Good Bye 2007!!

and hello to 2008!! I really hope that everyone has a wonderful New Year!!

In reflecting back on 2007 I can only imagine what 2008 has in store for us! With a divorce completed after 18 years of marriage, myself and my daughter graduating with our AA degrees, my middle daughter getting a drivers license, New Friends and getting back with old friends, then ending the year with surgery, in a nut shell... it could only get better!!

So what is on the hopes and wishes list for you this next year? Can't wait to continue getting to know everyone again and hearing of the ups and downs life has to offer this next year! Maybe a reunion of some kind for all of us! That would be cool.... I know our family will see another High School graduation for my Sarah Rae, she will then leave for College... I will finish my BS degree and start my career in Social Work, my oldest will be moving to Missouri, and I see a move for me to someplace other then YAKIMA!!

Don't forget to post!!

Tami

I Never Stopped...

Hello Everyone,

I titled this "I never stopped..." because after graduating from Cal Poly, SLO, I became the band director at Helix H.S. in La Mesa (near San Diego) for 14 years.  I basically kept living the life of high school band all of that time, and believe me, I re-lived lots of Buena memories all the time.

Kind of funny, I received Rhonda's email while I was on a break judging the Arcadia Festival of Bands-- I was in between the band review and the field show.  I was judging drum majors, which was pretty much head trip in itself-- my first time judging at Arcadia and judging the caption that I won in 1985.  This after having my own band march through that same competition zone 14 times.  And that's the day Rhonda emails me.

I currently am the "Program Manager, K-12 Music" for the San Diego Unified School District, which basically means I supervise over 120 music teachers in San Diego.  I am still a band director one night a week at Grossmont Community College.  I like what I do and don't miss the crazy high school band director life style too much.  I judge almost every weekend in the fall, so I still get my fill of marching band.

Obviously, the Buena Band experience was pretty huge for me, as I made it a career.  I learned how to put a parade band together not in college, but at Buena.  So Dave Wheeler was a positive impact on my life.  I know that Tony Aviles asked for his contact info, and while I kept in touch with him up until maybe five years ago, I don't seem to have up to date information any longer.  If I've done my math correctly, he should have just turned 64.  Crazy, huh?  Many of us had Bob Barnum at Balboa-- he passed away only a couple of years ago.

It's been nice reading these posts, and now that the crazy holiday season is passing, maybe others like me will have the time to write something.  Thanks for Rhonda and Tami for getting this started.

Russ Sperling

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish all of you a Blessed Holiday Season! I pray that each of you are spending this week with Friends, Family, and all those you hold most dear, and that the Grace of God brings good health, happiness and love into your homes and hearts. I am thankful for the blessings that I enjoy, including that of Old Friends!

With Love,
Rhonda

The Good Old Days!

Hey Everyone,
Unfortunately, at the moment, I am going to have to keep this brief. Very busy time of year for me.

First, thanks to Tami and Rhonda for getting this together. This is cool. Definitely the band brings back lots and lots of fond memories.

So here's the Reader's Digest version of my life since High School:

1986 Oxnard College - Working at Heck Music
1987 Ventura College
1988 UCSB - Bus Econ Major (graduated with Degree in Poli Sci in 1991)
1989 Met and started dating Stacie Aichner (she was in Pops Choir)
1991 Married Stacie
1993 Oour son Cameron was born (he was named after Cameron Fry from Ferris Bueller - yes I'm a dork)
2001 Divorce - Cameron lives with me (with mom on weekends)
1996 - 2007 working in Art Department of harbor Freight Tools doing production graphics
2006 Joined a Rock & Roll band called The Esquires (Changed name in 2007 to The Tiger Town Aces)
2007 Started new carrier as a mail carrier for the USPS (decided to get off my ass and out from behind a desk)

I still play my sax and bass, I write mysteries (won awards, nothing published yet), hopefully soon.

Cameron plays sax (alto & baritone) at Balboa. He also plays bass guitar and will be doing Marching Band next year at Buena.

That's about it for now. I will be back on soon to contribute more and see how everyone is doing.

Later,

Raul "Pee Wee" Melendez

WOW Pictures

Kewl Rhonda you added pictures, yes they sure bring back the memories. I hope everyone is getting ready for the big Holiday coming up. I am hoping not to have to travel that week. I hate holiday travel, but then again I don't pay the airfares so oh well.

Merry Christmas to all and I hope you all have a great and prosperous New Year.

OK, OK, OK, I got the hint!!!

Happy Holidays to All,

Where does one start, hmm. OK, just like everybody else I graduated from our school. Went to college and never finished. Got married moved to Washington State, had a really cool son, moved back to California for a short bit. Started my computer career with Virgin Games (yes the same as Virgin Records, Virgin Airlines and so on). Moved to Michigan, worked for HP in technical services, got divorced, then remarried and added 3 really awesome kids and then had a beautiful little girl to the crew, yup that is 5 kids. Oldest is 16, then two at 15, one at 13 and the youngest and probably why there was not a sixth she is 10.

I am currently working for a company that provides services to airlines as the Manager of Information Systems, I fly all over the country and manage way to many people and work way to many hours but I absolutely love what I am doing. Our companies premise is helping others and I get to help many many people at the airport when i am not playing with computer stuff. Managing systems at 14 different airports throughout this awesome country of ours is sometimes a very crazy life. Thank God for Frequent Flyer miles.

It is really cool that Rhonda and Tami have put this much effort into this blog and I am truly grateful for your efforts and yes even though Rhonda got the tiger out and Tami gives the coolest encouragement got me to write something, so thank you!!