61 All of us are now comfortable and basking in the afterglow of our terrific 50th Reunion, the great activities, and the renewal of long-ago friendships. However, as you read this edition of the '61 class column, remember that the content was submitted a full two months before the actual event. A complete reunion report will be in your Sept/Oct issue of CAM.

Our first contributor to this pre-reunion column is Allan Metcalf, author of five previous books on language. He has now come out with a sixth: OK: The Improbable Story of America's Greatest Word. "Yes, it's all about those little letters OK that in 1839 began as a joke (abbreviation for 'all correct'—get it?). Almost as lame as what we used to read in the Widow, but then developed into a worldwide success and a quintessential expression of the American view of life. How's that? What's that? You'll just have to read the book, available from Oxford University Press."

Now, a note from Jerry '58, MD '62, and Judy Rensin Mandell. "We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary last December. I (Judy) continue to write (freelance)—regularly for the Los Angeles Times travel section (despite the fact that I live in Virginia—yay, computers!) and for other mostly mainstream print publications." Gary Busch sends along the following. "I have been busy with the election in Guinea, which is proving to be a bit dramatic, as are the elections in the Congo-Kinshasa. My new book is out. Free for All: The Post-Soviet Transition in Russia reports on my work in Siberia and the Russian Far East from 1992-96 setting up the logistics system for the Russian aluminum industry and the politics of the KGB, the GRU, and the oligarchs. It's on Amazon and the others and as an e-book. Now I'm off to Switzerland to see my new granddaughter; generally keeping busy and productive."

Bill Onorato continues his world journeys and writes, "I have been involved as an expert witness in a major international energy-related arbitration. The oral hearings will be in Paris this year. I was selected as consulting upstream petroleum legal advisor by the World Bank's Central Oil, Gas, and Mining Group. This consultancy aims to put together small, ad hoc teams of experts to spend a week or so 'in country' to rectify distressed World Bank energy projects. I continue to teach my upstream petroleum legal training course, World Legal Systems and Contracts for Oil & Gas, twice yearly in London for the CWC Group. We had a family skiing get-together in Durango, CO, at year's end, after which I left for a ten-day hiking/trekking trip in Chilean Patagonia in March." After seeing this itinerary, I don't think we need to inquire about Bill's health!

Carol Bonosaro, writing from Hawaii, says, "I'm still happily engaged in my full-time job as president of the Senior Executives Association, a professional association of the top career executives in the federal government. I was named to the National Council on Federal Labor Management Relations early this year, which has taken a fair amount of my time. I manage to get away each year to travel, however, usually to Europe, but finally saw a bit of the US last fall on a delightful New England cruise." Marvin Amstey wrote from his home in Rochester, NY. "I've retired as professor emeritus of ob/gyn from the U. of Rochester Medical Center. As a collector of oriental rugs for nearly 40 years, I am now serving as a consultant to the Oriental Rug Mart in Victor, NY. It's the largest and most diversified Oriental rug dealer in central New York. I also am engaged in Oriental rug studies and music theory classes at the Eastman Community School."

Digging through the e-mails, I found this note dated last fall from Thos Rohr. "Just last night I returned from a wonderful golfing trip to Latrobe, Dublin, London, St. Andrews, and County Down. The highlight of the trip was spending Saturday afternoon at Arnie's house in Latrobe reminiscing about the many years we have played together all over. National golf links on Long Island, Augusta National, Bay Hill, The Tradition in Palm Springs, and Waialae and Kapalua in Hawaii." And lastly, from Pittsburgh, I received this note from Preston Shimer: "Currently I am the foundation administrator, ARMA Int'l Educational Foundation. I am also enjoying the success of a pet project: the Upper St. Clair Community and Recreation Center. As I ponder the future, the task I am avoiding most is cleaning out years of accumulated stuff from the garage and basement, a problem shared with many classmates, I'm sure."

Reunion is coming just in time for this correspondent. Yes, I am eager to attend and enjoy the festivities. It is also a premier opportunity to get your news and information for future columns. So send along any and all news you have to share with your classmates. Doug Fuss, dougout@attglobal.net.