The Bonnie Brae Brigade

It isn't actually a brigade - more like a group - but I like the alliteration when I use brigade.  So there. In any case, a number of us former and current University of Denver employees got together last night for food and beer at the Bonnie Brae Tavern, located - logically enough - in Denver's Bonnie Brae neighborhood. We all had a lot of catching up to do since we last got together.  It seems everyone has a lot going on these days (except for me, of course).  Going around the table counterclockwise  in the above photograph, starting at the bottom right, is Holly, the girlfriend of Wally and Linda's son Peter (who works in San Francisco and will be back in town this weekend for a visit).  Next to her is Mark, who works at DU's Anderson Academic Commons (the library) and recently had his car totaled coming back from grocery shopping.  Mark is a car buff, and a member of Denver's Jaguar Club. It seems logical to me that Mark should buy a new Jaguar, right?  He is not convinced.  We all finally decided he should buy an Alfa Romeo. Working at DU he can certainly afford it.

Next is Wally, who says he hates traveling, but who travels more often than anyone I know.  Wally recently got back from an 18 day or so road trip to the upper peninsula of Michigan to help his sister move to a new home, and who flew out to San Francisco the day after he returned to attend a non-stop, 24 hour reading of Moby Dick at the Maritime Museum there (his son Peter read one of the chapters).  Wally was the Operations Manager at the DU Bookstore when I worked there, and stayed on after the bookstore was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group.  A few months ago he checked the schedule and was not on it for the following week, and so decided to "retire."  He is still not sure if he really retired or was fired. Follett is such a strange, secretive organization they won't even acknowledge your employment status.

Next to Wally is Bill, who used to be the DU Bookstore's Operations Coordinator (but is now happily retired), and his wife Renee, who works at REI, the outdoor cooperative.  Bill and Renee recently returned from Bill's 50th high school reunion in Los Angeles, where they had a really great time and are singing the praises of El Segundo, which I have never heard of until last night.  They also drove to California last April and told of great (and reasonably priced) places they visited near the Monterrey Peninsula (I took notes). And last but not least is Linda, Wally's wife, who works for Denver Public Schools and wants the world to know that she does not have a high opinion of Follett Higher Education Group (she didn't exactly put it that way but I am trying to be tactful).  And then there is me, waiting to file for social security in a couple of months so that I too can finally lead the good life.  I know this is a long blog, but it is Saturday, after all, so you should be able to make time to read it.  Right?  Right?