San Antonio Riverwalk Mini Reunion

November 1-3, 2013

Our San Antonio Mini Reunion was unique in much the same way as our New Orleans Mini: Neither the host nor any of the attendees live in the city where it was held. However, our hosts, Phil and Carol Wright, frequently visit San Antonio on business and know the area well. Their choices of a place to stay, sites to experience, and where to eat were outstanding.

Here is who came and from where:

• Ken and Judy Calhoun, Emporia, KS

• Rick Carpenter and Diane Smith, Appling, GA (and sometimes Costa Rica)

• John Davis, Menlo Park, CA

• Lou & Cathy Desenberg, Buchanan, MI / Venice, FL

• Raymond and Linda Dewey, Tuscon, AZ

• Brad Laycock, Roanoke, VA

• Doug Neumann, Brighton, MI

• Bob and Nannie Sue Sindelar, Baton Rouge, LA

• JD Smith, Ft. Worth, TX

• Penn and Margarida Williamson, Houston, TX

• Phil and Carol Wright, Salisbury, MD

... augmented with the group shot in the lobby of our host hotel, the Embassy Suites San Antonio Riverwalk.

Standing: Raymond Dewey, John Davis, Penn Williamson, Lou Desenberg, Diane Smith & Rick Carpenter, Carol Wright, Nannie Sue Sindelar, Ken Calhoun, JD Smith, Doug Newman
Seated/Kneeling: Linda Dewey, Brad Laycock, Margarida Williamson, Cathy Desenberg (seated), Phil Wright, Judy Calhoun, Bob Sindelar

Thursday Evening

Early arrivers included the Wrights, the Calhouns, and John Davis. To get a kickstart on the weekend, they headed out to dinner at the Il Sogno Osteria in the site of the former Pearl Brewery. The food was truly exceptional.

Friday Evening

In the Hospitality Suite

The official kickoff of the Mini was in Phil and Carol Wright's room (a/k/a "The Hospitality Suite") at our headquarters hotel, the Embassy Suites.

For dinner, we meandered along the Riverwalk to

Saturday Morning on the Riverwalk

After the complimentary breakfast at the hotel, the majority of us headed out to explore the city's famous Riverwalk. Our first adventure was to pile into a riverboat for a cruise ... with Captain Doug as our tour guide. No, not our Doug Neumann, but the interaction between the two was priceless.

After the cruise, the group headed to La Villita Historic Arts Village where Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) was being celebrated.

Saturday Lunch at Mi Tierra

After our time at La Villita, we headed to the nearby landmark restaurant Mi Tierra in the Market Square area for a late lunch.

Saturday Evening at Luke's

Getting to our dinner restaurant from the Hospitality Suite was trivial:

Sunday: Fredericksburg and Luckenbach

After breakfast at the hotel, for those of us who did not have to head back home, Phil and Carol led us on a driving tour of the nearby Texas Hill County. The first highlight was a visit to the downtown and shops of Fredericksburg.

Seems we spent too much time shopping and eating, so the pictures of Fredericksburg were almost non-existent ... except of the eclectic selection of signs which some of us recorded.

Shopping was followed by lunch at the Fredericksburg Brewing Company, the oldest and most acclaimed brewpub in Texas (at least that is what their web site says). :

The next highlight was a visit to the Old Mill Settlement. The Old Mill Settlement is a group of 14 restored cabins, originally located in the Appalachian Mountains, which were moved to Fredericksburg, TX by the founder and owner of SAS Shoes, Terry Armstrong. While occasionally driving from San Antonio back to his home state of Maine he became intrigued by these old cabins and decided to create this quaint settlement which allows you to look back in history. Originally open to the public as guest cabins, the property is now exclusively used by the employees of SAS Shoes and their wholesale customers.

The final stop on our tour was the tiny town of Luckenbach. Luckenbach, Texas??? Think back to Waylon Jennings' song from April 1977.

Monday Morning at San Antonio Shoemakers

Before the last of us needed to head to the airport, Phil took us for a factory tour of one of the few remaining shoemaker within the United States: San Antonio Shoemakers (SAS).

SAS Shoes was founded in 1976 by partners Terry Armstrong and Lou Hayden. Terry's daughter's, Cheryl and Lisa, continue to operate the business today still employing their father's principles of making quality American handmade shoes. Several of the original employees continue to work in the factory which requires over 120 steps to make a pair of SAS Shoes. SAS Shoes are known for their comfort.

After the tour, several of us took advantage of the company's General Store to buy more stuff to cram in our luggage for the trip home. The General Store is a fascinating place to visit with a complete line of SAS shoes and handbags ... plus a kitchen, a candy store, and an ice cream parlor. Vintage cars and early farm equipment are also displayed around the store.

Of course, this Mini's web page could not be complete with documenting some of the "connections" that our beloved Doug Neumann made during our time in San Antonio. As Rod Serling might have said "Submitted for your approval: A collage of Mr. Neumann's time in The Twilight Zone ... er, I mean ... the Alamo City." Queue the theme song.

In the center, that's "Sugar" (our waiter at the Fredericksburg Brewing Company) being friendly with Doug.

Again, prodigious thanks to Phil and Carol Wright for everything they did to orchestrate yet another outstanding Mini Reunion. Hosting two minid within just over a year is certainly above and beyond the call of duty and was totally appreciated by all.

And thanks to Brad, Lou, Ken, Phil, Rick, ... and John ... who contributed to the 400+ images that your webmaster had to sort through and cull down to select the best of the best for inclusion on this web page.

And don't forget: Our next Mini Reunion will be back in New Orleans on May 30 to June 1, 2014

"Words with Friends": The Shoe Version

For everyone's amusement, what follows is a chronological trail of emails which started shortly after the end of the Class of '62 Mini Reunion in San Antonio in October 2013.

To put the trail in context, you should know that Bart and Sharla Hotchkiss were unable to attend the Mini due to Sharla's run for a seat on the Midland, TX City Council.

The other key piece of relevant background is that Phil Wright took us on a tour of the San Antonio Shoemaker (SAS) factory during the Mini. Hence, the source of the references to shoes.

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Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 06:15:06 -0800
To: "Phil Wright" , "Carol Wright" , "Raymond Dewey" , "Doug Neumann" , "Howie Bridges" , "J. D. Smith" , "Ken Calhoun" , "Penn Williamson" , "R. Bradley Laycock", "Rick Carpenter." , "Bob Sindelar" , "Lou Desenberg"
From: "John M. Davis"
Subject: Sharla Wins! (in a squeaker)
Cc: "Craig J. Duchossois" ," Joe Schluchter", "Alan Loehr"

For everyone's info, Sharla Hotchkiss won her race for a seat on the Midland City Council, but it was CLOSE:
My West Texas Top_stories
The local newspaper endorsed her opponent, but she won anyway.

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From: Doug Neumann
Subject: Re: Sharla Wins! (in a squeaker)
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2013 14:41:59

I suppose now that Marty* and Sharla will become good buds?! YIKES!

[*Ed. Note: Refers to the fact that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed Marty Oberman to the Board of METRA, the Chicagoland transit authority. Political bedfellows???]

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From: Ken Calhoun
To: Bart Hotchkiss

Congratulations Sharla - good thing you missed the mini to stay and politic

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On Nov 6, 2013, at 12:22 PM, "Rick Carpenter" wrote:

No, if she had come to the Mini, she would have been a shoe-in anyhow.
(Your turn, Doug)...

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From: Doug Neumann
Subject: Re: Sharla Wins! (in a squeaker)
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2013 14:43:59
To: "Rick Carpenter"

Well, let me just say that politics is no place for loafers!
(Rick? Let's start with the easy ones!)

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From: "Rick Carpenter"
To: Doug Neumann
Subject: Re: Sharla Wins! (in a squeaker)
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2013 14:50:49

You have me in stitches already! And that's no croc.

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From: Doug Neumann
Subject: Re: Sharla Wins! (in a squeaker)
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2013 15:15:26
To: "Rick Carpenter"

I'm glad you're laughing, because I'll soon have you underfoot. I'll boot you before you know what hit you. Wooden shoe rather be doing something else? The sole reason I am continuing is that you stuck your tongue out. I don't want to seem like a heel, but I'll go toe to toe with you, because you asked for it. During the San Antonio mini, I actually started to take a shine to you, but that has all changed. But don't feel rebuffed, if you polish up your act, I'll go on.

This banter began with the word "squeaker"
And someone who thought they were queeker
But soon they will see
When they banter with me
That they'll end up being the weaker.

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From: "Rick Carpenter"
To: Doug Neumann
Subject: Re: Sharla Wins! (in a squeaker)

You nailed it. My tongue is dragging. Arch you proud of yourself? Even though you flip flop a lot, you still pump us all up. We appreciate the fine support.

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From: Doug Neumann
Subject: Re: Sharla Wins! (in a squeaker)
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2013 15:57:23
To: "Rick Carpenter"

I agree. It's time to stop clogging the Internet with bad jokes, especially yours. Haha!