It was always hot as a returning student...even the nights didn't cool off. Yet, the 1968 "Night of the Tri-D Returning Student Dance" will doubtless go down in history. It should most likely be allowed to sink as fast as the Titanic, but....as there seems to be a story here, off we go.

It was decided by a crazed set of Student Recreation Staffers that this should be the party to end all parties. So we set out to have just that, a Tri-District dance, with the final events of the evening ending up in Dhahran with a series of one hour per house parties and breakfast at the last house on the list. Which, as is usual, I volunteered my Mother to cook...Bob Gollan's house was involved as was the Bargers and several others, with side trips to the Mansion and Hamilton Hill.

Perhaps I mislead you, this was a TRI-district event, a dance in each district and then on to Dhahran for the all nighters...Such events as couples being "lost" on the beach, certain individuals barely able to crawl, snakes they were, and many more side stories, Sissy's tiger stripped PJ's, which I do believe helped to a marriage proposal from Scott Kay. At least I know they sat in front of my house in his Dad's vehicle and I wasn't invited. My date and I finding a small area of warm water along the beach in RT, only to get into it barefoot and find it full of jellyfish..Told her not to sit down....Had to find new date, but a lot of changes happened that night.

Several berserk Brats shaved their heads in a contest at the Gollans, and I never laughed so hard when two of them decided to shave their tails and really made an effort..what a sight and to think, all under the influence of a little Bebsi; I really thought I was going to die from laughing at the sight of these two, Right Barbara and Tom?

I do remember having to pay 50 SR EACH for five of us to get a taxi from RT to Dhahran after missing the scheduled bus...Singing and raising hell all the way to Dhahran, and the main gate guard looking at disbelief when this disheveled group came thru and no one even knew if any of us had an ID, or were completely clothed for that matter. I know the ladie's undergarment left at the main gate was slightly inappropriate, but to this day I don't know how a taxi with five guys had that with us...surely P. wasn't wearing it ? But perhaps....

Danced until I got sick, and there were so many people there that when Mom started making breakfast, I could tell, although she was out of focus, that I had better have a damn good excuse as to why there were 50 or 60 people all over the place. AND I don't know how the hell I survived when they all left and she got done explaining what it is like to hear breakfast orders such as the infamous RS saying "Ole Lady, make it Brown and eggs, and Hammi Hammi", which of course endeared him forever to Mom. I think she later tried to kill him with a popsicle, but not sure. Same night Steve Reed knocked on my window, and it was Mom and Dad's room, and Steve will tell today how a hand came out the window and simply pointed the other way.. Like a very sharp knife I can imagine.

This was truly a night of remembrance, and there are hundreds of tales to go with it, of individuals falling in love and two hours later, hating each other, of one guy SG, asking another guy TB for a dance because one had very long hair and the other was not fully in control of his faculties.

But mostly, I share one bond with all of you...I dearly loved the Saudi night and the gift of God, the stars and shooting stars.
It is Friday and I'm outa here....

Date: Fri, 30 Aug 1996 14:29:18 -0500
To: aramco_brats@dhahran.eng.sun.com
From: Mike Crocker