Reunion Update, Feb 2008

Hi all!! Most of you know, the kids and I have been sick pretty much this whole new year and I am dealing with some physical issues, so I have not exactly been putting my all into the reunion planning. I did want to give a brief update to you all to see what you think and see if maybe we can make a few decisions and get an email out to everyone else for their opinions.

I got several quotes and menus from all around Albany (STILL haven't heard back from a couple of them though!). Basically, we are looking at around $10-$20 per person for food and $20-$30 per person if we want to include an open bar. Keep in mind that does not include DJ or any favors, pictures, etc. It also does not include the picnic earlier in the day. I didn't expect it to be that expensive just for appetizers, but apparently, I am wrong!!! I figure by the time we add up everything for just the evening affair, we will be talking about $120 per couple - WAY over what people said they would be willing to pay.

So, we can do a couple of things. First, we can find ways to cut down costs, like not including an open bar (which personally I wouldn't mind being that I plan to be pregnant at the time and won't be drinking anyway!!), not doing favors or pictures, or seeing if there is somewhere we can find better prices.

Steve Ross' fiance also called me the other day (her name is Kirsten). She just went to her 10 year reunion and she called to tell me everything that she thought went wrong there (it was at Jillians and they had the bare minimum of everything and it didn't keep the class together, etc.). I told her that we had wanted to have something that families could come to during the day if they wanted but that there would also be a time to have just couples time out in the evening for those of us who desperately want that adult only time!! I also told her we had wanted to have it someplace close to other bars so that we could go out afterwards if we wanted to. She suggested maybe having it at the Coxsackie Yacht club instead. I know it is not close to bars (which is something I had really wanted personally), but she made a few good points....we would have the place all day and all night. There are places to camp out right there (if I understood her right), so that people could come and bring families during the day, bring them home and come back for the evening if they wanted to or they could just come for a full day and evening out. We could have a DJ if we wanted for a few hours and then just use radios afterwards, or we could see if anyone has decent enough equipment in the class and then we could have things going all day and all night.....we could have a large meal catered in the late afternoon and then we would have leftovers to snack on later....we could do bring your own drinks or supply so many kegs and wine and then bring your own or whatever. Face it, most of us are hicks or still college kids at heart and a lot of our class would really love this kind of reunion.

I want totally honest opinions.....what do you all think. I asked Kirsten to look into prices and everything, but she hasn't gotten back to me yet. We don't have to do it necessarily at the Coxsackie yacht club, but someplace where we can drink, have music, have a large enough covered area to include everyone, and preferably have some place where people can camp out near it. (Someone had mentioned someplace in Guilderland, but they didn't think that the place allowed beer, so that won't work - you do know our class are drinkers!!)

I still really like the idea of getting dressed up and going out on the town for a night, despite the cost (we have a mortgage and two kids, so we aren't exactly swimming in money, but it would be worth it to me for a reunion, but I know a lot of other people don't feel the same way I do.). Ultimately, it is up to the group of us. We aren't going to be able to please everybody, but I think we should find what the majority of the class will want to do.

I know that rambled a bit, sorry!! Let me know your opinions and as soon as I get word back from you I will send out an email to the rest of the class and then we all can plan to get together (hopefully it will really work this time!!) to hammer out some details (I was going to send you menus and price sheets, but I just tried to open them and I realized that I didn't save many to my hard drive, just printed them out, so I have the copies here!!)

Alrighty, talk to you all soon!!
Mel