Gary Penrod:  

I teach English Medieval History and American History at Los Angeles Pierce Community College. That even surprises me. Do you remember picking fruit all those long hot summers and wondering where you would be in twenty years? In fact I remember the day sitting by the window at my enormous Underwood typewriter, in type class, at the Farrer Jr. High, behind Karla Dawn and wondering where the heck I would be in five years. Never thought that at age 73 I would be enjoying the heck out of teaching. Is the Farrer still there? Ok, I am now 74. that's more than I expected. I am also as of September 9th retired. that would be great but my buddy with whom I have been whitewater rafting, kayaking around the channel Islands, canyoneering in Costa Rica, and top dog aerial Combating down at San Diego just had a heart attack. We, those of us who said "yeah, sounds fun" to his every nutty dangerous idea are glad he's recovering and damn glad we don't actually have to jump out of that airplane. i am also glad he didn't have the attack on top of Lions Canyon above Logan on what we called the Lions Canyon Death March. I can just imagine pulling him home by his left ankle. We almost didn't make it as it was. Whew! What's going on is we all helped in Scouting. he as Scout Master and me as tagalong with one or the other of my five boys. in those long ago days I used to say "scouting would be great if it weren't for the damn scouts". so now we do it without them. Who knew life could be so much fun. Gary 23 Dec. 2008 I have been sitting here looking at your faces in the 1952 year book that Harold Graehl pretty much drew and wondering where the heck you all are and what life has been like for all of you. And why does this depress me so. Its the not knowing, the untold stories, that is getting me. I suppose that up to 1952 You were there and it was nice to know you were there. And then you weren't. I wish you had been. Dang. Don't any of you have Facebook accounts? Saturday 29 December , 2014 And 80th birth day back in Provo for a few days. And still missing you all when I,look out over the valley. .. Never thought I'd see 80 when about twenty years ago,I was diagnised with a fatal, progressive untreatable disease. Hah! And here I am happy as a damn clam pulling stock in the Bushops Store house three days a week, walking 3.5 to ten miles a day. And the dr says "well, maybe that's just how you roll!" Have you noticed what a magic thing the age eighty is? The things that no one noticed you do at seventy nine are remarkable at eighty. Look, he's still walking. I racked out a hand clap push-up,on my birthday and as I dropped down to do,it In imitation of a grand kid, the kids all yelled .. No dad don't. You'll hurt your self! And when I pulled it off you'd have thought I'd won the Olympics. Well, hello ...Expand for more