Be aware, the "Message Forum" is NOT password protected.  Unlike profiles that are password protected, anybody who gets to this webpage can see what is written here.  Nobody can contact you directly based on this forum unless you reveal your personal contact information.  Use the "Message Center" for sharing personal contact information with another classmate.

This message forum is an ongoing discussion about anything and just about everything ... within reason.  One thing our class was good at was having opinions.  Almost 70 years of life experience certainly qualifies us as experts on most everything!   Ask a question ... give an opinion ... share some insights ... it's our web site, it's our forum.  That said, it's probably not a good idea to get into arguments about politics, religion, and the like.  While we're experts on everything, we also have a wide range of values and beliefs. This site belongs to all of us ... the whole range ... and we are not here to isolate, alienate, or subjugate anybody.  Of course insults, humiliation, sophomoric barraggadocio, and demented humor is expected behavior among some of us less mature people.
 

Jim Cejka

Melody, Terri - 

I don't believe, of course, that we were exposed to anyone at Custer fitting that description.

Melody Jones (Parker)

Jim...What happens in Milwaukee, stays in Milwaukee...LOL!

Jim Cejka

Melody - Is that why Garry, you , and I are in California, not Milwaukee?

Melody Jones (Parker)

Jim,

Now we are outed to the rest of the Custer Alumni clan...as mv dearly departed mother used to say, "If the shoe fits, wear it!"

(you forgot to mention Terri)

Jim Cejka

I thought of Terri, but she lives close enough to come over and slap me.

Melody Jones (Parker)

LMAO...ROTF!!!
 

Jim Cejka

Ok, Melody. Would your mother be embarrassed if she heard you talk like that?

Melody Jones (Parker)

Jim, where do you think I learned it from?  And I handed it down to my daughter, also. 

Jim Cejka

Garry,

Thanks for all your work on the site and I hope the stats are encouragement enough to keep it going. For some of us, it's a span back to good memories and people we wish we'd kept in touch with. It's also plain fun sometimes in an uncomplicated way.

Besides, I've just been going through some old boxes that have been following me around for 50 plus years and found some real interesting pictures and stuff. I'm sure some of our readers will eventually be happy for me to post them.

Jim Cejka

There be water again! (Our nearest reseviour) Now I can flush again without feeling guilty.

Lauren Dieterich

A little late on this; but, I've noticed that the music of our youth has gone from classic rock to golden oldies.

Jim, if you had an outhouse, you wouldn't have to be concerned about flushing.

Jim Cejka

Lauren,

I always womdered why they called them "houses." I mean, in Vietnam, we had one that had seats for 8, like you could invite your friends over, but it still wasn't big enough, or felt like, a house.

Lauren Dieterich

Jim,

My Grandfather's outhouse was the only privately owned 4 holer that I've heard of. My brothers and I said " 4 holes, no waiting, Have to search the origin of the term 'outhouse'. right now, I', guessing that it refers to a small house outside of the main house. I asked my Grandfather what did he do in the winter; and, he pointed to the chamber pot.

William Nelson

My dad bought a small cottage in the town of Tustin on Lake Poygan when I was about 5-years old. It had an outhouse as did many of the cottages and a few year around homes in the area. Ours was a two-holer, but was decorated with Audubon prints from calendars given to us by a local insurance agent. Dad also installed an electric light and had it attached to the door with a piece of inner tube, so that the light would come on when the door was closed, and then go off when the door closed as we exited. He always kept a supply of Quick and Reader's Digest magazines and usually a catalog from Sears, Wards, or Aldens. We usually didn't stay up there during the winter, but got caught by snow storms more than once during Easter vacation. We still used the outhouse. Dad made a plywood seat topper that was warmed as it hung on the wall behind the wood stove in the cottage. We augmented with a chamber pot, mostly for use on rainy nights. Those that used their outhouse year around had to deal with buildup, because the cold weather inhibited composting. They usually had a short 2"x4" handy to knock down the "mountain" when it got too high.

In Vietnam, we didn't meet Jim's standards; our company outhouse only had 7-holes. There was a pan made from the end of a 55-gallon drum under each hole and a detail was assigned each day to pull them out, add some diesel and burn them. Most of the guys actually liked that detail, because most of the day was merely making sure you didn't burn down the outhouse!

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William Nelson

What's the secret to inserting a picture, Jim?

Jim Cejka

Bill - I'm sure there's a real way to do it, but here's my 'recipe.' 

Where you're doing your response, in the upper left corner, next to the 'Source' button, is a little one with tiny mountains on it. Click that and a screen comes up to put in an image. Click on 'Choose File.' Go to whereever you keep your pics (If I'm going to plant a picture, I usually put it on my desktop. Less complicated for me.) Click/select your picture, the title or address should appear next to 'Choose File.' But - it's not ready to go yet. You have to size it first. Go down to 'Width' and 'Height'. It doesn't show any units or anything (I think they're 'Garrys' or something.) Put in some numbers and see what happens. Usually somethings between 150 and 300+ will give a small to medium sized picture. Then cross your fingers and click 'Upload,' and the pic will show up in your message. If you don't like the size, go back and reload it and try different 'Garrys" until you get it to fit.

Pictures do take up memory in the Forum, so 8x10 glossies are frowned upon by our webmaster.

In Nam, we also used the burn off method. I have a few interesting stories about that.

William Nelson

I'm hoping I can follow Jim's directions and post the picture I tried to include yesterday of what I used to think was the holiest outhouse ever, until Jim one-upped me. I realize it's kind of a crappy picture, but it's almost 50-years old.

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

Bill,

I think that any picture of an outhouse SHOULD be crappy! Just sayin'.

William Nelson

I actually took a lot of pictures in Vietnam, but most were lost. A staff sergeant "borrowed" them when he went on R&R to have copies made, particularly from an orphanage we co-sponsored with a Marine company. When he returned, he said he'd taken them to a Walgreen's in Honolulu, but they lost them. Never fully trusted him again. I wound up with a couple dozen pictures, total. Have more from my own R&R in Sydney, Australia. Best week I had in the Army!

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

No, Garry. . .you're DEFINITELY not alone in your loathing of Tom Brady! Can't stand the guy!!

Jim Cejka

Oh sure Garry, that's easy for you to say.

Actually, I can copy and paste, but have no control over the size. It comes in extra huge and dragging corners or anything doesn't work. Maybe it's me here. I can't do anything with my photo of me that comes up either, remember. Maybe the control of the "Garrys" on my computer is disabled, or because it's a Mac, or something I said. 

Anyway, I'm sure that Bill appreciated the more techno-technical explanation that actually allowed him to post his non-classical outhouse and stir our veteran memories.

Eugene Melzer

This is the single hole outhouse I built in 1970 at our cabin in  Pembine WI.I still have the blue print for those interested.Sold it in 2000.Visited it last summer.The current owner hasn't maintained it.Pic from summer 2016.

Lauren Dieterich

Since I'm a permanent resident of Arizona, now; the 55th reunion is a maybe.

A long time ago, I had read something that gave the reason behind the crescent moon on outhouse doors. You only see the crescent moon in cartoons, now. But, originally the crescent moon marked the mens outhouse; and the womens was marked by a full moon. I don't remember where I read it; so, I can't verify the accuracy of the reason.

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

Lauren~~

From the MISSOURI FOLKLORE SOCIETY:

Probably the most recognizable symbol associated symbol with the traditional outhouse building is the familiar crescent moon carved into the privy door. Actually, the symbol is an ancient one, and was a sign for womanhood in colonial days and on the frontier. Its male counterpart, Sol, was either a star or a sun burst design also on the door. Since most male outhouses fell into disrepair rather quickly they seldom survived; while the female ones were better maintained, and were eventually used by both sexes. Although you can find outhouses still standing with the crescent moon, the original meaning for gender identification was lost by the later nineteenth century in most areas of the country.

Jim Cejka

So fans, while you were watching the Super Bowl and getting all bent about Brady, you missed a really really exciting game that was on at the same time. The Thunder beat the Scorchers when the Thunder striker hit the last ball of the last over for a sixer, for a come from behind 158-156 victory.