I have mentioned "Ruffians" throughout some pages. Have been asked just whom I classify as such. All boys...including you and I, Sir, when we were of such age. There are five ages of man as I see it. Some researchers ignore this classification but I am content with it.

Age 0 -5...babies. 6-20... ruffians. The younger they are the ruffier they are as they tend to slowly outgrow it...usually. 21-30... young men. Still wet behind the ears but progressing nicely towards adulthood. 31-60...gentlemen. In this era they are as refined and productive as they will ever be. Too, the ladies find them to be most trainable. 61-over... Geezers. A title well earned by decades of fighting the good battles of life. Geezers have slowed down gracefully but gained wisdom unattainable in earlier years. Myself being 67 am yet a rookie geezer... am looking forward to journeyman geezer in three years. Check back with my Mt. Baker Lady in three years.

No geezer who has learned his lessons in life would so classify the ladies. Causes too many stares...silence...undercooked dinners.

Having said that I will now continue...

Early Fifties was when the VW "bug" started to become popular. Hitler's Peoples Car was what we called it.

SPECIAL REPORT: Remember the Seidelhuber plant in Renton? They made hot water heaters and put a fancy Seidelhuber plaque on them...much like the name plaques on cars. My friend, Ralph Dilnik, had a mid 1930's Buick convertable touring car. Huge beast. He put a Seidelhuber plaque on the front and convinced many folk that it was a german military touring car.

Remember blotters? I asked my grandchildren if they knew what a blotter is... no clue. "Sounds like something old...". Yes. In grade school, mostly. They went with the bottles of ink in the "well" of our desks. The bottles we were always told to leave in the wells. Don't take them out...someone always did...spilled, too. I did it.

In the 1950's men teachers wore suits...ladies wore dresses. All teachers, too, looked older than the students. Now they all look pretty much alike. Young enough to be my grandchildren...some are. The students, that is... not the teachers.

---

4/24/03

According to a note found in "Classmates", JUDY GARLAND graduated from Highline in 1956. Probably not the one I'm thinking of, huh? The one I'm thinking of is well known for flying around Kansas...without an airplane.

5/31/03

DID YOU EVER SKIP CLASSES? NICK YOTZ brings a smile by telling on himself. His attendance was excellent. Why not? After all, for neighbors he had Mr. Jonhnson, Mr. Betz and Mr. Wiggins. With those eyes watching I'd be on the school bus every morning, too. Nick skipped only one day...senior year... running around with a friend. He ran into Mrs. Betz. One phone call to the school office...he never skipped again!

Do you have your Highline class ring? Seven and one half tons of gold are used annually, in the U. S., to make class rings. 7/31/05

After our final graduation exercise (June 1952) I went back to my locker to hang up the cap and gown to be picked up later. While fumbling with the combination two quite young underclass kids approached from behind. One uttered in awe, "Look, a priest!" "No, silly." The other uttered... He's a SENIOR!". Respect doesn't come that easily any more. Sigh!