Today In… 1987 (and a note from my 45 collection)

From my 8th grade English class journal:

I just got out of health. Betsy is absent and I think Amy is too. I think I’ll kill them both! I have cola-flavored gum in my mouth. It’s good I guess. He is here today. He’s wearing the same thing he wore 2wice last week 3 times the week before, and 2wice the week before that. Frankly, deary, I’m sick of it. but, oh well. That’s life. Can I help it if he’s poor? No, sike, he’s not poor. I have nothing to write so I guess I’ll babble. Saturday Betsy and I went to the movies. We saw “Light Of Day.” Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett were in it. Gotta Go. Bye.

Rock. On.
I must have really liked this movie and/or just the song from the film, because I bought the Light Of Day single. Here’s my copy:

According to the IMDB page for the film, it was released on February 6, 1987. So Betsy and I were a little late to board this train. It was typical for the small town I lived in to not get a film until a month after its release, though, so this may not have been our fault. The only other interesting tidbit I can find is that this song was written by Bruce Springsteen. The working title for the film had been Born In The USA, but Bruce snagged that title for his own song about Vietnam vets, and to make it up to the filmmakers he wrote this song instead, and they changed the title of the movie to match it. There, you learn something new everyday, people!

Today in… 1986

A follow-up on yesterday’s post. From my 8th Grade English Class Journal, November 18, 1986:

I just got out of gym. I hate volleyball with a passion. After school today. We’re going to my Aunt L’s house for spaghetti with my grandparents. What fun. I’m going to miss Dance Party. Oh well. The Lip Sync wasn’t by Jason and Bob, it was by Pisces. It was stupid. F is absolutely going to kill me. I almost died. Last night Amy came over after we went downtown. I got Superteen’s October issue, and the record “Walk Like An Egyptian” By the Bangles. It was the last one. Amy got “Human” by the Human League, and something else. Gotta go, Bye.

Ah… a little bit more info! My copy of “Walk…” was the last one in stock. This goes along nicely with yesterday’s post indicating that when I purchased it, the song was climbing its way to number 1! Nice! And now we have the added info that Amy bought “Human” by Human League. Let’s see… according to Wiki ”Human” was the band’s first single off their album Crash (which was released in September of 1986) and became Human League’s second number one single in America. And Amy helped!

Hmmph… Dance Party! I had to go and mention it, didn’t I? Yes, 8th grade saw me obsessed with this Philly-based dance show on the USA Network. And this means I subjected Amy to it, and as I recall, Amy HATED Dance Party. My friend “F” and I *loved* it , though! While my friend “F” frothed over the show’s most popular regular, Bob – I spent my evenings staring at his best friend, Jason. I think Lip Syncs were about one of the worst things to come out of the 80s. I think we only cared so much about them because whomever did a lip sync had more “face time” for us to stare at them on tv. Nothing to kill me or die over. I wish I had a quarter for everytime the phrase, “I almost died” shows up in my journals and diaries. I’d be wealthy! Everything is so dramatic when you’re 13!

Incidently, I don’t remember how the spaghetti was, but it makes me wonder… I was absent the next day!

Today In… 1986 AND a note from my 45 collection

From my 8th grade English class journal:

I just got out of health. That class is getting pretty BORING. Oh well. I’m going downtown after school with Amy. I’m going to get a magazine and a record. Grandma & Grandpa got here Saturday from Florida. Yesterday we ordered a 32 slice pizza and watched slides. Karie came too. I’m going to get the record “Walk Like An Egyptian” by the Bangles. Well, gotta stop. Bye.

I guess this is as good a time as any to do another entry in the My 45 Collection category! Not often do I figure out the exact date I purchased one of my records, but there you have it: November 17, 1986 I purchased “Walk Like An Egyptian” by The Bangles! There is more information about this shopping excursion in the next day’s entry, but I’ll save that for tomorrow (hopefully I’ll remember!).

“Walk Like An Egyptian” was released, according to it’s Wiki page, as the third single from The Bangles’ hit album Different Light, in September of 1986, when it also debuted in the Billboard Hot 100. The song reached number one on the same chart in the U.S. on December 20th (so I was on board early, then.. I helped!). It stayed at number one for four weeks, carrying it through to January 1987.

What I cannot believe is that according to the Wiki entry, this song is one that was deemed inappropriate by those nerds at Clear Channel after the 9/11 attacks. I guess they didn’t want the terrorists thinking we were making fun of the way they walk?

I bought no less than three 45s from the album Different Light. It dawned on me later that I should have just bought the album. But that’s how it was back then. Not often did you find an entire album to your liking or want to take a chance on it, especially as an 8th grader with no money. You bought what you liked and could afford. Only rarely did it turn out that the album would have been the bargain!

If you’re my age (35) you’ll probably remember everyone and their grandmother walking around imitating ancient hieroglyphs of King Tut during the winter of 1986/1987. Such a clever song! The country couldn’t get enough!

Before I go, I want to give a shout out to the Pudgies 32 slice sheet pizza mentioned in the English class entry. Pudgies is still in my hometown and the pizza and wings still rule. Yes!

 

Heimlich Maneuver Film Review from 12/1986

From my 8th grade English Class notebook, I bring you my review of a Heimlich Maneuver film we viewed in Health Class, circa December 1986. I have left in all crossed-out items and spelling errors for your enjoyment:

yesterday in health In health a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about how to save a choking person from death, After that, we saw a movie. It was disgusting! In the beginning it showed this (inserted here: tall) girl with short, blond hair talking to her boyfriend and eating an apple. her boyfriend turned around, his back to (in margin: get his bike because they were going to race. home), and she she turned blue and choked on a piece of the apple. He did the Heimlich manouvre and the apple flew out of her throat. Then she returned back to her normal color. The next one was about this guy at a barbecue that choked on a piece of meat. A tall, sturdy, black guy gave him the Heimlich and the meat flew out. Again the guy had turned blue. Totally blue. There were other examples. All the people that choked looked like smurfs. I swear, and each time someone choked someone or they would save (them)selves.) Dr. Heimlich was there to tell us what they just did. (How they got saved.) It was so stupid.

(editors note: I did look for this film on Youtube and unfortunately, I cannot find it.)

“An Historic Day…”

Ugh, if I hear that phrase one more time! I mean, it’s awesome and everything… I’m just so tired. I’m sitting here listening to CNN and the presidential election returns coming in. I have been an Obama supporter since early in 2007. It’s been a long and winding road. Even though the election hasn’t been called, I’ve been getting “thank you” mesages from myspace friends, thanking me for turning them on to Mr. Obama. it means the world to me. Obama really did put together a truly grassroots campaign. It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. I’m optimistic that he will win, but even if he doesn’t I am so proud of what he’s accomplished. And I am so proud to have helped!

Now, I thought I’d amuse myself while I wait by posting a “Today In…” entry from one of my old English class journals… but lo and behold I was absent on November 4th in both 1986 (8th grade) and 1988.  Wow, a historically “sick” day for me! I am getting a flu shot tomorrow… should I be scared? The only other year I have (1987?) it seems November 4 was not a school day. Incidentally, I believe it was 1986 where November 4 was a Tuesday just like this year. ;o)

OBAMA ’08!

Today in… 1987

9th Grade English Class Journal, October 26, 1987:

Hellro. I want to go home. Jennifer is skipping. Homecoming was awesome. Halloween is Saturday. B-O-R-I-N-G. Baseball is awesome no matter what anyone says. I want to go home. The dance was ok, the game was fun… I want to go home. Gotta stop (go?). C-ya later. P.S. – I want to go home!!!!!!!!! Coyotito’s head got blown off – isn’t that gross? OK – now I gotta stop (go) C-ya. I want to go home! I can’t wait ’till math. I want to go home!

God, I sound insane in this entry! I’m not sure, but I think I wanted to go home?

 

 Jennifer never skipped. I don’t know where that came from or why I wrote it. We were probably fighting or somthing.

“Coyotito” is a character in the John Steinbeck novella The Pearl, which we were reading in this class. You can buy this book and learn more about it here, on its Amazon page.

Today In… 1988

(We had nicknames for some guys so we could speak in “code” and not be understood.)

(10th Grade English Class Journal):

October 12, 1988

Corinna wants me to write that Jeff was wearing a different shirt yesterday. Like I care. I think him & Jag, etc. are absent today including Spike. We had a class meeting first period about our class rings. Baby Brain said we might have a dance-athon. That’d be cool. Ni yelled to him, “Grow a bod!” I don’t know if he heard.

(I did get a class ring, but not through the school – through a local jeweler. We never had a dance-athon. I’m not sure if Baby Brain ever grew a bod.)

Today In…1986

8th Grade English Class Journal Entry for Wednesday, October 1, 1986:

I just got out of Health. Mrs. D– is nice. It is freezing in here! brrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Amy’s coming over Monday. It is too cold in here. I can’t stand it! This morning Billy V– was picking on Jennifer so I kicked him in the butt and told him to take a hike. It worked. He took a hike all right! Jennifer is such a jerk. Betsy said she had a dream last night, with Jennifer, Mr. A– and Me in it. Can’t wait to hear it! (huh). Bye, Gotta stop.

Holy crap, despite my a.m. aggressiveness toward Billy V., today in 1986 was really boring (and, apparently, cold)!

(I don’t remember her dream now. Dang, I wish I did!)