THE ABC'S OF LDD
                                                   
A is for Attendance. 15!  That's pretty damn good.  Only John and Mark were unable to make it.  Guys, your presence was missed.  If we come
anywhere near that number next year it will be phenomenal.  Amazing that bonds created some 30 years ago can still be that strong.  Semper Fi, dudes.
 
B is for Ball Busting, and there was plenty of that to go around as usual.  From the crew that created Ball Busting as an art form, it's nice to see such
artisans still at work.  Hey, if you can't stand the heat ..... you can't feel the love.  More to follow.
 
C is for Card Cheat.  I'm talking about you, Albert!  Taking the discard after you have looked at the top card on the deck is despicable.  No decent Scat
man would ever do such a thing.  And wasn't it fortunate that you found your golf ball some 40 yards further down from where you were looking, just
outside the high rough and bushes where you could still get a decent swing on the ball, after you had hit two more of your "provisional" ball shots? 
Yes, very fortunate you were.  See letter "B" for reference.
 
D is for DD.  Him a man!  Gracious Host, Culinary Artist, Experienced Salmon Smoker, and Fly Fisherman Extraordinairre.  Your efforts to
co-ordinate all were very much appreciated.  The Friday night toast will long be admired.  Thanks again from us all.
 
E is for Edwards, better known as Willo the Hog Man.  Friday night's ceremony was one of the highlights of the weekend.  This committee finds no
wrong-doing on your part, Mr. Reynolds, and advises you to go forth with the respect and admiration of your colleagues for a job well done.  John
McCain couldn't carry your jock strap.  Just send the check, please.
 
F is for Football.  The Return to Glory theme was a welcome relief from the yesterdays of Bob is a Boob and Dump Davie slogans.  The first half was a
little shaky for the mouse, but the aggressive play of the defense in the second half woke up the echoes.  Didn't the Stadium look good in all that
green, too.
 
G is for Guy, and what a guy he is.  Chairman of the Board of Subway Alumni, he will always be ND in our hearts, as they pale in comparison to his. 
You are ND and everything that it means to us.  Ps. nice silk pajamas, slick.
 
H is for Hallowed Ground, and it was great treading that turf with all of you once again.  The trek down the corridors of memory in Zahm Hall was
fabulous, as was finally learning that St. Albert was the patron saint of Zahm Hall.  Come to think of it, we should have known that all along.  I think I
heard the ghost of Billy Downs at one point making his rounds.
 
I is for intoxicating.  Yes, it was.  And, damn, those bunk beds are tough to climb out of when you get trapped inside of  them.
 
J is for Junior.  Or Kellen, that is.  Getting to know Terry's precocious son was an unexpected treat, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.  You're doing a
good job with him, Ter, keep up the good work.  It's obvious that he has spent a lot of time with adults, I just wish that we could have found some for
him.
 
K is for King, salmon that is, and what a monster Ikey landed out of the St. Joe River.  It took Captain Butch and three deck hands to hold Ikey in the
boat, as he relentlessly reeled that beast in for hours.  What was it?  48 inches and 25 lbs.?  After feeding the hundreds of luckless fishermen on the
shore, we still had plenty to bring back for Dave to smoke up.
 
L is for Lucky and Sobo, that was you as Willo and I had planned to rob your children's college funds on the golf course until we got rained out on
Friday.  I must say, your swing and a miss on the tee was a thing of beauty.  You looked like Hank Blaylock.  Nice blue club, though, eh Hans?
 
M is for Maker's Mark or maybe middle of the road which was the best place for me to steer attempting to navigate home from the Paw Paw Pub on
Thursday night.  Thanks for running interference with those sheriffs for me, Prep.
 
N is for Nuzzah which we must have for next year.  Anybody taking the lead?
 
O is for Old Friends, Old Wine, and Old Jokes, all of which keep getting better through the years.
 
P is for Prodigal Son, and Bill Phillips, that's you.  Thanks for making the effort to come back to Zahm after all of these years.  Next year, you'll be a
regular, and that P will stand for POUNDER!  Anybody ever see a bourbon/scotch drinking exhibition like that in quite a while?  I am not worthy.
 
Q is for Quality, the time that you all bring with  you to these events.  I've seen greater men, but I've never known better.
 
R is for Rain and that's what Friday was all about.  For the first time our CyberZahm Golf Tournament had to be postponed after a comical deluge had
us all soaked to the bone before the sixth hole had finished.  Gabes: does this mean that next year's event is a double skin?  Sobo, we'll have to go to
four cents a yard.
 
S is for Steady, and that's the company that I had with Mags on our 16 hour round trip drive.  It's been a long time since I listened to Commander
Cody's Lost Planet Airmen.  My wife is still pissed about that cigar smoke odor in the car, but she'll get over it.  Sometimes the journey is the
destination.
 
T is for Terrific and that stands for Tom as in Hansen.  Year in and year out he wins the gentleman of the reunion award for being there when you need
him for rides, laughs, help, whatever.  And your perfect reunion streak continues!  Oh, and thanks for helping me lighten the wallets of those two
Danza boys on the golf course on Thursday.
 
U is for Underwear which is what Fox must have been down to after losing his pants.  Not the first time that Fox has been associated with his
underwear at these things.  Hmmmm ........ is this a trend?  Fox: maybe a Fox Fest in Philly could be in order soon?
 
V is for Victory which was as sweet as the tailgate at Jack's Suburban.  Some great photos will soon be available for all in cyberspace.  Ikey breaking
out into Roy and Dale's Happy Trails as the mounted police started to clop off was classic.
 
W is for World Issues, which were hotly debated by Prep against the Radical Right Danza Brothers.  Too bad that the much anticipated point -
counterpoint showdown between Terry and Prep never got off the ground, but it was probably best for the citizens of Paw Paw.  It was interesting to
learn just how much of a Taliban sympathizer Prep really has become.  Next thing you know, he'll be advocating constitutional rights.
 
X is for X-pert, and that is for Jack Leicht and his knowledge of the ND basketball program.  It wasn't just that he knew the signees for 2003 who had
committed, but his knowledge of the talent pool at our Lady of Lourdes Grade School in central Indianapolis was amazing.
 
Y is for Yesterday and all the others that have gone with it to the graveyard of time.  Though we can never relive the hour of splendor in the grass or
glory in the flower, we should grieve not.  Rather find strength in that which remains behind, in the primal sympathy which having been must always
be.  Yes, Yes, Yes.
 
Z is for Zebras.  Zebras struggled in the game on Saturday, taking a nice TD runback away from Vontez, but Zebras have stripes that never change. 
And I hope that none of you ever change your stripes either.
 
    Peace and love to you all until we meet again.  And I know that we will.
Your friend,
Andy