We did it

Well, it's over, and I can tell you that I had a blast. A lot of people said I did a good job of setting up the reunion, and I appreciate the sentiment. But it was a success because so many people showed up. So, I think all of us deserve a round a applause for making this event special. All of us.

I think a few people deserve to be called out for special recognition, and if I forget anyone, it's not intentional. It's because I forgot - I am getting old - or I didn't know some behind-the-scenes information.

First, Jeff set up a special day of golf Friday morning at Old Palms Golf Club. Then, Jeff, Mark, Ty and Bill took care of the impromptu dinner and drinks Friday night at PGA National by the pool. On Saturday, Ginny went above and beyond with her catered dinner, and Gregg and Fran opened up their home for the event. On Sunday, Leigh and Mickey pulled together a last-minute dinner for those of us who stayed Sunday night. The poem my Mom read meant a lot to me, and let's not forget Gary's hard work on putting together the Neal family tree information. Thank you.

There were many special moments for me, including seeing so many people that I hadn't seen in 10, 15, 20, 25 years - or at all. The cousins are all grown up, and most have kids of their own now. It was a treat for me to connect and reconnect with all of you.

Some of my favorite memories:

When I met Tas on Friday for the first time since he was a baby, he told me that when he saw my friend request on Facebook, he said, "Who is this creepy old man?" Or realizing that it had been so long since Todd Neal and I had seen each other, he didn't even recognize me. Then there was the surprised look on a lot of people's faces when Cindy walked in.

I think it was Mickey who recognized many of the people who weren't with us anymore. I'd also like to say that those of you who couldn't make it for various reasons were missed: Neal, Mike, Steve, Craig, Shane, Kelly, Will and all their families. Maybe next time.

Speaking of next time. After some thought and a few conversations, I think it might be a little ambitious to do this again in 2010. Perhaps, every other year would work, so I think we should shoot for 2011. If you have any immediate opinion on a location, please let me know. The early talk is Atlanta, D.C. or Chicago. But nothing is set in stone.

Again, thank you all for making this such a great time for me. And I hope we can all stay in touch.