Randall Russell Last

Left "The OC" to attend UW-Madison. Drew draft lottery #269 so ducked The War: my heart goes out to those who couldn't miss that one and especially those who didn't come back from Damn 'Nam. Is there a more dangerous place in the world than fighting a war for a government that doesn't care to win it?

Attended Madison on the 7 Year Plan: graduated in '76. Had the best summer job ever during 5 of those years: worked for a carnival gaming company - got to "See The USA" through the windshield of a Chevrolet(GMC, actually) truck(converted school bus, actually).

Settled in the Twin Cities in '77 as dazed and confused as anyone at that time and, on a dare(from myself), applied for a job as a stock broker. Started calling myself Russell or Russ - it's my middle name; I always hated "Randy." It seems to have worked: became an idiot savant for a MN-based investment bank until the firm got sold out from under us. Learned my lesson(have a piece of the action) and started my own investment advisory co. in '97. My partner's name is Walter so we call ourselves Walrus Partners.

Been doing that ever since and am enjoying it too much to consider retirement. Of course, having kids later in life and having to send them to college in my 60s might explain it, too.

Paul Kern called to tell me about this site and the 44 ReU so that brought back all kinds of memories of band hi-jinx. What a cool guy Mr. Tom Stevenson was. Can I get a witness?

Jamming w/ Harvey Cobb, rest his soul, in the jazz band.

Getting sent in from marching band practice when the saxophone section(Ruby, Ramsey, Despot, me) spontaneously broke into our imitation of James Brown's Famous Flames.

Sitting in front of Clay Larson's tuba and the trumpet section.

Goofing off in the drum section w/ Danny Reynolds and Dale DeWitt.

Haven't played saxophone since mine was stolen @ UW; "serial beginner" on guitar but still noodle on it now and again.

Freshman football: having to block both Kazmierski and Kosikowski in practice. Was it Bertling that rang Big Frank's bell vs. New Berlin?

Chemistry class: who was more bent, Parsons & I, whose project was making rum from molasses, or Mr. Kulinski for letting us do it? Maybe there's a reason Mr. K gave me that "Con Man Extraordinaire" medal.

High School Bowl, w/ Hay, Parsons, Peterson and McDermott: we won a squeaker and lost a laugher.

"The Swede" Bo Westman: he & I going to The Scene nightclub to hear John Mayall's Blues Breakers. (Note: John Mayall is still going strong!). Where's Bo?

Getting suspended for "selling pornography:" Milwaukee Kaleidoscope underground paper.

Prior to Senior Year a lot of my friends were Class of '68 and my steady was Class of '70. So, Senior Year I learned how many really cool people there were in the class of '69.

And then there was Lindholm's famous amphibious flivver....