Ahh...within a few months I will be attending my 30th high school reunion in Tulsa. The class of 1978, Tulsa Memorial High School, will be celebrating 30 years of life post what many thought was the end all and be all of life.... high school.

This being the 21st Century, there is a website for our reunion. My classmates who put long hours and hard work into creating it have given me a great gift. On the site are pictures of how we were and pictures of what we have become. I love looking at the now pictures... the women.. are more beautiful, the guys... more distinquished than i remember. I have to remind myself that 30 years ages us in as many good ways as it does bad ways. I look at my classmates photos and I can still see the young faces I passed in the hallway or sat next to at lunch, in classes and even in church.

Many of them married each other... some just after high school and college and others years afterwards. I am particularly facinated by the couples who hooked up years after graduation. I mean in no way to say those who have lasted for 20 or more years aren't remarkable to me either. I applaud them all. Its just, I find it very cool that people who spent such formulative years together as teens... have hooked up 2 decades later and become united. They share a similar memories... but also a different past.

So as the date of my reunion approaches, I will continue to wander back to our website, look at the pictures, smile and wonder about many things that were dreamed of, and many things that have happned since May 20th 1978 when we were sent out into the world.

I WOULD SAY A VERY SPECIAL GOODBYE TO MY FRIENDS THOM AND KAREN HUGE... TWO OF COMFORT FOOD'S GREATEST PERFORMERS:

WE WILL MISS THOM AND KAREN… NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE TALENTED MUSICIANS AND VERY FUNNY PEOPLE… BUT BECAUSE CODY AND WYOMING ARE BETTER PLACES BECAUSE THEY LIVED HERE….

AS A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER, KAREN TAUGHT, WORKED WITH AND BEFRIENDED THE CHILDREN SO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO PUSH ASIDE OR PRETEND DON’T EXIST. HER DEDICATION TO THESE CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS IS THE STUFF OF HEROICS. SHE HAS MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE… BECAUSE OF HER… CHILDREN WHO WERE ONCE ON THE EDGE OF SOCIETY… ARE A PART OF SOCIETY… SHE IS A REAL HERO….

THOM HUGE HAS BEEN A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, WHO LEAVES CODY A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE HE LOVES IT HERE. WHILE AT THE BBHC, THOM ESTABLISHED TRADITIONS THAT ARE STILL IN USE TODAY, AS A NEWS DIRECTOR OF THE BIG HORN RADIO NETWORK, HE WORKED TO COVER NOT ONLY OUR TOWN AND COUNTY.. .BUT TO ALSO EXPLAIN COMPLEX ISSUES THAT AFFECTED ALL OF US, AS PRESIDENT OF THE CODY COUNTRY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HE WAS A FRIEND TO BUSINESS’ BIG AND SMALL… WORKING TO ENSURE EVERY BUSINESS WOULD BENEFIT AS A RESULT OF HIS SERVICE, AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUFFALO BILL ART SHOW AND SALE HE PRESIDED OVER A RECORD SETTING AUCTION THAT WILL BENEFIT THE TOWN FOR YEARS TO COME….

AND AS MEMBERS OF THE COMFORT FOOD CAST… THEY HAVE BEEN AN ENORMOUS HELP TO ME… PROVIDING ADVICE, IDEAS, LAUGHER AND MOST OF ALL THEIR TALENT…

KAREN AND THOM… THE WIZARD ONCE SAID TO THE SCARECROW… A HEART IS NOT JUDGED BY HOW MUCH YOU LOVE… BUT HOW MUCH YOU ARE LOVED BY OTHERS… .YOUR HEARTS WILL BE JUDGED QUITE WELL…

ON BEHALF OF THE COMFORT FOOD STAFF., FRANK, KIM,WENDY, BRYCE AND ME…. THANK YOU….THOM… THANK YOU KAREN…

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve TRUCK DOGS PANTING,
Eleven WINDSOCKS WAGGING,
Ten TRACTORS REAPING,
Nine HORSES PRANCING,
Eight WOLVES A-WAILING,
Seven SILENT AUCTIONS
Six WRANGLERS ROPING,
Five DRIED UP SPRINGS,
Four CATTLE HERDS,
Three ROUND PENS,
Two TOURIST TRAPS,
And a MAGPIE IN A COTTONWOOD TREE!

CHRISTMAS WYOMING SONGS

ONCE AGAIN… ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE REVIEW OUR VERY FAVORITE… WYOMING CHRISTMAS SONGS……

THERE ARE TWO WEATHER PHENONMENONS ALWAYS ON THE GOOD PEOPLE OF WYOMINGS MIND SO.. TWO POPULAR CHRISTMAS TUNES WOULD DEFINITELY BE….

LET IT BLOW LET IT BLOW LET IT BLOW

OR… LET IT MOISTURE, LET IT MOISTURE, LET IT MOISTURE

IN HONOR OF THE CONTINUING… SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING… WHEN IS IT EVER GOING TO STOP ROAD CONSTRUCTION…..

THE 12 DELAYS OF CHRISTMAS!

AND WITH THAT SAME TRAIN OF THOUGHT…. A CHRISTMAS SONG ABOUT PILOT CARS HAS BEEN WRITTEN…

YOU SHOULD STEER WHERE I STEER.

A FAVORITE HERE ON COMFORT FOOD IS………
SUZANE LEWIS GOT RUN OVER BY A MULE DEER

AND ALONG THOSE LINES… THIS PARODY FROM THE GRINCH ISTHE SONG CAROLERS IN CODY HAVE RECEIVED THE MOST REQUESTS FOR…..

YOU’RE A MEAN ONE SUZANNE LEWIS…… IT DOESN’T RHYME BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE

WE WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE A SAFE CHRISTMAS… SO WATCH YOUR PARTYING OR YOU WILL BE SINGING…

JINGLE CELLS

FOR YOU WYOMING LAYWERS OUT THERE….
I’VE GOT MY LAWSUITS TO KEEP ME WARM

FOR THE SHEEP RANCHERS… WE HAVE THIS UP BEAT LITTLE DITTY…
JINGLE BELL FLOCK

FOR YOU LITTLE COWGIRLS AND COWBOYS…..
I SAW MOMMY BRANDING SANTA CLAUS

FOR OUR OIL FIELD WORKERS A VERY POPULAR SONG I KNOW YOU WILL LOVE……
GOD REST YE MERRY MANCAMP

AND FINALLY… FOR OUR OUTDOORSMEN AND WOMEN… AND ALL THE GREAT OUTFITTERS WE HAVE IN OUR AREA….WE HAVE A SPECIAL SONG JUST FOR YOU!!!!

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN AND HE’S BEEN IN HUNTING CAMP FOR 3 WEEKS SO WATCH OUT PEOPLE!!!

AND THOSE ARE OUR WYOMING CHRISTMAS SONGS!!!!

HALLOWEEN RULES FOR PARENTS.

YOU PARENTS OUT THERE HAVE, I AM SURE, SCHOOLED YOUR KIDS IN ALL THE RULES OF TRICK OR TREATING. ALWAYS SAFETY FIRST, ALWAYS SAY THANK YOU, ALWAYS WALK WITH A FLASH LIGHT. BASIC COMMON SENSE RULES OF THE NIGHT.

WENDY: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY THIS…. CHRIS IS RIGHT….. MAN … THAT WAS PAINFUL.

CHRIS: THANK YOU WENDY….NOW PARENTS, YOUR KIDS HAVE ASKED ME TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT SOME RULES YOU…. HAVE TO FOLLOW.

CHRIS: PARENTS PLEASE DON’T DRESS IN MATCHING COSTUMES WITH YOUR CHILD. THIS WAS FINE WHEN HE WAS 4 BUT NOW… AT 31 ITS EMBARRASING TO HIM. AND IF HE IS TRICK OR TREATING AT 31, HE HAS ENOUGH ISSUES.

WENDY: I KNOW THIS IS HARD PARENT… BUT…LEAVE THE MINI SNICKERS ALONE! THEY ARE FOR YOUR CHILDREN.

CHRIS: DON’T START A CONVERSATION WITH THE PERSON HANDING OUT THE TREATS, IT TAKES UP TOO MUCH VALUABLE TREAT TIME AND WHO CARES WHAT MRS SNITTLE HAD LIFTED… SHEESH!

WENDY: FOR YOU PARENTS HANDING OUT TREATS…SOUP IS NOT A TREAT!

CHRIS: OH AND PARENTS… DON’T DRESS YOU KID UP IN A LITTLE TANNENGER BEVERAGES BUDWEISER COSTUME AND GO TO LOCAL BARS ASKING TO SAMPLE THE BEER… TRUST ME ON THIS… IT DOESN’T WORK.

WENDY: PARENTS… DO NOT SAY… “TRICK OR TREAT, SMELL MY FEET, GIVE ME SOMETHIN GOOD TO EAT.” THIS REALLY EMBARRASES THE KIDS. BUT I STILL LOVE DOING IT!!!!

CHRIS: DON’T SECRETLY OPEN PIECES OF CANDY AND THEN SAY…”OH THIS IS OPEN… YOU CAN’T EAT THIS.. I’D BETTER GET RID OF IT… “ AND THEN TURN YOUR BACK AND EAT THE CANDY… KIDS AREN’T THAT STUPID.

WENDY: PARENTS... DON’T BRING YOUR DOG ALONG DRESSED IN THE SAME COSTUME AS YOUR CHILD…..OBSERVING THIS SIMPLE PIECE OF ADVICE WILL SAVE YOU A FORTUNE IN THERAPY BILLS.

CHRIS: AND FOR YOU HUNTERS OUT THERE… DRESSING YOUR CHILD UP AS A “GUT PILE” IS NOT AT… “COOL” IDEA

WENDY: AND PARENTS… WHATEVER YOU DO… IF YOUR CHILD DECIDES TO DRESS UP AS NATIONAL PARK SUPERINTENDANT… DON’T TAKE THEM TRICK OR TREATING IN PAHASKA OR CODY!!!!

CHRIS: AND THOSE ARE YOU TRICK OR TREAT RULES FOR PARENTS!!!!