to herself as well, but she was never that type. Yes, she was a popular 'chic', with a loud personality, but she was never seen as, as a guy obcessive type, in other words guys, the persute of guys, did not occupy all her time, she was just more of a in crowd giggly type, like Lavern on Lavern and Shirly, but as she aged she kind of morphed or matured into more of a Kirstie, from Cheers type, in that she was a bit awkward in her on 'beauty', if that makes sense. As if she woke up one day and realized 'Oh my gosh, hey, I'm a woman after all' __________________________________________________________ How Laila and I related to one another. Our relations was always very surface, glancing type, 'Hello, how are you' type of short interactions. But, I do believe she always had a soft spot for me, she was one of the few girls I went to school with who never turned her nose up at me, no matter what phase I was going through, and mind you at her appex she was among the popular of the most popular gals there in school at the time...but yet, do to her personality DNA, she wasn't afraid to talk to anyone, regardless of social clique, if were a geek, she'd talk to you, if a rocker, she'd talk to you, if a smoker, she'd talk to you, if a Jock, she'd talk to you, didn't matter, if white, black, foreign, she just had that spazistic type of personality (a word I just made up for Laila). This is my own hunch to why she was that way, now looking back. I think since she herself started off awkward in the social scene, and worked her way into being near top of the popular girl crowd, I think a part of her never forgot how it felt to be on the outside looking in....I don't think she ever forgot that, and is why she was always so nice to anyone. I met her parents once, while selling stupid coupons, and I could see why she came out the way she did, her parents were as nice as could be to me, I could sense the 'love', confidence starts in the home...if, when, your parents love you, and you know that, than it's easier for you to love others. This short post does not doe Laila true justice, and years ago, last I heard she had landed a job with Nike in Oregon, but no telling where she's at now or what she's doing. I do know she forever has a special place in my heart and memories, and only good, cheerful thoughts about her ring out to me. I just hope the world hasn't robbed her of that cheerful, always optimistic, happy go lucky spirit she use to have, I mean the world can be very brutal. -------------------------------------------------- So is she Lavern or Kristie from Cheers?...I'd have to say both, she, Laila kind of captures both of their TV character spirits, Lavern more so when she was younger, and Kristie more so as she came of age. If you're out there Laila K, raised in Pullman, WA with house on military hill (or use to be years ago when you grew up there), Hello, and thanks for the pleasant memories. Stay you...
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Post by Admin on Oct 18, 2020 23:59:03 GMT
 Mike Rima, who's parents owned Lumber store, if out there, I still remember you also, even that fight in the 6th grade or 7th grade, or 8th grade, when you and Ray D got in that fight, when Ray walked up to you and just started swinging...you held your own, but so did he, it was a 'draw'...Two Alpha males going at it. That aside, you and your brother were so very cool to me and my sister, you, even though in the 'in crowd' of rowdy guys, were always so humble on the inside, and never ever were you mean to me, you always had a respect for me (or fear, lol)..more on my memories of you later on here, but if happen to read this just want you to know you're apart of what makes my Pullman memories so fond. |
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2020 7:38:50 GMT
Bill Smith (The fat one)
This should be in 'classmate dream section', but decided to post it here, it will be a short 2 part Billy Smith rememberence section.
Bill or Billy Smith was fat, let's just be honest, they were 'fat', very fat, as in gland issues type of oversized jumbo fat, but yet they were 'liked' and 'loved' by many, by his classmates, more so than me actually.
Billy Smith, although hyper fat, and 'mixed', as in part black, and something else, they were generally liked and accepted and way more 'mainstream' than I was.
Even though they were very fat, people, my classmates, feared him way less than me, and Billy could easily blend into the 'main crowd' the 'in crowd' where as I could not.
I'll never forget one summer or spring or fall day at Kruger park??, not for from Charlie Brown water tower in avatar, when I approached him and his mother, and she was fat also, and they were eating KFC chicken, and as I approached, they both practically growled at me as if to say 'Stay away from our food'.
To this day I remember that.
Billy was cool, and accepted, Billy Smith was 100% Pullman, and fit in with whatever crowd he wanted to, the in girls, the blacks, the rocker whites, the jock whites, any group, he just had that ability, where as I did not.
And one time while attending Lincoln Middle school, will never forget how him and Ray Dumas both gang tackled me on the wrestling matts and once had me subdued just began tickling me!
Why does that moment stand out to me even today??
Cause even though Ray Dumas, who was originally from Philly was normally a bully towards me, at that moment with him and Bill on top, they felt more like 'brothers'...it was affection.
Non sexual affection, and that type of affection I miss...so many of you won't understand that.
Tickling, do you remember that when younger?
You will if honest.
You'll also remember non sexual type of affection, just the affection of 'touch and play', when younger that you had with your friends, it meant you mattered to them!
And I miss mattering, I miss being around people who knew me, who knew how utterly harmless and playful I was, and still am...but then you grow up, and leave Pullman, and hurled into the ugliness of general society where people scared as hell of you cause society conditions them to be that way, yet on the inside still that playful kid that Ray Dumas and Billy, the fat one, tackled and tickled.
I miss being around people who don't fear me!!
I miss that so much, cause when people fear you, it makes them hateful.
When people don't fear you, it makes them playful.
I mean if two guys, or even two gals, or lady's were to tackle and tickle me even now, today, I'd still be that same playful person I was in the 7th grade? or maybe 8th, I forget.
Fear just makes people small and ugly.
I miss being around people who don't fear me, I so miss that.
Thanks Billy and Ray for that moment, cause all these years later still thinking about it.
__________________________________________________________
All that aside, yesterday had a dream of Bill Smith, they'd lost a bit of weight and moving fast, but could still see the blubber on them moving in waves.
More on Bill Smith to follow, wonder if they're still even alive.
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2020 7:53:47 GMT
Ray Dumas, my forever 'bully', the one from Philly
Hey Ray Dumas (Younger brother was Jay), if still out there, I miss you, even though usually you were mean to me, always loved to punch me and my friends, so much so we deemed your punch the
'Dumas punch', a punch we all feared and a punch 'Keith T', the Red headed one, felt one day at foosball table as he once used the 'n' word in your presence...and you were like
'Say that again', and they did, and 'Bam' right to the chest, their Ivy league red headed braces mouthed self felt the reality of Philadelphia right in their chest.
You were know joke Ray Dumas, your mother was at WSA for school, a fiesty woman as I remember here, that University is what brought diversity to that area.
The women all adored you, they considered you to be exotic and cool, me on the other hand, the women just saw me as a geek.
I remember you always had the cool 'waves' in your hear, something I could never achieve.
Oh the trips we took to Spokane together, with my sister, and Julian and Father, such a small bubble in life when things were cool or calm back then..Albion, Marney the mixed light skinned Pullmans 'Madanna'.
So many more memories to share, wish I could just win 20 million in lottery and just rescue us all from our current realities.
And just forget the pain, and create new joy.
Here at least though, you will live, your memories will live and when the right scholar finally finds this, you will all be immortalized.
So much more to follow, even you Ted, and Jim Emerson, and Sara Emerson and Lance Gibson and more.
For whatever reason this song always reminds me of Ray Dumas and his family, living there in what at the time was like the Wazzu ghetto, those homes have long since been torn down.
So much of the old Pullman gone, and you new comers to that place have no idea...you were not the first.
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2020 7:58:40 GMT
All of this done, thus far, out of pure raw memory, I'm trying to challenge self to see how much I can just remember without referencing anything, and so far I'm impressed, cause like each few days, new memories of those I knew while in Pullman keep popping up.
Like Tony Wagner (already mentioned, and his sister), or even Katie Berrett?, and her younger sister and older brother, yes, they shall be next, the exotic cool but 'hip' White family of Pullman, I think they were from the Tacoma, WA area.
Brett Berrett?, was like Slim Shady before Slim Shady was even born...to be continued.
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2020 8:00:36 GMT
What, you Pullman types, the originals from my era there, thought your lives were over and done with??
Harvard University may soon be reading this, the party isn't over yet, OK.
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