by Chris Van Orden
Hey fellow alums! Don’t look now, it’s the…
Pendleton Family Homecoming Newsletter!!!
Greetings and shining grace to you! It’s hard to believe that it’s been a whole year since our last homecoming weekend together – it only feels like eleven or so months since we all got together to sing the wrong words to the choruses of 80’s songs. A lot has happened since Homecoming 2005 and so, without further ado, the Pendleton Year in Review!
The past twelve months have been doozies, to say the least. The year kicked off with Big Bert’s wonderful opportunity to stretch his professional wings after the ‘incident’ at the trophy shop. Apparently, not everyone at Champion’s Alley appreciated his quirky sense of humor, especially his former secretary, the reigning ‘Heavyweight Champion of the Office’. (That one still gets me!) But the world keeps on spinning and Bert has rebounded quite nicely. He’s been helping me around the house and is even thinking about starting up his own interweb business. It would be a University of Pennsylvania memorabilia website net-page, specializing in custom silk-screening caps. And you’ll never guess the name he came up with – Penn-mories!!!! How cute! I’m very proud of him and everything he’s accomplished and everything he plans to one day accomplish. Love you honey!
Our Lucas has been very productive in the past year, as well. He’s been making a great deal of money in a top secret job that he can’t tell even us, his parents, about. It’s that secret. The only things we do know for sure are that he’s ‘in sales’ and that the job requires ever later hours and dark clothes. I know that if I had that much money, I’d sure want to move off my parents’ couch! But seriously, Lucas is a wonderful success and we couldn’t be happier for him.
The dear little Matilda you all know and loved – or at least met and liked well enough – has had quite the year. It’s hard to believe, but she just finished her undergraduate degree at Barnard College. (Congrats, baby!) She received her two Bachelor’s Degrees, one in Politics and one in Women’s Studies – although she insisted the title be changed to “Woperson’s Studies” on the latter. Although she has already received numerous job offerings at major magazines and newspapers, she’s turned them all down in favor of freelancing because, “They’re mascu-fascist, patriarchal, phalliligarchies out to suppress the inner goddess”. Whatever you say, sweetpea! Matilda is now living in New York City with her close friend, Grace, and their two adorable kitties, Gloria Allred and Athena. Please join Bert and myself in wishing her the best of luck and asking for the briefest of phone calls.
As for me, Anita Pendleton, it’s the same old business as usual – mornings full of laundry and my stories (My Gosh, Helen, can you believe what Federico said to Angela?!?! We have got to talk that one over at Homecoming), and nights full of tea and tea accessories at the ‘Alms for the Pour Tea-mporium’. Remember, for the third best cup of Lady Grey in the greater Duffysburgh area: “4234 Millsrun Avenue, It’ll be a pleasure havin’ you – for tea, that is!!!”.
But no matter how busy we’ve been, it’s no exaggeration to say that we’ve all been looking forward to just one thing – seeing all your smiling faces again at the Class of 1982 tent!!! If this Homecoming is anything like last year’s festivities (oh my, all those pretty red and blue balloons!), it should be a weekend to remember. Bert and I hope to see everyone again this October 28th.