Comments

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  Belinda Kaplan February 9, 2008 at 11:07am

  Hey Tom...long time no "see".
  
  You have been very busy over the last number of years..it was hard to read it and not feel exhausted!!!
  
  Sorry for the briefness of my introductory remarks. I had just been connected to this site and had started training for a new position with a great company here in Colorado. Needless to say,that because I have never been in this particular occupation, the training left me pooped, especially attempting to look at a computer screen for another second--my eyes felt as though they would pop out of my head, not a pretty sight!!!
  
  So here goes. Jim and I got married in Sept of 86, right after graduation. We spent our first year at Emporia, then went to HQ. Both of our children were born while on Staff at HQ. Katlynn (Kate) was born 10/24/88, that makes her 19 now. James was born 10/23/90 (don't ask) and that makes him 17 now and a senior in high school. Can you believe it? (I can't) We went off staff in Oct. of 90 and went on the field to Palm Springs, CA (the biggest mistake of our lives--no it is absolutely NOT paradise, just the opposite). We were ther for 5 1/2 loooooong years. While living there, I managed a fine jewelry shop, Jim got back into the electrical trades and we ran a fellowship for about 4 1/2 of those years until our Corps status was rather abrubtly changed (nuff said about that). We moved to Colorado in the summer of 1996 and we have been here ever since. The move was a fresh start for us and probably one of the best things we could have done. Jim has prospered in the electrical trade, we now have our own electrical business, JK Electric. I have continued to be in the management/administrative field for various companies over the years. I worked for 5 years for Alan Brown, who now lives about 5 minutes from my house. We bought a beautiful home in Parker, which is about 45 minutes south of Denver and we love it. We have been in Parker for a little over 5 years now, we spent the first seven years in Aurora.
  
  I just started a new job, as I said above, with a company called Bellco Credit Union. It is a locally owned credit union and I will be starting out as a teller, however the current branch manager has said he would like me to move into his position as he moves up. So I have something to look forward to. Previously, I was working for a private country club, two minutes up the hill from my house. I really enjoyed it, but when it changed ownership, it became to difficult to continue to work there as there was just too much uncertainty and insecurity. As diffiicult as it was to leave there, I knew it was time and the right decision.
  
  I saw in your bio that you were in Kansas City for a while. Perhaps you know or met my good friend John Arvin. He and his wife Linda live in that area. He is a hair dresser and he was a WOW there around 1982-83.
  
  I will get it together as soon as possible and put some photos of the fam. In the meantime, it is really great to hear from you. I am happy that you are doing well. Life sure has it twists and turns, but, it is still a small world and great to know that there are still people out there like you.
  
  Hugs and blessings! Belinda
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  Jacqueline Howley February 9, 2008 at 10:49am

  Hi Tom,
  Whoa, someones been busy and that someone is you! Amazing what all can be fit into a half century. I am just getting into the site, trying to touch base with folks. It is good to reconnect with you. Mark say hello too, Jacqueline
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  Michael Northrup January 27, 2008 at 8:59am

  Hi, Tom, I just learned from the site administrators that we are not to put addresses, phone or e-mail of others out here w/o permission...my mistake! "Mea Culpa", but now I know the deal. So, if you have an e-mail address for me and it's OK to send, my e-mail is mnholy@sbcglobal.com - I don't care who has my e-mail...OK to share!
  God bless you, Michael
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  Michael Northrup January 25, 2008 at 4:33pm

  Tom, that is awesome! Loved reading your bio - congratulations on your 'life' - it has been well lived.
  And, yes, I would love Ken's e-mail address. Please send. My e-mail is mnholy@sbcglobal.net. If you are ever down near Wichita, I would love to see you and talk. Or if I head north, would love to have a cup of coffee and chat!
  God bless you brother, Michael N.
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  Terri (Schock) Wilson January 18, 2008 at 7:15am

  Hi Tom,
  That is really wild! Do you ever get out here to visit? Please, if you do, let me know, and we could get togeather!!!
  love you!
  Terri
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  Paul Marmora January 18, 2008 at 6:13am

  Wow! What a memory! Amazing you have the details so well in your mind. I went back to Michael's page and saw what you had written to him about it too. I just remember laughing until I thought I would blow lunch. I pictured Michael, making those little whimpering noises one makes as one is barely holding on to composure ()kind of like the chief inspector in the Pink Panther movies when he is trying to get his job back). One of my favorite memories of Emporia!!
  This is what I wrote to Michael about the incident after I read your note:
  I remember now that the guy was calling Pat 'Bus', but there was a girl in the back of the bus that reminded him of a fly. Pat was saying something about her and that he never knew if he had touched her, and then he was saying something about the last few days he was driving and he said, "you know what she did?" That was when I made the motions of a fly rubbing its front feet together. I can't believe Tom remembers it so clearly!! At any rate, your face is what I remember because you looked like you were going to explode, your eyes were totally bugged out, and your lips were barely clenched together. If you had had water in your mouth, the other folks at the table would have been soaked. One of the funniest things I remember from being in residence--anything for a friend!!
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  Michael Jones January 18, 2008 at 4:34am

  yeah, me too - in some ways - those were the good old days !!
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  Michael Jones January 17, 2008 at 2:02pm

  It is a vague memory - too many days gone by have faded a lot of the details for me - There were so many funny things
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  Michael Jones January 17, 2008 at 9:52am

  Not sure was that was - too many years gone by - give me more detail...
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  Marlene O'Malley Martindale January 14, 2008 at 4:20pm

  Hi Tom,
  Good to hear from you and to see so many familiar faces. Glad to read that you are doing so well!
  Marlene