Judy Nichols Brainis

Dawn Smith and I invented Post-It Notes.

Thirty Years?!!? I have done/married so MUCH!! Actually, I haven't done that much: I went to college in Lubbock, Texas. In the Fall of 1978, I attended my sorority "Presentation" Ball, and was escorted by Tom Ely. (We haven't seen him since, and the REST of my track record ain't lookin' too good, either!!)

A couple of years later, I got out of college (Well, technically, Texas Tech declined to "renew my contract"!) and I migrated to Shreveport, Louisiana, where my parents relocated from Gillette in 1979, while I was away in college.

I went to work for IBM in 1982, married my first husband, and then had 2 children, Claire & Wesley. (Next came our Camel Reunion #1, later followed by divorce #1!) In 1992, I retired from IBM and Steve Brainis and I married in 1993 and I had our 2 daughters, Eleanor and Olivia (who had just turned 1 when I attended our Camel Reunion #2!).

New Millennium: I lost my Mom and 6 months later, Steve passed away. (Stroke and heart attack, respectively.) In 2003, I "retired" from the computer training company that I had owned & operated for 10 years with another former-IBM friend. I dabbled in my best friend's husband's law firm and have since become the IT coordinator/trainer and Operations assistant for an Oil & Gas Production company, here in Shreveport.

My kiddos are GREAT! My 2 golden retrievers have passed away 😢. My Dad passed away in August, 2019 (Mom passed away in 1999). I try to be terrific!

At our 30th shindig, I was accompanied by my 2 chaperones (Eleanor and Olivia!)
I have fully embraced my addiction to Facebook and I have thoroughly enjoyed keeping up with many of you with daily/weekly virtual "mini reunions". Hopefully, l will see you all at our next shindig (45!) next summer (?!!)

Dawn Smith and I flew in for Reunion #3 together and unavoidable scheduling conflicts precluded her from making it for #40, but I sure hope she can join us for #45! 🙌🐪💜💛

Favorite memories?

School: That would have to be a toss-up between eating Frito's in Nurse Shober's office, passing "secret-code notes" with Betsy Houser, goofing off in Mr. Plato's typing class with Dawn Smith, hiding out in the library, goofing off in Senor Gutierrez's Spanish class con mi amiga, Racquel (relocating his car?), doing "Camel" stuff with Diane, Peg, Deanna, Judy B., Terri and all the other spirit monsters! (making posters, baking for bake sales, decorating lockers, buying stuff at bake sales, getting excused from classes for "emergency" practice, going to cheer camp), goofing off in Miss Worth's (the "Fort") class with Peg Daly & Dawn Smith, TRYING to keep up with all those Mathe"magicians" in Mr. Dague's class (that cute, cowboy, Algebra teacher!), Driver's Ed with Mr. Mankins, Mr. Gaskin's Civics class with Larry Smith, Cafeteria Food!!, The year that Dawn and I were on the track team (!!) Mr. Bayliss's Chemistry class and Physics class with Tom Ely (that was where we started "WTF?"), and scooting around the CCHS parking lot (Susie Gilbertz in her new bus?!) & and the list goes ON!

NOT School: Dragging Main (2nd Street), Dawn and the "Freeze-Out Song", Beauty Pageants (Jr. Miss & Miss Teenage Wyoming!), working at the Rec Center, Big Don's and Taco John's & my old, '63 Ford Fairlane ("The White Turd"), Pacer Jean (God Bless You, Jim Swenson!), Dawn Smith TRYING to teach me to drive a stick shift!! Boyfriends (Gasp!) Stalking those Boyfriends!! Getting caught by my Mom when Dawn & I were stalking boyfriends: DURING school hours!! Making sugar cookies from scratch at Dawn's house and modifying the recipe - - - a WEE bit (16 cups of flour)!! How 'BOUT those GODAWFUL rainbow-hued tuxes (and leisure suits!) that matched EVERY prom dress!