Why is it that the older I get the more I forget important, pertinent things but can remember obscure, useless things from 20, 30 years ago like as if they happened yesterday? Why can I remember the 1st 8-Track I bought (Kiss-Destroyer) but not my mom's birthday? That I can remember playing the board game Uncle Wiggily with my friend Bill back in grade school but not my checking account number which I've had for 15 years? Maybe the hard drive in my brain is just full and rather then writing over all the old, stupid stuff in there the new stuff just doesn't have room. Here some examples of stuff I can't get rid of but no longer need:
1) From Mrs. Clancy's 7th grade English the first column of prepositions we had to memorize; aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, among, at, before
2) That The Cat Came Back even tho they thought he was a goner (ZOOM reference)
3) My friend Ted's phone number. I won't print it here but I haven't dialed it since 1984
4) That when my friend got his first car the previous owner left behind the 8-Tracks (and yes, they were wayyyy dated by then) Bad Company, Bad Company, Bad Company, Straight Shooter, Boston, Boston, and Janis Joplin, Greatest Hits
5) The fact there was never a logical conclusion to Danger Island on the Banana Splitz (uh oh, Chongo)
6) The words to pretty much every song in the movie Blazing Saddles
7) Buying the 3 books of Ursuala LeGuin's Earthsea Trilogy at the Ottoson Book Fair
8) Winning a creative writing contest and getting a gift certificate to Lauriats and with the money I bought a pen and writing pad
9) That the popular Count Chockula and Frankenberry character cereals had a less popular team member named Booberry and a totally obscure member known as Froot Brute. Seriously
10) That Long John Silvers had a game card/maze puzzle promotion where the grand prize was an Instamatic camera
11) That McFebruary was a very special month at McDonald's
12) That my 8th grade permanent substitute teacher has a best friend he called Sketts which was short for Spaghetti Head
13) My parents buying (here it is again) the 8-Track Roberta Flack Killing Me Softly
14) That the first "micro" computer I ever touched was a Tandy TRS80 which used audio cassettes for storage
15) That the Jickets will beat the Squeegees on Saturday afternoon...even if grandma dies (go ahead, see if you get THAT reference)
16) That my parents once hosted a weight loss club called the Roly Polys and that the person who lost the least weight each week had to wear a sign that said "Iggy Wiggy I'm a Piggy" and they consumed mass quantities of Tab before anyone discovered it caused cancer in laboratory rats
17) That if I wanted to send it to ZOOM I need to send a SASE to Z-double O-M Box 3-5-0 Boston, MA 0-2-1-3-4!
18) That everything counts when you're building a house of cards
19) I can still say "Moses supposes his toeses are roses but Moses supposes erroneously" which was the toughest tongue twister in the adult board game Passout
20) The time my 1st grade teacher asked the class to find out who thier parents voted for in the Nixon/McGovern election and being upset when I was the only kid who's parents voted for Nixon (who won by the way)
21) My sister bringing me into her class when I was in Kindergarten telling the teacher I could Irish Step Dance (which I couldn't)
22) That Mr Rourke was far edgier and less friendly in the original TV movies Fantasy Island and Fantasy Island II
23) That the character Enos Strate from the Dukes of Hazzard was played by actor Sonny Shroyer
24) That the coolest action figure of all time was The Whip who was part of Big Jim's Action P.A.C.K
25) That the coolest Creature Double Feature EVER was the Giant Majin where a giant statue in feudal Japan came to life to stomp the crap out of the bad guys menacing the peaceful villagers
OK, I need to stop. Seriously, I need to stop! This is starting to scare me. Not 1 of the 25 thoughts I just relayed will do me any good EVER yet are emblazoned in my mind. Now ask me what I remember from 4 years of college...
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Playing Catch Up- Random Observations
Wow, so I haven't updated since before Thanksgiving. Between work getting busier and holiday obligations that come along with being from a large family I simply haven't had time to sit down and gather my thoughts. Between Thanksgiving and my high school reunion all the way through New Year I've noticed a lot of things. Rather then bore you (and me) with a recap I'm just going to list some random thoughts I had during this time period
- Despite what poets and singers have stated, you can indeed go home again. I've had the opportunity of late, between my reunion and other opportunities, to catch up with people I hadn't seen and in some cases even thought about for ages and in every case it was absolutely a great experience. I know when you see people you haven't seen for a long time talk of seeing each other again soon rarely happens but I hope in a few cases it holds true
- I always hate January 2nd as holiday season if officially over. No, it's not any great love of specific holidays, it's the fact that the general good mood of people comes to a rapid end. Everyone just seems a lot nicer to each other and happier in general from mid-December to early January
- On the other hand, holidays can be a painful reminder for the lonely and alone. There is something about having someone special to enjoy holidays with. Me, I've gotten used to it an am happy that I have so many great friends and family to spend my time with
- The flu is an epidemic. Well, I'm not talking about he spread of the flu but the epidemic of people overreacting to it. Look, I'm not dismissing the seriousness of either the flu or swine flu but the fact of the matter is people get the flu every year and people, unfortunately, die from the flu every year. What's disturbing is the lengths people are going to to avoid getting the flu. Not shaking hands? Not hugging people? Dousing themselves in Purell? I got some news people. The money in your pocket and the doorknob you touch are far more germ laden then and hand you may shake.
- To me a perfect holiday is one when there is no tension, no fights, and no drama. Holidays 2009; mission accomplished
- Despite myself I'm actually getting good at this whole cooking and baking thing. And you know what? People really do appreciate it when you make them something more then if you buy them something
- There is nothing quite as eye opening as when you truly learn where you stand with friends and what they really think of you
- I really don't care about New Year's Eve anymore. I've always called it amateur night (along with St Patrick's Day and the night before Thanksgiving) but still always found it important to "do" something. But after being sick last year I realized missing it was no bug deal and that I'd rather spend that night sitting around laughing with friends then going out among the throng of 3 times a year party people!
Well, that's it for now
- Despite what poets and singers have stated, you can indeed go home again. I've had the opportunity of late, between my reunion and other opportunities, to catch up with people I hadn't seen and in some cases even thought about for ages and in every case it was absolutely a great experience. I know when you see people you haven't seen for a long time talk of seeing each other again soon rarely happens but I hope in a few cases it holds true
- I always hate January 2nd as holiday season if officially over. No, it's not any great love of specific holidays, it's the fact that the general good mood of people comes to a rapid end. Everyone just seems a lot nicer to each other and happier in general from mid-December to early January
- On the other hand, holidays can be a painful reminder for the lonely and alone. There is something about having someone special to enjoy holidays with. Me, I've gotten used to it an am happy that I have so many great friends and family to spend my time with
- The flu is an epidemic. Well, I'm not talking about he spread of the flu but the epidemic of people overreacting to it. Look, I'm not dismissing the seriousness of either the flu or swine flu but the fact of the matter is people get the flu every year and people, unfortunately, die from the flu every year. What's disturbing is the lengths people are going to to avoid getting the flu. Not shaking hands? Not hugging people? Dousing themselves in Purell? I got some news people. The money in your pocket and the doorknob you touch are far more germ laden then and hand you may shake.
- To me a perfect holiday is one when there is no tension, no fights, and no drama. Holidays 2009; mission accomplished
- Despite myself I'm actually getting good at this whole cooking and baking thing. And you know what? People really do appreciate it when you make them something more then if you buy them something
- There is nothing quite as eye opening as when you truly learn where you stand with friends and what they really think of you
- I really don't care about New Year's Eve anymore. I've always called it amateur night (along with St Patrick's Day and the night before Thanksgiving) but still always found it important to "do" something. But after being sick last year I realized missing it was no bug deal and that I'd rather spend that night sitting around laughing with friends then going out among the throng of 3 times a year party people!
Well, that's it for now
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