WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL TWO RIVERS WI CLASS OF 1989

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

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.

7 Comments:

At Tue Feb 14, 01:44:00 PM PST, Blogger TWORIVERSWALRUS said...

I'll take whatever love I can get. She may not recall it. But Paula was mine. Oh yes, she was mine.

Jason's comments were never directed to you. It was just a joke bewteen him and I.

On a side not, Hot Dog is available on DVD now. I got it myself. It no doubt looks better than the 19-year-old VHS in your possession. Look for it.

As for the ski trip, I don't think it was with Dave. He just had a mutual interest in the sport as you did.

Lastly, welcome. I look forward to any comments you care to share.

 
At Wed Feb 15, 09:44:00 PM PST, Blogger SonnyKidd said...

Got me dude, I can barely remember yesterday, I don't know where Burt's gets this shit from. The Chief needs his props though. We should get a card game together, for old times.

 
At Thu Feb 16, 06:24:00 AM PST, Blogger TWORIVERSWALRUS said...

Jason, I'm actually surprised you don't remember this one. You and I did the "Jeff Gordon that bate" routine 1000 times that year - seriously.

Maybe you don't recall it. But perhaps you can tell us what a "bate" is.

 
At Thu Feb 16, 10:01:00 AM PST, Blogger SonnyKidd said...

Good to see I'm not the only one losing my hair, oh well, easy come easy go.

As far as "bate" goes...I can only imagine it's a shortened version of masturbate. Where that came from, who knows. Many thought I was an ass back in the day, and deservedly so I reckon. Heck, I don't even remember when El Jefe & I became friends and started hanging out.

I would love to get a card game together, as soon as next month say, March is pretty holiday, wedding, etc. free. What we need is an email list put together for everyone that's been on the blog, or hasn't (Mess, Pete, Jer, etc). I tried to get Rozy, Drew, Brad, and I together last year, but that ended up falling through. I can house people at my place or we have tons of hotels right near by. Or I wouldn't mind heading back to TR for a weekend. But we should seriously do something, instead of just talking about it.

 
At Thu Feb 16, 08:45:00 PM PST, Blogger karmadog said...

Jen Anderson used to call me "queerbate" in 6th grade. Either she knows what it means, or she was just using yet another word she didn't understand.

 
At Thu Feb 16, 08:46:00 PM PST, Blogger karmadog said...

Great. Now it looks like all my posts have my picture next to them.

Yay!

 
At Thu Feb 16, 08:46:00 PM PST, Blogger karmadog said...

Here's one more!

 

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