Class Notes

I heard from Pamela Brown and she shares some of her travels. According to Pamela, “Our mothers tried to warn us~ time speeds up as you age, and this year has flown by. The passing of some good friends reminds us to enjoy life as much as possible as we go along… so while I do the occasional 75 hr week in application support, I also make sure to take ALL of my vacation days.  The biggest batch this year was used in May for cruising on Carnival Vista’s inaugural journey out of Trieste, to Croatia, Montenegro, Greece (Athens & Crete), Malta, Italy (Sicily, Rome, Florence), Marseilles ( with tour/tasting at Chateauneuf du Pape vineyard), and ending in Barcelona in time to join the street celebration of team Barca winning an all-Spain championship. My roomie on this trip was a cruisepal who lives in Edinburgh – Scotland, not VA~ hadn’t seen her in years, and we enjoyed hanging with my many office friends who were also enjoying the inaugural cruise.

I still had enough leave left for a long weekend for the opening of Ortanique restaurant at the Cliff Hotel in Negril Jamaica.  A handful of friends & I are great fans of Chef Cindy Hutson and her partner Delius Shirley (and dine at Ortanique in Coral Gables at least once a month), so we were very happy to see a LOT of positive press coverage for them.

And then there was Fantasy Fest in Key West… Halloween for adults.  While what happens at Fantasy Fest stays at Fantasy fest~ I will admit I stopped well short of going the body-paint route. But I highly recommend it for anyone who still has ‘body issues’ – you will see bigger smaller wider thinner taller shorter and EVERYONE is having a fabulous time.  I was with a handful of friends in a group theme, and we came in 4^th at Sloppy Joe’s costume contest.

Thanksgiving was spent quietly with a few friends – and then the town exploded on Black Friday with news that Fidel Castro was dead {some pointed out the irony of prime socialist passing on the most capitalistic of ‘holidays’). I think some Cuban friends are still celebrating down at Versailles restaurant ;->  Between that and a new president, it will be interesting to see what happens in the coming year (Folks might want to take advantage of Fathom cruises or flights to Havana soon, just in case we go back to embargo-era tactics!)  Whichever way the wind blows – I wish all the best to my friends!”

Allen Nichols Scott, Darrhea Pierce Donlavage, Mary Jane (MJ) Ford Johnston and I gathered in Annapolis on Saturday, November 5, for lunch and conversation. Although I was reported as the party pooper and had to leave for a Capitals game that night, MJ gave Allen and Darrhea a tour of the Eastport area of Annapolis after which they adjourned to MJ’s house for a crab quiche dinner and sleepover.