Not over yet!

Hi everybody!
The party was great! We have lots of pictures to share and videos on
their way. Both can be purchased as well. Erin, Cassie, Kim, Katie,
Brooke and Jami have all been recovering from the weekend and getting
back to our normal lives. I haven't updated anything because I've
been majorly ill (stupid, stupid strep throat!) and took a break from
all things reunion.

But we're back and there is a lot to share. Keep checking in with us!
-Kim

Last Minute Party Announcements!

Hi Party People!
Some last minute things to know! Please pass this info on to your friends and classmates...

• After tallying the advance ticket purchases and finalizing the details, we are thrilled to say that this will be a great event with huge turnout. We are projecting somewhere between 300-400 guests!
  
  
• Food is INCLUDED in your admission price. We were able to make this happen for you all! We are serving BBQ, snacks and various other goodies, including non-alcoholic beverages for FREE.
  
  
• Beer and wine will be flowin' too, but not for free. But our alcoholic drinks are affordable ($2 and $3)! BRING CASH for drinks and Raffle.
  
  
• We are putting together a scrapbook at the party. Please bring any High School nostalgia (27 pieces of flare anyone?) - this includes pictures, mementos, yearbook pages, pop culture from the 90's, anything you can think of!
  
  
• We have a ton of great raffle prizes! Bring cash so that you can buy tickets and get in on the winnings!
  
  
• It shouldn't rain, but it may be cold. We will have heaters, but we recommend you dress warm and comfortably.
  
  
• The lawn will likely still be wet. Play at your own muddy risk.
  
  
• Once you get to the Veterans Home, signs will lead your way to the Picnic Grounds.
  
  
• There is a pre-party at Downtown Joes Friday night (that's tomorrow evening)! There will be a rockabilly band and lots of food and fun
  
  
• There will be an after-party at Compadres on Saturday. More details to come.
  
  
• Jamieson Canyon (HWY. 12) will be closed on Saturday. If you are coming from that direction, use the alternate American Canyon route.
  
  
• '95 and '96 graduates can bring up to 5 paying guests. Guests do NOT need to be NHS alumni.

And if you don't know by now, the party is from 4-10pm, THIS SATURDAY, at the Veterans Home Picnic Grounds. There will be fantastic live entertainment, dancing, raffle prizes, hula hoopers, celebrity guest MC, free food, not-so-free drinks, and all your Napa High Classmates! DON'T MISS IT! Admission price is $35 per person.

SEE YOU SATURDAY!!

Last Chance!!

Today is the last day to buy advance reunion tickets. Through today, each ticket is only $25! Tomorrow they will be $35. At the door you will wait in line, and they will still be $35. But today they are $25. Buy one, or two, or six! Your guests can be anyone - boyfriend, girlfriend, mother-in-law, pet, lawyer, you get the idea.

Your ticket covers you for food, entertainment, raffle tickets (5 of them if you buy in advance!), and personalized name badge.

Beer and wine will be available at $2 and $3 for good pours! Other drinks (water, coffee, etc.) also available.

Please contact us at napahighreunion@gmail.com with any questions!

Buy your tickets before Tuesday and save $10!

Hi Folks!
So the cutoff date for advance reunion tickets is October 3rd. That is this TUESDAY! The reunion is only 6 days away! We already are assured a fantastic turnout. You better be there! We have so much going on - you won't want to miss this.

Purchase tickets HERE!

El Capitan, Gerad Stemke, DJ Phil, and our own Hula Hooping Diva, Cassady Jeremias!

Ok ok ok... So you wanna know what's up with the reunion. You wanna know what your $25 is paying for. You wanna know whether it's worth it or not to go ahead and buy them tickets and show your face. Fine. Here's a little peek at some of the fun stuff we've got goin' on for you this fabulous October 7. Need we remind you that there's some real pro's workin' to make this thing great? I think you'll agree:

Entertainment Lineup

Napa's own Gerad Stemke

Stemke is a 1997 graduate of Napa high, and is coming up from Orange County just to perform for us! As of Friday, he's right in the middle of recording his first album, and hopes to have it completed and on sale soon, including at the reunion! Stemke's an awesome guitar player and singer, livin' the dream in SoCal. He's come a long way from being wrestling partners with our very own 1996 Homecoming Queen, Erin Murphy-- in the 103 weight class (tee hee!) Check out his music on myspace, www.geradstemke.com, and see us listed in his upcoming shows!

San Francisco's

A sweet, sweet band to get us groovin'... El Capitan has been a favorite of some of the reunion planners for some time. We were first introduced through former drummer, Matt Butler of Napa, who has recorded with them in the past. El Capitan has just released a new album and will soon be touring, including a stop at our lil' old reunion! Read some of the reviews pulled from their website, www.elcapitanland.com:

"Relaxed without ever tumbling into lethargy, the introspective collaboration between guitarists Ryan Henry and Christopher Connolly works as both eclectic string and pure pop." - Seattle Weekly

"These guys rock as hard as that hunk of granite they're named after." - Mission Creek Music Festival

"Spooky California mountain music--nice guitar work and harmonies from the New Folk generation." - San Francisco Folk Festival

"Backwoods savants El Capitan closed the show with a satisfying ramble through the bogs and briars of their musical versatility, meandering from hoarse, guitar-driven blues to delicate vocal harmonies, and dredging up plenty of fiddle, harmonica, banjo, and other pioneer instruments along the way." - West Coast Performer

"I never knew what a cord of wood was until El Cap defined it so eloquently on the spacey, back porch-swinging dirge "The Woodcutter's Hymnal." Don't pinch the measurements, keep an eye on the details." - SF Bay Guardian

You remember him spinnin' at Henry's in downtown Napa. Long-time Napa resident, DJ Phil!

Currently living in San Francisco, Phil's just plain cool. He'll keep us dancing long after most of Napa has gone to bed. More to come from Phil once he responds to his email!

And yes, curious readers, the hula hooper is our very own '96 grad, Cassie Jeremias!

No, she sure as hell didn't grow up thinking she'd be a professional hula hooper, but when opportunities come 'a knockin, she couldn't say no. Recently returning from Mexico where she got the nickname Hula Hula when locals spotted her hooping on the beach, (see photo, below).

Cassie's been in an instructional video, and her hoop group was featured in Portland Monthly Magazine. Plus, she's just had offers from a fitness class instructor wanting her to teach, and a filmmaker wanting to put her in a music video! Catch her moves at the reunion where and she'll have plenty of hoops to share for the un-shy/drunk, and some to purchase as well.

Honk if you like to party!

We'd like to get a head count for the party. Please send us your vote!

Are ya coming to the party?

Yes!Yes, but only if [weak excuse here]...I'm on the fence about itNo. Totally lame.

Free polls from Pollhost.com

If you want info about tickets, or would like to purchase them online, please click HERE to be taken to the reunion payment page. Thanks!

What to wear?

Man, are we a fashion-conscious crowd or what? I didn't think this would be the hardest part of the planning, but it just may be! We've gotten more than 20 emails, mostly from gals, wondering what on earth to wear to the party. Well, like we've said, the party is outdoors and pretty casual. Dress comfortable with style, you want to feel & look good dangit! Tents and/or outdoor heating will be provided if necessary.

That said, we won't turn you away if you show up in your old prom clothes. Actually, if you still fit in your old prom stuff and want to wear it, more power to ya! Bring it on!

Most of us girls will be wearing dresses or skirts, maybe a couple will wear pants. Cocktail-type dresses are great, but keep in mind if you wanna sit, it will be on picnic tables or grass. As for shoes, I'm a boot girl myself, but heels are acceptable--dance on the asphalt pad at your own risk! I'm sayin' casual cocktail party attire, taken down a notch. For guys - jeans and t-shirt, probably not. Slacks, yes. Cords, yep. Ties, sure, if ya wanna.

Want to help?

We could use it!
We have a supply list a million miles long!
We got positions to fill - fun ones even!
There's lots to do.
If you want to be a part of this reunion (and still get to enjoy the
party like the rest of 'em!) please email us at
napahighreunion@gmail.com and we'll add you to our volunteer email list
and contact you about helping out.
Thanks!

SPILL IT AND WIN PRIZES!

You are fabulous! Many people who filled out surveys have been sharing their stories, and we're amazed at how differently we've all chosen to live our lives these past 10 years. We've got alums who have made families, some HUGE families, some who've traveled all over the world, some who are still in school, going back to school, and many who have chosen interesting other paths.

But — We want to hear more! We're putting a program together for the reunion that will feature alumni photos, stories, and much, much more! We're looking for contributors. Send us your story in 150 words or less telling us what you've been up to. No matter how mundane, dull, crazy or twisted it is, we want it. If you know someone you think has a good story, tell 'em to send it in! If we use it in the program, you'll get 10 raffle tickets!

Email your stories to Cassady Jeremias, writer and hulahooper extraordinaire: cjeremias at gmail.com

Sunday Breakfast

I don't know what your experience in Napa was like, but I know that for me (Kim), every time I think about 'hometown' my mind inevitably wanders to the yummy post-party Saturday morning or Sunday morning (or both) breakfast. It just seems like a staple for Napa-kin (aka, Napkins).

You go out, have a nice evening (or a wild one), sleep cozily in your bed, then wake up to the 9-10ish breakfast call round-up. You stumble down to any one of the plethora of breakfast joints that Napa has to offer to find your friends seated around a table, looking for a greasy meal and storytellin' good time. Some are hungover, some are still in pajamas, some don't even make it there.

But I know it's not just me. Because this is a small town. You look around and see ALL of the tables are filled with like-minded hungry souls. Many of the same faces from the night before.

I miss that.

And it's just one of the many things I'll be looking forward to about reunion weekend. See you all at breakfast.

Comment and share some of your favorite breakfast spots. Are there any new places to check out? Is Soscol Cafe still around? That place is fantastic!