1960 Zoomers, February 20, 2025
First Row, left to right: Marilyn Tompkins Bellert, Fred Elder, Skip Granger, David Robinson
Second Row: Lee Ayres, Glenna Stearman Park, Diane Rusch Zinn, Dan Tontz
Third Row: Calvin Ross, Charlie Briscoe, Barbara Hammond
A preliminary review of weather conditions where everyone lives revealed a wide range of temperatures from 6 degrees at Marilyn’s Illinois home to 71 degrees at Skip’s home in Arizona.
Topic of the Day: The Games We Play
Fred Elder, Madison, WI
The games I currently play have mostly to do with my body. I am boxing several times a week, which is supposedly helping with my balance and mobility. I don’t play puzzles and games like Wordle, because my friend Ardith is really good at them, and I don’t like to lose.
Skip Granger, Sun Valley, AZ I’m into baseball, even though I don’t play. I am a big Giants fan and have attended many games. We attend Phoenix spring training games. I wore my Giants World Series ring to my physical therapist, and I’m wearing it today.
David Robinson, Wichita, KS
David Robinson – I try to make myself go downstairs and work out on the stationery bike. I really like to walk. My sisters do crossword puzzles, but they make my eyes cross. I enjoy the Chiefs and KU basketball. Or, I did enjoy before this year. At this point, I don’t think they could beat a junior college team. I tried to watch the Super Bowl, but couldn’t finish it. Life is good otherwise.
Lee Ayres, Fresno, CA I share David’s and Skip’s opinion of the Chiefs’ performance at the Super Bowl and the current play of KU’s basketball team. I gave up on the first half of the Chief’s game. I used to enjoy KU basketball, but they haven’ t figured out their game this season. I do like racquet sports, especially Pickleball. They are good for developing hand-eye coordination, which I understand is important to a healthy brain. When I play Pickleball with my 13 year old grandsons, they beat me. I’m considering taking up tennis again.
Glenna Stearman Park, Montgomery Park DC I started out with three boys who played Dungeons and Dragons. When they created dungeon grounds, they made drawings that were 8×10 feet. They would spend a full weekend with friends, playing D&D the whole time. After they all went off to college, I thought, “Well, that was interesting but we’re done with that.” Then they came home from college for vacations and played D&D again with their friends. They are now in their 50’s and one of them still flies across the country to play D&D with high school friends. I play my own game in the mornings. I wake up and look around. The house has not been bombed. I check the TV to see if the US has bombed anyone. I don’t want to play any more war games.
Dan Tontz, Dallas, TX I’ve taken a more expansive view, thinking of games I played from grade school through college. Early on was hopscotch, jacks, jump rope, Marco Polo, Red Rover, Kick the Can, then on to Monopoly. I even had a Beatles version of Monopoly that used their songs. My family played Spoons on our vacations. All you needed was spoons and a deck of cards. Playing the game involved slipping a spoon off the table. Whoever was left without a spoon at the end of the game was the loser.
Calvin Ross, Johnson City, TN I forgot about Spoons, but I played that game as a kid. It required multi-tasking. You had to keep one eye on your cards and one on the spoons. I played a lot of ping pong when we were kids, starting in grade school and through high school. Every Sunday night at church, Wayne Moore and Alan Goodman and I played ping pong. I still play today at a local community center. A buddy and I play ping pong or racquetball. I have also been a bit of a chess player and always enjoyed it. I really enjoyed teachings chess to my grandsons, even though they beat me more often than not. If you have to lose, it’s not too bad to lose to a grandson. Nancy and I have a morning ritual, doing a Thomas Joseph Crossword together. Between the two of us, we can usually complete the crossword without checking answers. It’s nice to spend the time together in the mornings. I do a Jumble everyday. I’m not active in athletics any more, although I have thought about going back to shotput and javelin in the Senior Olympics. I do enjoy a great deal watching my grandsons play football and basketball.
Charlie Briscoe, Raleigh, West Virginia We had a month of mud in college. I would go to the graveyard next to
the dorm and collect fresh flowers placed on graves and take them to my girlfriend, now my wife. She was impressed and always wondered how I managed to afford the beautiful flowers. Some years passed before I figured out that lilies were not really appropriate for taking to a girl. Games I enjoy with my grandkids are Rummikub and Blank Slate. I am still announcing track meets and have a major one coming up in Roanoke in May, the Cosmopolitan Invitational. More than 50 teams from middle school, junior varsity, and varsity teams will compete. I played competitive softball until I was 62, but I’ve had two hips and a knee replacements, so my own athletic activity is limited, but I do chase the little white ball around the golf course once in awhile.
Diane Rusch Zinn, Lawrence, KS I play different games with different family members and some by myself. Concentration was one we played with our three year old daughter Rebecca; she always won, whether it was the board game or with a deck of cards. In recent years, Dick and I routinely played gin rummy a couple of nights a week after dinner. With our son Rob and his family, Mexican Dominoes is a favorite. It’s complicated and I never remember all the rules, but I love playing it. Our daughter Lauri has introduced me to the word games in the New York Times, so I usually do the mini-crossword and Connections every evening. By myself, I do Wordscapes on my Ipad, and occasionally Suduko, but I struggle with it. When I was a little girl, I played a German version of gin rummy with my grandfather; he called it Schitza. I’m still playing racquetball weekly and even though I rarely win, it certainly helps with hand-eye coordination, and body movement in all directions. I follow the Chiefs and KU basketball, but like the others have commented, am a little disillusioned with their recent performances.
Marilyn Tompkins Bellert, Sycamore IL I lived in a neighborhood where all the kids played outside everyday. Every night after dinner we all played Kick the Can. My family played card games and board games together and with
friends. We also played charades from childhood and I played as an adult. At 92, my mother was still beating me at Scrabble. She was a shark. I really enjoyed Scrabble, even when I lost. I played board games and card games from poker to Uno with my own children and grandchildren. Watching my grandchildren compete – from fencing to badminton to soccer – has been great fun. These days I play simpler games. I was surprised when I started attending a Functional Fitness class; we played finger games like touching each of your fingers to your thumb. I wondered what I was doing in that class! Then, we started playing memory games based on the fingers and those were a challenge. It’s useful brain stimulation, even though it doesn’t feel as important as the class’s emphasis on weights, stretchy bands, and balance training. Games and exercise have always been part of my life. Like others, I love playing Rummikub.
Barb Hammond, Wichita KS I had “technical difficulties” and could not get my camera or microphone to work during this Zoom session, but I had fun listening. When we were in high school and college, Marilyn and I played all sorts of games and sports as campers and then as camp counselors at a Camp Fire Girls camp. About 10 years ago, I got reacquainted with a group of women who had been high school campers when we were counselors. Now they are great friends. Last week, I hosted a Game Day where we played games all afternoon. We laughed, argued, tried to read each others’ minds and laughed some more. In case you want to raise your endorphins, try some of these: Blots, Magnetize, Taboo, and Telestrations.
Games We Didn’t Think of in the First Round
Skip – When we were in Nevada for meeting with wine distributors, Mary Ann played the slots at casinos and Trey played penny slots during a show we were attending and won $100.
Dan – We played the card game “Authors” and learned a bit of literature history because of it.
Charlie – I played softball until I was 62 and have organized annal softball tournaments to benefit churches in Paraguay. Last year, we raised $77,000, which helps to finance churches, ministries, a radio station and a TV station.
Diane – We played Pick-up Sticks and Topography, which helped me become familiar with cities in the US. Just recalled how often we played UNO with kids and grandkids. Seems the youngest grandchild usually won and some of the games seemed to never end.
Lee – We played War, Solitaire, and Canasta. My Kansas City aunts taught me Canasta.
Calvin – We played games with other couples when we lived in apartments during our early marriage period – gin rummy and Clue. The guys found ways to cheat on Clue, and we thought we were clever until our wives caught on.
Marilyn – We played Bridge in grad school and as afterward. Bridge requires serious thinking to play well. You don’t just roll the dice.
Glenna – I taught my sons to play chess, but before long, I lost most of the time. One of them thought I was intentionally losing to make him feel better, but I wasn’t. I like to play Rummikub, sometimes against myself. I’m not in a household that plays games.
Dan – I collected baseball trading cards. The full ’51 Yankees team was my favorite. It’s valuable, so I used to keep it in my safe deposit box, but now I keep them at home so I can look at them. Trading cards are still a big business for all sports.
Skip – My parents were serious bridge players. They would have four tables set up, and we had to be quiet while they played. They were so serious that I chose not to learn. My dad was a card counter and won most of the time.
Calvin – Kim Corbin was a very skilled card counter and a high-level accountant. Always good with numbers! He tells some terrific stories about beating the dealers at Blackjack.
Marilyn – Do any of you play online games? (No one said yes, initially). I first played online Solitaire when I had carpel tunnel syndrome and had to learn to mouse with my left hand, I did it by playing hundreds of games of online Solitaire. I see heads nodding about our children and grandchildren playing online games. Dungeons and Dragons and other games are now played online by world-wide groups. These are often team games and they get to know each other. Online gaming, or e-sports as it is now called, is not necessarily isolating. This is now a multi-million dollar business with online competitions, teams with uniforms, coaches, color commentators, and betting. Just another example of something we never imagined way back when!
Announcements from Marilyn and Diane
- The date of our next Zoom is still uncertain due to the fact that Fred and I are both traveling in March. It will be either March 13 or March 20. Watch your email for the Zoom invitation.
- Our 65th reunion will be held at the Broadview Hotel in Wichita. Unfortunately, all rooms are already sold out for that weekend. We are working on holding a block of rooms in a nearby hotel. Info to follow!
- We received a very generous donation to support the reunion and the website. You can help, too. Donations of all sizes are welcome!
Parting Words
Skip – I’m headed to the pool.
David – I enjoy the Zooms and am looking forward to the reunion.
Lee – I echo David.
Glenna – I will try to make the reunion. I thought the masks with high school portraits at our last reunion were a wonderful idea and hope we do that again. If you still have yours, bring it to the 65th!
Dan – Was the large donation for the website or the reunion? Answer: Not specified, so it will be used by both.
Calvin – Recall the song, “The Games People Play”? Calvin found the lyrics on his computer and proceeded to read them to us.
Charlie – Good to see you all.
Diane – Send some Zoom topic suggestions.
Our next session of Zooming with the Aces will be either March 13 or March 20 at 2:00 pm, Wichita time. We hope to see you then!
