JEFF GORDON

Jeff Gordon was a guy I first encountered at Clarke. But to be honest, I can't really picture him there. But I remember the name quite well.

In 7th grade, I was sitting in Mr. Longhini's math class during 5th hour. Jason Anderson was at the desk in front of me. Suddenly Ms. Koeppe made an annoucement of some sort, and Jeff Gordon's name was mentioned. Jason then quipped, "Jeff Gordon that bate."

Now, what exactly a "bate" is I still don't know to this day. But for whatever reason, that quote amused me. For the rest of the year, Jason and I would say that quote back and forth to each other on a daily basis. We would take turns. I'd say "Jeff." He'd say "Gor." I'd say "don." He'd say "that." Then we'd both say "bate" at the same time. Sometimes we "coughed" it instead of speaking it out loud.

What the hell is a bate????

My first real visual memories of Jeff are from sophomore year. He sat in front of Dave Svatek in Mr. Scriver's history class. I sat to their right. Dave and Jeff had a mutual interest in skiing. I had no mutual interest with either of them. Although Jeff was one of the few students that I was actually taller than. Anyway, as the year progressed, the three of us often engaged in conversations with each other. I ended up liking both of them.

At some point that year, Jeff asked if I would make a copy of the film "Hot Dog: The Movie" for him. No problem. He brought me a tape. I taped it and gave it to him the next day. I remember him saying that he was going to watch the film as soon as he got home, so he could get "pumped up" for some skiing trip he had planned the next day or something.

I can't say that Jeff and I were ever friends. But we were certainly on friendly terms with one another. I know I made him laugh on occasion. But I'd guess that some of those times he was laughing at me, and not with me. But a laugh is a laugh. Who cares.

I don't know what year it was. I suspect it was our sophomore year again. But I have a vague memory of riding my bike over to his house to drop off yet another tape to him. I don't recall what it was. But it's possible it was some porno films. I think I'd forgotten to take it to school, and felt guilty about it, and made a special trip to drop it off to him personally. Jeff lived by Magee, right across from Uni Mart.

At some point in high school, Jeff started going out with fellow graduate Brenda Gordon.

I ran into Jeff a couple of times after high school. He went onto school, possibly to UW Milwaukee, to become an engineer - the good money kind, not the choo choo kind. Jeff and Brenda continued their high school romance all the way to the altar, getting married in July, 1994. Today they live in Two Rivers along with their two sons. I believe Jeff works in Manitowoc, as an engineer.

UPDATE - 2/16/06 - The Gordon's have sent their recent Christmas photo. Thanks guys. Click it for the full-sized version.



UPDATE - 4/27/06 - I found a picture of Jeff online. It's from some golf outing in the last year or so.



UPDATE - 7/20/06 - On July 15th, Kevin Dehne and I stopped in to see Jeff and Brenda. Jeff was making a pizza. Their house is currently up for sale. Even though they'd spent three years at Clarke and two years at Washington together, Jeff had no recollection of Kevin. Before we left, we snapped the picture you see below.



UPDATE - 11/23/06 - Here is some video from that July 15th visit.