Prep '58 Blog - March 2026

 Bill Wittman mentioned Dr.Mike's comments from our last Zoom call about Prep tuition, which various guys remembered as $240 per year, or thereabouts, and remarks about whether any of us would have been able to go to Prep if the tuition was as high as it is now, at $26,000 per year.

The medical profession got the spotlight next, with more than a few comments about "too many specialists," and not enough generalists.

Tom Reilly told us that two friends from his military days were up for the Medal of Honor. One was a guy in his wedding party. He mentioned another friend who had a destroyer named after him. Pretty cool stuff.

Then came a trip down memory lane, starting with Rich McConville mentioning at least one McConville brother attended Prep all thru the fifties. There was mention of Father Shalloe - "How do you know you don't have a vocation as a priest, if you don't try it?"  Then, recollections of who sat where in class, and the realization that our memories are a mixture of facts, massaged memories and complete blanks, which get filled in from fragments of other memories. Among the memories were Ed Bradley, Mike Joyce, George Blaney, Bob Cousey, Holy Cross and others.

It reminded the Editor of why we started the '58 Blog in the first place, and reinforced our determination to continue reminding ourselves of some pretty good times in our lives. And it doesn't hurt that as our memory fails us, some of the things we are talking about now, will be "discovered" again as new memories in the future. A never-ending supply, so to speak.

You can see the video here.    Until next time...

If you can't make it to an in-person Cuppa, you can join the gang in a Zoom Cuppa, wherever you are. We have plenty of room, and there's no entrance fee.   The next Zoom Cuppa is scheduled for Monday,  Apr 13th @ 12:00 pm EDT.  Vince will send out the meeting invitation with the pass code.     Please keep the email! 

Bob Pipchick told us he is healing from the difficulties he was having with his neck, and no longer needs the brace he had been wearing. He coined a new phrase - numb skull - to describe the aftermath of the surgery, which left the back of his neck numb. All agreed that there were numbskulls of a different kind we had encountered.

Speaking of medical issues, Joe Machewirth told us that some of the drugs his wife had been taking were upwards of $9,000 to $12,00 per month. That got us into the increase in the cost of just about everything, which, in turn,  got us into Medicare, and the variation in the medicare deduction based on gross income, called Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). 

There were recollections of prior reunions, and stories about attending them after being away from Prep for a while. Some said they didn't recognize many of the folks they met for the first time since graduation.

We discussed pensions, and what we have been doing since we retired. Bob Pipchick mentioned substitute teaching, Vince told us he keeps busy with his wife's baking blog business, and taking care of Prep '58 things.

And Vince told his story (again!) of his encounter with Joe Lupardo in senior year which got him thrown out of Physics class until he apologized.

Lots more chatter, and then lunch arrived. We took a photo and headed home.  

You should join a Reo Cuppa if you can. We have had as many as a dozen attendees in the past, and  would like to get a good crowd every month. We have scheduled the Cuppa events for the 2nd Tuesday each month to allow as many guys as we can to attend. Put the Cuppa in your calendar, and join in the fun.

We will give it another go on Tuesday, May 14th @ noon EST at the Reo Diner in Woodbridge.