------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Backdoor Crew Reunion
Post Party Wrap-up

---

Kirby and I want to "Thank You" all for coming out to our 2nd Annual Backdoor Crew Summer Reunion Party this past Saturday.  We had a blast seeing everyone who made it - some of you for the very first time in a couple of decades....!

Granted, it was a bit warm for those us setting up and getting ready in the afternoon but again a BIG THANK YOU to all those who made it possible:
 - Todd for opening up his home for the party, cleaning house and mowing the lawn.
 - Carlos for dragging his lighting system and truss over.
 - Both Ann San Roman and Kelly Allison (Todd's Lady) for putting together the picture display arrangements.
 - Kim "Wallflower" Carter-Hahn for prepping all the food for us.

It was still on the hot side come 4:00 PM when John Halsey was the first to arrive.  It finally cooled down enough after the sun went down, but I know Kirby and I were still "Glowing" as the Party Masters, making sure the food was cooking and our guests were happy.  Wasn't that salmon in the tequila lime sauce just as good as last year - Cheers to Kirby for being the Great Chef he is!

A special thanks to those of you who donated more than the requested $5.00 per adult.  The extra helping hand is Greatly Appreciate to help cover some of the costs involved in putting on these shin-digs.  Our thanks also go to Christine Quimpo-Ostaszewski (home-made brownies), Barb Warren (box of cookies), and Angel Foster (big watermelon) for bringing something extra special to the party with them.

SPECIAL NOTE : Mark you calendars for the first full weekend in August of 2004.  Kirby and I will be sponsoring our 3rd and yes, Final Annual Backdoor Crew Reunion on that Saturday.  If you ever thought you wanted to catch up with an old Disneyland friend, that will be the time and the place to do it at.  We expect everyone to be there - expect Tim Fedel to give one of his Famous Top Ten Lists!

We are still digging for more names and ways to contact old crew members we haven't seen in a very long time.  It was great to see Mark Gunsten this year along with his sister Janet.  Kirby's sleuthing turned up Michelle Briley-Barba out of Fresno and I found Holly Evans-Skelton out in Lake Havasu.  We were able to turn up a bunch of old friends who were able to come at the last minute, just check the RSVP list or the Attendee List.  It wasn't possible this year to give more notice due to Harvey and Kirby's always un-predictable work schedules.  But you have plenty of notice for next year's final annual reunion and we are sticking to the date.  We may have more parties somewhere in the future, but like the Star Wars Trilogies, you're going to want to be at next year's reunion for sure because the next one may be a while.

You will see in the few pictures that I took some older but familiar faces.  People we haven't seen in a long long time. 

I was having so much fun talking and catching up with people, I didn't remember to take more pictures of all the other people at the party.  It was a full house to say the least.  I guess its just one of those kinds of things that you simply had to have been there to experience.  And in the grand tradition of the Backdoor Crew parties of old, Stu Ashe and Danny Speilman were the "Party Nags" and the last to leave.

For those of you that did bring a camera and managed to take a few pictures at the party, make double prints and send me the copies next week so I can scan and post them up on the website.  Some people brought some classic pictures from the past that were a lot of fun to look at.  Heck, I still have Art Cohen's and some other people's pictures from last years party to get scanned and put up....  sorry Art for not jumping to it.

Kirby and I both have had some great jobs and experiences outside of Disney, but we will always remember the best of times working in the Show Services Department, and doing the things we did with all of you for so many years !

Thanks for coming out and mark your calendars for next years last "annual" reunion.
August 7th, 2004

            Harvey & Kirby
                The Party Masters

Questions, Comments, Recommendations?
Let's Rock and Roll !