Fix Your Face.

Many have asked me how our reunion went. I think it was a great event and I was glad to be there as well as contribute where I could. Overall, the feeling for me was like the movie Men in Black where the bug enters Edgar the farmer guy. Everyone's face looked different, distorted, contorted after 20 years. I wanted to go around and fix people's faces to match my memories. And I'm sure they felt the same about me. Here's to being alive and well folks.

Bad Ankles?

Are your ankles bad from playing Hopscotch in school at any time? If so, you're not alone. I dream of touring the world as a Hopscotch Champion. Forrest Gump and his mean game of Ping Pong would have nothing on me. NOT.

Hot Stuff.

Does anyone remember Mrs. Edelson's class? I don't remember much, other than I thought Heather Fowler, Melanie Rose, and Christine Jones were hot. What did we say in fourth grade when someone was attractive? I don't remember, hurts my head. Nice hair Oborn!

I Loved Math.

In third grade I was in love with Ms. Broderick, my math teacher. She wore the coolest pants. I tried to get as much personal attention through acting out and getting the wrong answer as I could. Now to think of it, not much has changed. Honey, can you help me balance the check book? Wear some tight pants.

Dancing With Memories.

I have an obvious statement to make, I don't dance. And, I think I remember why. In fifth grade we did a school program and they made me dance. Yes I know I'm playing the martyr/blame game.

My partner was Kim Hutcheon. She was good enough to dance by herself why did they need me? I believe this experience stunted my dance skills growth and I never recovered. Thanks Mrs. Palmer, I'm not through with you yet.

I Don't Get It.

I do a lot of advertising and marketing these days and with the current economy see some strange Ad Campaigns. Something reminded me that in 1995 Sean Meade and I went to have some Thai food and realized we might be in the wrong place? I'm not the smartest consumer but I know that I don't like spaghetti and meatballs with my curry chicken. Are they still in business?

Missed People

Been thinking about the reunion and all the people that came and made it such an awesome event. As I was thinking about it I got looking through my pictures and thinking back to those days of yesteryear and realized how many people weren't there. We missed the company of many of our former classmates. I wish Brenton (formerly known as Brent)Basta could have been there. How could anyone forget Brent?? Love him or hate him, everyone knew him. I was best friends with him from 8th grade to 9th and If I had never started hanging out with him I would still be that same shy kid I was in 6th and 7th grade. Brent would talk to anyone and never cared what they thought of him. I met lots of people through him and gained confidence in talking to people. I owe some gratitude for those traits that he helped me develop. I still find myself being the person who sits on the outside watching and observing seeing how people interact and behave, but that is out of interest more than shyness. I like to engage in conversation with random people to this day.

There were so many people that I wish could have been there. I hope that our next reunion we will be able to get them to come.








Brent Basta

Heather Fowler and Brent Basta

Pat Matsumori














Melinda Denison, Chris Cano, Melanie Rose

Weirdest Thing You Did?

Do you remember the Peterson Library in Sandy? I think it was called the Arthur E Peterson library. I remember getting kicked out of there multiple times; I was innocent gangstas! What was the weirdest thing you ever did in that library? Be honest, we're getting old. That little room where you could play music never rocked so hard.

C'mon, Who Was Your Secret Crush On?

On the Facebook Class of 89' page a few of you discussed the secret crushes you had in High School. I'm displeased with the lack of candor. Someone out there had the hots for this gal and I want names! Personally, I always liked Amy Bogenschutz.

Cuteness Scale Decoder Ring.

In going through my old yearbooks I noticed I had placed numbers next to a dozen or so girls in each grade. I'm sure I was rating them on a cuteness scale of some kind, but for the life of me I can't figure out what I was thinking. If anyone has an answer key to decode this mystery, please send it to:
you-were-retarded-in-high-school@manwhore.com, thanks.

Did You Play Hacksack?

I feel funny admitting I played a little hacksack. I wasn't very good at it but someone usually had one. Quite often my 'rocker' friends would get a game started between drags on a Marlboro. Hackysacks are a type of footbag, kind of a peculiar word ... I think my wife called me a footbag once. She denies it however.

Funniest Person.

My vote for the funniest person in High School would be Todd Mecham. His impressions of Mr. Rasmussen were legendary, as well as this shot with a brownie in his teeth. I hope to talk to Todd sometime, he made me laugh. They didn't call him 'Teeth' for nothin'.

30 Year Reunion Plan.

I'd like to propose that the 30 year reunion be virtual, and cost $0. Here's a picture of the 5 year reunion flyer, and we just finished the 20 year. I understand inflation and the cost of living, but if the 5 year was $35.00 per couple, and the 20 year was $90 per couple, I'm afraid I'll need a loan from Fast Freddie's Money Hut to afford the next one. Let's hang out online and send virtual pizzas and beer.

Who Let Me Do That?

We all can remember stupid decisions we made in High School. Who in their right mind let me pursuade Keith Johnston's mom to make these pink and white pants for me? I remember going to the Fabric store (my first time) and picking out the material for these God awful, custom pants to throw the shotput in. Jamie Fullmer could of got away with this, maybe even Grant what's his name. However, I'm sure the laughs at Murray High School are still deafening, sorry everyone.

Bell Ringer, Ouch!

The Football Coaches used to call this contraption the bell ringer. They'd take all of the lineman over to this thing, put us in two lines and we'd shoot out of our stances underneath it. If you didn't stay low enough, you'd smack your head and have an instant headache for the rest of the day. I don't know if it's my beginning guitar students playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band songs or traces of 'the bell ringer' but I still have a headache. Coach May, I don't feel like playing this game today.

Careful What You Cut From Wood.

Not all kids that pound pots and pans as children become drummers, but in my case ... it's crazy how things turned out. If I'd known in 1985 that cutting that guitar out of wood paneling I found in the garage would set the stage for the rest of my life, I would have made it out of solid oak. Here's to loving the guitar!

Where is Mike Skousen?

One of my favorite people from High School was Mike Skousen. I haven't seen him on Facebook nor was he at the reunion but I loved that guy. Mike played right guard in football and I was the right tackle. We made up the strangest calls for plays you ever heard. "Roast Beef" meant I would take the defensive guy high and he would take him low. We were a pretty good team for a long time. I appreciated Mike's friendship and loved playing football with him.

One of my other memories of Mike was a holiday where we decided to ride our bikes up the Little Cottonwood Canyon. Neither of us were in great 'bike' shape for this, but we went anyway. After the ride we had some dinner at my house, I believe we ate Macaroni & Cheese. Well, since it was a holiday there was a parade earlier that day that my family attended. During dinner my little brother told us about the religous float that broke down where Jesus had to get off and push it. My dad thought he was being sacreligious and thumped him in the head. Mike and I laughed for days about that. Mike, let me know you're okay buddy.

Who Did You Want To Be Like?

Who did you envy in High School? Who did you want to be most like? For me, I looked up to Jamie Fullmer. We had lockers next to each other and I thought he was a real bad dude. I envied his moxy and how he didn't care what people thought of his style. He'd walk down the hall and it was like the parting of the Red Sea. I remember how he got to play football with the upper classmen and I always wanted to be that good. I looked up to him in the weight room and was glad I got to know him. Having visited where he grew up, I admire and understand his work ethic. I hope you're doing well these days Jamie.

Soundchecks & Good Advice.

I remember one of our last gigs as a Senior Band consisting of Eric, Tom, Blaine, Freddy, & John-keys/sound. We peformed for a Dance-type function in the gym for Ms. Lebeau. We played okay, the vibe was descent, but we never really got to sound check and feel prepared. Therefore, what could go wrong did; sound was feeding back, sound from only one side of the mains, monitors were weird, etc. Anyone that performs live will tell you that playing your best and remembering your parts are impossible if your mind is in 'worry, what's wrong mode'. My mom gave me some sound advice that night, she said "Eric, just grin and bear it. You looked retarded running around trying to fix things". Hmm, what ever did she mean?

What I Learned.

What I learned about egg cartons. To control the reverberation in a room you need to stop the echo from sound bouncing off hard surfaces. Many garage bands resort to egg cartons on the walls (see my room in high school). I remember picking the crusty egg pieces out of the cartons I got while working at Johanna's Kitchen and plastering my walls with them. It worked to a point, but Sound Engineers have done studies showing that Mid-frequencies are actually enhanced by egg cartons. No wonder my parents could still hear the guitar. Crap! And, the sound of that huge spider that had built his home behind the cartons crawling around still creeps me out.

Mixed Feelings.

Do you remember Ms. Baxter? I have mixed feelings about her. She was a teacher you loved to hate. Everyone remembers the lipstick on her teeth. Did she ever look in the mirror? How would you not notice that? I remember her telling me the books that I was reading wouldn't count towards the 'you have to read so many books in my class quota'. Do you remember how excited she got when she used a spelling word in a sentence? Hilarious. She used to get so frustrated with Scott May she could spit; and she did on my head.

New CD.

Eric Peterson's new instrumental, melodic rock CD is available! You can check it out at http:www.cdbaby.com/peterson7. This is Eric's 16th CD and is perfect for road trips. If you drive to work, you need this CD.

Nostalgia

Every time I go to Jordan Commons all I think of is what a waste of one of the coolest schools around. I loved going to Jordan High. What great experiences I had and what awesome people I got to know. I always take time to close my eyes and think about the layout of the inside of the building and then my mind will drift to random scenes from back then. I tend to get nostalgic about this time of my life.

Always Smiling.

Can anyone remember a time when Cindy Jeppson wasn't smiling? I enjoyed re-connecting with her at the reunion. Cindy used to be a great photographer, I remember her having a camera all the time. Keep smilin'!

Thoughts.

Doni Meadows wasn't able to make it to the reunion. It's come to my attention that his wife has been in and out of the hospital and I'd like Doni to know we're thinking about them. Let us know if you need anything.

Old Friends.

Brad Murray wasn't always a beetdigger, he defected from Brighton after seeing the light. We spoke at the reunion about how he and I had become friends and I enjoyed seeing him again. Brad is taller than me, I don't like that, but he has to be the friendliest person I know. Brad was a great ball player and could catch anything thrown his way. He kept my mental state in a positive place during the Senior year of football where conditions for me were less than ideal. It was neat meeting Brad's boys who are totally 'Brad'. Wrestling around with them on Saturday was fun! Thanks Brad for being there and just being the same ol' dude.

The Bass Man.

Anyone remember Russ Hodges and how much he loved playing the bass guitar? He has his own Shop now and teaches full time. I'm proud of Russ and am glad we've been able to collaborate on projects over the years. He's getting hi-tech these days and offers his students a lot of value. Russ played bass on a few songs on my Corridor CD http://cdbaby.com/cd/peterson5, but he probably has his own highlight reel to show you. In High School Russ was intrigued with Harmonics and how he could incorporate them into his style, I hope he's become the bass visionary he thought he could be.

Way, Way Back.

I remember my first handful of guitar students as a Sophomore in High School. One such person was Scott Jensen. Scott rode his bike to my parents house where I showed off for 30 minutes. He was a good sport and hopefully he's still playing. Where you started in life is fun to reflect on, and helps build a timeline to share with your students. I remember charging $5 for thirty minutes. Well Scott, I hope you still enjoy guitar music!

Funny.

I remember walking past the landscaping rig with Keith Norris. Then, all of a sudden he runs and jumps up into the driver's seat! I had my camera with me and got this shot, one of my all time favorite funnies. The spontaneity and craziness of the moment still makes me laugh. Keith, teach you kids to stay off powered equipment they're not trained to operate.

Teachers That Mattered.

We all had one or two teachers that mattered; they genuinely cared about you, and you strived to do well in their class. One such teacher for me was Mr. Pace. He graded projects hard, I don't think any of my ceramics ever got an 'A', but he was interested in my doing well and was always supportive of my music. I remember my parents receiving a special card from him after graduation. Let's hear it for good teachers!

Memories of Coach Watrin.

What are your memories of Coach Al Watrin? For some reason, I remember making fun of his pants ... I had him for a class, don't remember which one. I remember him asking me if I'd play JV for a game and I was a sophmore and I was semi-flattered. I remember after the Senior Assembly where we played Van Halen & Guns n Roses saying it was the coolest thing he's ever seen. I remember his last words to me after that last game in the Pit. It was very emotional for me.

World of difference.

People are bound to look different after 20 years, it's inevitable. Who looked the most different at the 20 year reunion we just had? My vote would be Blaine Dehaan, otherwise known as Ralph. He played drums in our high school band/project and I was looking forward to hearing him drum again. Unfortunately, the rain killed the band, but Blaine has my vote for 'the most surprising' look. Keep in touch Ralph, I miss your snort when you laugh real hard.

Competitive Sports.

I no longer play any competitive sports but have some insight. In the business world, especially one relating to Sales, the best 'Producers' including myself were always guys and gals that played competitive sports. The drive and desire to win are important traits in business and I'm glad I committed 9 years to football. I loved the #75 because of my dream to play like Howie Long. I wish my senior year would have been different, but being No. 2 on the depth chart was what it was. I had more good times than bad and am excited to see our kids playing sports and learning the fundamental lessons in sportsmanship and teamwork.

Get in a Band.

There are a couple places you can display your skills and creativity as a musician, one is in a band.

In 1995 I re-connected with Sean Meade (middle) and discussed the possibility of starting a hyper-acoustic strumming band. We formed The Accidental Tribe with the addition of Melissa Warner. We played as many gigs as we could get and recorded our own album. We had some good times and I appreciate the time we spent creatively together. I got to see Sean again at the reunion, he's a doctor now. Wow, how things change. Good luck with all you do Sean.

Interesting Friendships

Sometimes, something as simple as a hair style can bring you together as friends. Scott May, Brett Carlisle and I all had flat tops (of sorts), and we became known as the flat top brothers. We never really hung out together but appreciated the friendship and it was great to see them both at the class reunion. Take care gentleman!

Jd Barnes Rocks.

You form many close friendships in High School. Many, you won't maintain as friends move, get married, change interests, etc. One such relationship for me is with JD Barnes. Prior to connecting on Facebook, I hadn't talked to JD in over 10 years (I think). I was glad to be able to help him with 80's music, slideshow and entertainment for the Reunion. He is a guy that is committed to projects he undertakes and I am glad to call him a friend. Have a drink on me JD.

Eric & Tom's Reunion Song Lyrics

I've received some requests to post the lyrics to our funny songs, here they are.

EVERY ROSE HAS IT’S THORN – revised

We both sit silently still, in the rear of Mason’s class
Although we both know Freddy’s asleep, a ruler smack comin’ on his desk
Was it something I said, or something I did
Did my test not come out right, jerk!
I tried not to fail it, though I’m fried, but I guess that's why they say

Every lunch must have corn, (I’m sick of it)
Just like peelin’ out, Troy Oborn
Just like Keith Johnston sits in front of the metal shop
Why can’t Mel Quinn fix this slop?

I listen to Eternal Flame, playin’ on the radio.
JD said there’s a game of easy come and easy go.
But I wonder, do you know, the clean & jerk is not the snatch
Well I know David Ahrens would be here now
If he wasn’t eatin’ sand in Bahgdad – I said

Every pair of pants is torn
Just like hackisack in the hall
Just like Todd Mecham, & Rasmussen in the dark
Lisa Morgan have your left your mark? – Time will tell

Though it's been a while now, Heather Crowl why’d ya punch my arm?
Like the time Lisa Pulsipher said, No! I won’t, go with you to wheeler farm
I know I coulda saved our love that night if I'd not eaten Taco Bell
Instead of making fake IDs at home we could’ve played kiss and tell
And now I hear you’re datin’ Curt Myrick, that guy can’t even kick a ball

To hear that Skousen wears girl’s underwear, makes my ever livin’ skin wanna crawl
Troy Garner & Christy Wissler
Mike Skousen & Gyllenskog
Tracy Cowdell & Becky Christsensen
Tom Brand – Amy Arends – Let’s get it on!

Boston - Smokin' lyrics revised

We're gonna play you a song, a little bit of 89'
You gotta let yourself go, Your big hair's gotta be fine yeah.
We're gettin' down tonight
Arsenio Hall, and Milli Vanilli
Top Gun tonight

Clyde, Mason
Sound Meter away, we don't care what you say
Mr, Broadhead
Class smells like socks, and I'm not a jock

Mr Brady says, I really ought to lose some weight
But the tator tots, and pizza benders are all I ate
We're gonna feel ok - Coach Hale
Charlonians rock and come to save the day
Alta Fight tonight!

Baxter, Ms Baxter
Lipstick on your teeth, is makin' me freak
America's, Most Wanted
Are in our class, can't be here tonight - ouch!

Mr Hunter thinks, a Model he should be -Lose the OPs buddy
Dancing in Bosco's, made you want to scream
We're gettin' down Friday
We'll pick you up, Matt Shebilski's Party
Ferris Beuhler tonight

20 years today
H.F VanHorn & Chris Cano look the same
And so do we - JD!

Here are links to the videos.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1077293935851&oid=21840744851

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1077289375737&oid=21840744851