Robert Anderson

I've lived in the CC Plaza area since leaving Koch Refining in 1988. I was a Refinery Rep and Mid-continent Marketing Manager for them back when no one had ever heard of Koch. I've since done lots of independent consulting in downstream petroleum, biofuels and peak oil issues.

I also do some IT and website development using coders and designers in Uruguay and Cordoba Argentina. This gives me a good excuse to spend our winters there and deduct travel expenses and such. :)

September '12 career update! I just completed training and certification to drive the big fuel tanker trucks. A new career 40 years after high school!

I've been lucky because I've traveled internationally quite a bit. When economic meltdowns or tumultuous change occurs somewhere, I like to get on a plane and go. Back in the 90s it was lots of Eastern Europe. Over the last 10 years, its been mostly southern South America. I recognize petroleum fundamentals probably won't allow this kind of wanton travel in the future so I'm glad i got while the getting was good.

Plaza area living is like the TS Elliott quote about never ceasing from exploration only to return to the place that you started and knowing (and loving) that place for the first time. Its too bad KC can't get their act together on schools! Other than this I sure like it here.

To the consternation of some, I've jumped out and got the ball rolling on this 40th reunion planning, and I've agreed to take on this website administration along with Ann Sloan Ebeling.

One reason I did so was I honestly think the societal wheels are starting to come off. Things might be very interesting by Sept 2012.

High Confidence this will be the best SW Class reunion ever.

I honestly don't have a whole lot of SW School stories because I was so nerdy and grew up on State Line. Kinda ran with a KS crowd including a Sr year trip to Padre Island with 3 Shawnee Mission West guys in a '68 Mustang.

I was glad my brother Andy Anderson SW68 went in the Natl Guard and left me his Plaza basement apartment the summer after our graduation. I still smirk when I drive by that building. Some of you remember outings there when we were just starting to experiment with card games, MadDog 20/20, pot, and heavy make out sessions.

I'm not sure why, but my most memorable teacher was prob Ms Casper teaching English. She was fairly tolerant of class cutups -right, Lee Frank?.

I also want to post posthumously thank Mrs Wienberg for those dreadful Spanish classes. I've since learned if you have a language base to build from it makes a huge difference. I pick up get-by Spanish quickly now on trips south. I've even dined with folks that don't speak any English and gotten by. This is the opposite of Russian which totally kicked my ass on attempts to late-in-life learn it.