"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - No. 1 in 1961 - The Tokens
In 1969 after two years at the University of Alabama and rooming with Rick Sirmon, Buddy and Rick had a disagreement about whether to rinse the dishes with hot water or cold water and Buddy transferred to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. (Actually Rick apologized that Buddy was right and hot water was better but it was too late.)
This started Buddy on a 40 year odysses of traveling - first Florida - then the world and all because he found a better living companion with Donna. The story picks up below as Buddy was good enough to list some of the great places he and Donna have visited and the love they have for living the life that Jimmy Buffet Sang About.
If you get a chance to visit their lovely home in Indialantic, Florida, you will be treated to a very lovely and charming home that represents the very best of everything they learned from building 7 houses over the years. It reflects the warm hospitality of the hosts and of the Sunshine State itself.
1963 -- 9th Grade -- Westlawn Jr. High
After two years at the University of Alabama and then almost three years at the University of Tennessee, I graduated with a BS Degree in Mathematics. (The transfer to UT almost got me disowned from the family, but that's another story.)
Tennessee was very good to me in that I met and married my lovely wife Donna. Little did I know that Donna had plans for a move to the Sunshine State of Florida. It took her 12 years to convince me that I also wanted to move to Florida.
Living in Florida has been (and still is) such a wonderful adventure.
We have lived in Orlando, Satellite Beach, Indialantic, Merritt Island, Melbourne Beach, Marco Island, and Summerland Key (20 miles form Key West). One side benefit of all this moving around is that we were fortunate enough to build seven new homes (5 in Florida and 2 in Huntsville). Some may think we're crazy, but we really do enjoy the challenge of planning, designing, building and then decorating a new home.
After working 25 years in the software engineering field (20 with a local Huntsville company- (SAIC)), I was fortunate enough to retire in 1996 at the young age of 47. Some may say we just quit our jobs but, whatever; it has worked for both of us. Since our retirement, Donna and I both have been very busy with a variety of volunteer work. Plus we just enjoy life together on our Florida adventure.
In the last few years, we have enjoyed some adventure travel. We started in 2000 with a cruise around the southern tip of South America (through the Straights of Magellan) and then another cruise to the French Society Islands. (Bora and Moorea are such beautiful islands.) Our next trip found us on a zip line flying through the trees in the mountains of Mexico. In December of 2005 we went to Ecuador and spent four days in a lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazonia region (no power, no water, no roads - just the jungle and the Rio Napa River). Then we spent four more days on a boat in the Galapagos Islands. (The marine wildlife there was amazing!)
Our most recent trip took us to Central America where toured Guatemala, Belize, Honduras & El Salvador following the Route of the Mayan Civilization. I dont think I want to walk up another Maya temple for a while!
Next up is the Sky Walk over the Grand Canyon. After winning the first Mystery Classmate Contest, we selected to spend our three nights in Las Vegas. Much thanks to Rick Sirmon for his generous prize donation. Of course we are doing Vegas proper by going to Elton John's Red Piano performance.
Then, four days after the Reunion we are off to southern Africa for three weeks.
The Wyndham/Fairfield - Grand Desert was really great. The room was very spacious and decorated very nicely. Thanks for this wonderful prize.
Donna and I tried to make the most of our short stay. As I mentioned earlier, we had tickets to an Elton John performance at Cesars Palace. He put on a great performance.
We also took a bus trip tour to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. This took us to the new Sky Walk that extends out over the edge of the rim. You can really look straight down 4000 feet.
See the picture we took of the Sky Walk in the background. Unfortunately, they do not allow tourist to take cameras out on the walk. Something about not wanting them to be dropped over the side.
Our last night we decided to see the play Spam-A-Lot. It was hilarious, a spoof on one of the Monte Pythons films.
I'm not much into gambling, but as you can see from the pictures I did try my chances at the slots. I tried to get them to let me take that $22M prize home. No such luck.
Donna and I are looking forward to the reunion in June. See you then.
