A reminder: Next year on February 6, 7 and 8 we celebrate our class 80th birthday party; put it on your calendar.

For what awaits us at 80, google “Hitting 80” and read The Weekly Standard article by Joseph Epstein. Here is an excerpt. “In our 20s, my male friends and I talked a fair amount about sports and sex; in our 30s and 40s and 50s, it was food, movies and politics. Since our 70s, health is topic number one. Sleep is also a big item. No one seems to sleep through the night without having to get up two or three or more times. The fortunate ones among us are those who can get back to sleep. The key question of our 20s, ‘Getting much?’ now refers to sleep, not sex.”

And Dave Harrison writes: “Some say it’s your eyesight that goes first, others say hearing. I say it’s parallel parking.”

But we have a grand Key West, Florida, gathering of geezers and their ladies awaiting us. Chairman Sid Goldman starts Tuesday evening with a welcoming cocktail reception on the Margaritaville Key West Resort & Marina pier. Wednesday morning starts with a trolley tour of Key West. Capping Wednesday will be a sunset sail on the Fury catamaran. Thursday Duncan Mathewson will take us behind the scenes of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. Thursday evening is our farewell dinner. Friday morning Deb and Sid invite the class to their home for brunch.

There will be many other activities to choose from.

—John M. Mitchell, 300 Grove St., Rutland, VT 05701; (802) 775 3716; jmm00033@comcast.net