On Wednesday Mr. Tamplen (remember him?) and I headed to deep East Texas. More specifically to Winnsboro, my hometown-- 106 miles one way from my house. If you ever move far away from Allen, I highly recommend bringing a friend who has never seen Allen back with you when you return. Gives you a really unique perspective on a place you swear you thought you knew so well.
We went to my old high school, where we met up with my friend Kim, who I went to middle and high school with. The 3 of us roamed around and took pictures. Here we are outside the school. The things on each side of the "Winnsboro High School" are tomahawks or spears or something... because our mascot was the Red Raider. If you think that's ridiculous.... our middle school mascot was the papoose.
The school is OLD and the residents won't approve a bond to build a new one. By old I mean the building has asbestos in it and parts of it are literally crumbling and falling down. The sad part is that this is no different from 1991 when I was a senior.
Everyone has a teacher that inspired them, made them who they are, whatever. For me that person was Veralyn Trimble, and this was her room. She retired years ago, but I had junior and senior GT English (that's what it was called then... we didn't have AP or Phoenix) in this room. The murals were painted 2 or 3 years after I graduated.
I assume the table is chained to the pole to prevent theft.... but really what it looks like is the table is being punished, or perhaps quarantined?
Cafeteria. All of our school dances were held here. For a dollar you could buy a can of unsweetened Texsun orange juice and a jumbo Fudge Round. That's usually what I had for breakfast. The teachers sat at a table in front of the water fountain. You went in the doors to the right if you wanted hamburgers or pizza. You went in the door in the middle if you wanted to eat the standard cafeteria mystery meat and fruit cup with a carton of milk. If you went in the door in the middle, you exited the door on the left.
Took this picture because of the green linoleum. It was there when the school was built. It is hideous... like, Elephant Man hideous. 
Band hall, where I spent 90% of my time. Those black chairs were purchased my sophomore year of high school, which would have been the 1989ish range. The band director made the drum line stencil WHS in white on the stands and the backs of the chairs. You can kinda see it on a stand in the far right. The back wall is covered in gray carpet.
Hilarious... bet you didn't know that there are only two paths in life: the one that leads to algebraic enlightenment and the one that doesn't. If you find algebra, you find success, wealth and happiness. If you don't, you go nowhere but you get to pass a nice tree on the way.
This was inside the faculty restroom. Inside a stall. Now, I ask you: who in the world wants to see pictures of wildlife in the STALL? Notice that the wall is made of cinder blocks.
Here we are, just before our recital...
At some point when I was in high school, they created the Student of the Month program. If you got selected, your picture was in the paper and you got your own parking spot in the student lot. There might have been a certificate involved too... can't remember. I received this honor one time in the spring of my senior year. Anyway... you can see that after nearly 20 years, they really ought to consider repainting the sign.Also notice that "A Hall" is a portable building.
Taken 6.16.07 by the eight-year-old daughter of the woman in the middle.Probably lots of times people have told you "it's just high school" and "in 4 years you will never see these people again so don't worry about them or what they think."
These 2 people and I have been friends since EIGHTH GRADE. That was, let's see.... 1986. 21 years ago. All of us are teachers. Kim teaches art and Connie teaches math. We see each other at least once a year and are constantly in contact. So you never know... some of the people you are friends with right now might end up being with you for a lifetime.
This week I also saw Knocked Up and Waitress. Both were great, the latter more than the former because the latter had a much more engaging storyline. And pie. Lots of pie. I went to the pool one day, went grocery shopping one day. If you haven't tried Flat Earth Fruit Chips you need to sprint over to the food mart and buy some; those things are insanely delicious. The Wild Berry ones taste like Jolly Ranchers but the Peach/Mango ones are the best.
Also went to a couple of estate sales, one with authentic Nazi memorabilia including Adolf Hitler's personal stationery. Beyond creepy; couldn't bear to look at it.
Have a great week and I will see some of you on Thursday... check your inbox for details about the bowling outing.
