MR_06--Oct 2009 -- New Orleans #1

New Orleans Mini-Reunion

October 9 - 11, 2009

Hosted by: Bob and Nannie Sue Sindelar

Our Headquarters

Words cannot begin to describe the fabulous Mini-Reunion we had in "Nawlins". We had to dodge a few raindrops at various times, Friday was not as cool as one would expect in NOLA in October, and Saturday was not quite as sunny as we might have hoped. Nevertheless, the New Orleans Mini-Reunion of the Class of '62 was an unparalleled success. Major kudos to Bob and Nannie Sue for organizing all the events and providing the overflowing goody bag of remembrances from The Big Easy!

Our geographically dispersed attendees included 16 classmates and 7 spouses:

Bernie Armbruster (Springfield, IL)
Howie Bridges (Chicago Area)
Ken & Judy Calhoun (Emporia, KS)
John Davis (San Francisco Area)
Craig Duchossois (Chicago Area)
Buzz Eisenberg (Chicago Area)
Bart & Sharla Hotchkiss (Midland, TX)
Dennis Marchman (Avon, CT)

Doug & Susan Neumann (Detroit Area)
Jay Owen (Chicago Area)
Mike & Cheryl Ryan (Deland, FL)
Bob & Nannie Sue Sindelar (Baton Rouge, LA)
JD Smith (Ft. Worth, TX)
Rocky & Twink Wayburn (Nashville Area)
Penn & Margarida Williamson (Houston, TX)
Mark Wilson (Houston, TX)

Note: No one from New Orleans. Even our organizers, the Sindelars, had to drive 80 miles.

Friday Night, October 9, 2009

"Tailgating" in the Sindelar's Suite

Why call this evening's first event a "Tailgate"?
Because it was the weekend of the LSU-Florida game (in Baton Rouge)!
You might (correctly) gather that Bob and Nannie Sue are fans of the LSU Tigers ... and their tiger likes beads from Nawlins.

Culver Roll Calls and hats plus New Orleans beads. What a GREAT combination!

We certainly had ample snacks and adult beverages for our tailgate.

Look at the goody bags the Sindelars prepared for all of us (in LSU colors):
Creole seasoning, LSU Gator Tators, 4 varieties of Zatarain's rice mixes, a bag each of breading mix and crab boil, an LSU tiger (small, stuffed!), and a Harrah's Casino medallion
... plus the Sindelar's daughter, Ashely, decorated a commemorative wine glass for each of us!

Ken Calhoun and Craig Duchossois behind the bar with the rest of the adult beverages

Twink Wayburn, Sharla Hotchkiss,
Susan Neumann, Doug Neumann

Doug Neumann, Mark Wilson,
JD Smith, Ken Calhoun

Buzz Eisenberg, Mike Ryan,
Cheryl Ryan, Bob Sindelar

Mike Ryan, Nannie Sue Sindelar, Bob Sindelar

Doug Neumann, Mark Wilson, Bart Hotchkiss (way in the background), Rocky Wayburn, John Davis, Ken Calhoun (in the background)

Bernie Armburster, Mark Wilson,
Bart Hotchkiss

Where are Mr. Bridges and Mr. Owen??? Guess Howie and Jay were a bit camera shy at the tailgate. No pictures on this page. But you'll see them on other pages.

The Williamsons unfortunately didn't make it in time for either the tailgate or the dinner this night. And Dennis Marchman was only able to make it for dinner.

Dinner at Dickie Brennan's Bourbon House

Overlooking the entry/bar area to the restaurant, on our way to our private room on the second floor

Bob Sindelar, Nannie Sue Sindelar,
Buzz Eisenberg

Bernie Armburster, Craig Duchossois,
Dennis Marchman, Mark Wilson (Standing), Jay Owen (profile)

Mike Ryan, Dennis Marchman, Bob Sindelar

Buzz Eisenberg, Craig Duchossois,
Mark Wilson

Sharla Hotchkiss, Bob Sindelar,
Nannie Sue Sindelar, Buzz Eisenberg

Bob Sindelar, Nannie Sue Sindelar,
Buzz Eisenberg, Cheryl Ryan

John Davis (profile), Ken Calhoun, Judy Calhoun, Howie Bridges, Susan Neumann, Doug Neumann
(Bart and Sharla Hotchkiss with backs to camera)

Howie Bridges (back to camera), Doug Neumann, Bart Hotchkiss, Sharla Hotchkiss, Ken Calhoun, Judy Calhoun (back to camera)

Judy Calhoun, Howie Bridges,
Susan Neumann

Mike Ryan, Cheryl Ryan, JD Smith,
Mark Wilson (partially hidden),
Buzz Eisenberg (back to camera)

Buzz Eisenberg, Mike Ryan (mostly hidden), Cheryl Ryan, JD Smith, Mark Wilson, Rocky Wayburn, Twink Wayburn (back to camera)

Ken Calhoun, Judy Calhoun, Howie Bridges, Susan Neumann, Doug Neumann, Bart Hotchkiss, Sharla Hotchkiss (back to camera)

Saturday Afternoon, October 10, 2009

Cruising the Mighty Mississippi on the Steamboat Natchez

**Back Row:** Ken Calhoun, Bob Sindelar, Mike Ryan, Rocky Wayburn, Bart Hotchkiss, Doug Neumann, Howie Bridges, John Davis
**Middle Row:** Judy Calhoun, Nannie Sue Sindelar
**Front Row:** Mark Wilson, Jay Owen

Nannie Sue Sindelar, Craig Duchossois, Cheryl Ryan

Craig Duchossois (back of head), Bob Sindelar (only top of head visible), Rocky Wayburn,
Buzz Eisenberg, Twink Wayburn (profile),
Nannie Sue Sindelar

John Davis, Craig Duchossois, Jay Owen,
Buzz Eisenberg

Mike Ryan, Cheryl Ryan, Twink Wayburn,
Nannie Sue Sindelar

**Standing:** Penn Williamson, Jay Owen, Mark Wilson, Howie Bridges, Buzz Eisenberg,
Mike Ryan, John Davis, Craig Duchossois
**Kneeling:** Bob Sindelar
*(Doug Neumann is hidden behind Mark [Huh? Doug hiding???], and Bart Hotchkiss is hidden behind Howie.)*

Our Beautiful Ladies: Twink Wayburn, Nannie Sue Sindelar, Margarida Williamson,
Cheryl Ryan, Sharla Hotchkiss, Judy Calhoun, Susan Neumann

Craig Duchossois, Jay Owen, Howie Bridges

Penn Williamson, Margarida Williamson,
Sharla Hotchkiss

Margarida Williamson, Sharla Hotchkiss,
Bob Sindelar (mostly hidden behind Sharla),
Bart Hotchkiss

Saturday Night, October 10, 2009

More "Tailgating" in the Sindelar's Suite

One night of "tailgating" was obviously not enough. So here we are ... back in the Sindelar's suite, doing more eating and drinking before we go out eating and drinking!

Craig Duchossois, JD Smith, Rocky Wayburn

Judy Calhoun (almost back to camera), Margarida Williamson, Penn Williamson, Bernie Armbruster (in bar area), Cheryl Ryan (back to camera), Bob Sindelar (profile), Nannie Sue Sindelar (in blue; back to camera), Buzz Eisenberg (back to camera), Jay Owen, Mike Ryan

Penn Williamson, Craig Duchossois and Bernie Armburster (in the bar area),
Cheryl Ryan, Bob Sindelar,
Buzz Eisenberg (back to camera),
Mark Wilson, Jay Owen Mike Ryan

Ken Calhoun, Howie Bridges, Cheryl Ryan,
Buzz Eisenberg, Mike Ryan

Bernie Armbruster, Bart Hotchkiss,
Bob Sindelar, Doug Neumann

Margarida Williamson, Penn Williamson, John Davis (foreground),
Susan & Doug Neumann

Dinner at Arnaud's

Howie Bridges, Mike Ryan, Jay Owen,
Cheryl Ryan

Margarida Williamson, Buzz Eisenberg,
Sharla Hotchkiss
... with Doug Neumann (front & center)

Nannie Sue, Craig Duchossois,
Buzz Eisenberg

Mark Wilson, JD Smith, Bob Sindelar,
Nannie Sue Sindelar, Buzz Eisenberg

Craig Duchossois, Judy Calhoun,
John Davis (background)

Judy Calhoun (mostly out of picture),
Ken Calhoun, Cheryl Ryan (profile),
Bernie Armbruster,
Jay Owen (back to camera)

Susan Neumann, Sharla Hotchkiss (back to camera), Bart Hotchkiss, Bob Sindelar,
Craig Duchossois (profile)

Craig Duchossios (back somewhat to camera), Judy Calhoun, Ken Calhoun,
Bernie Armstrong (toasting), Rocky Wayburn (back to camera)
**Background:** JD Smith, Buzz Eisenberg,
Bob Sindelar (standing)

Sunday Morning, October 11, 2009

Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues

John Davis and Buzz Eisenberg ... and they hadn't even started with the Cajun Bloody Marys
(... or at least John hadn't ... yet!)

The entrance to the House of Blues

Cheryl Ryan, Buzz Eisenberg, and Nanny Sue Sindelar standing in line

Once we got inside, we were all too busy gorging ourselves on the virtually unlimited brunch buffet and tossing down the Mimosas to take any pictures. You can click on this link and then on the "Gospel Brunch Menu" to see what kept us so pre-occupied.

And when the singing and the music got going, picture taking again did not seem like much of a priority.

A couple of snapshots of the performance

Acknowledgements

Again, mountains of thanks to Bob and Nannie Sue for all the time and effort they put into creating this magnificently entertaining weekend.

Also, thanks to all those folks who came from such distances to attend.

And finally, thanks to all those who contributed images for inclusion on these web pages:

The Sindelars, the Ryans, the Wayburns, Mark Wilson, Buzz Eisenberg, and John Davis. The images displayed were selected from over 325 (!) taken during the weekend.