Waiting for Windows (D)

Gainesville

Let the record show that when not in stupid pointless boring meetings, or working on email problems, I was working on writing CAD paper. Discovered I needed another three organizational slides to help string it together, but did get most of the boring part written in very rough draft form. Now to write the slide descriptions of the fun part. Then will come the realization that it would take an hour to present what I've written, and the hacking and hewing needed to slap the thing into a 20 minute fly-by. I have two weeks, as of tomorrow. Of course, I'll be somewhat distracted by visitors!

Let the record also show that I changed/laundered towels and cleaned both bathrooms. This Blessing was a day overdue, so only got one of the regular Friday things done: a couple of bills written. The GRU (utility bill) was enough to make me weep, a record high. Energy costs are indeed skyrocketing. Bad craziness.

Blogger doesn't seem willing to display the public mode tonight. And looking at the Edit screen in another window, I see Mom has not posted yet tonight. Hope this means you are having a well-deserved early bedtime. Two meals out in one week. Your fridge must be packed to the gills with leftovers. Mine is-- both from my own cooking and the last week or two at Outback. It kills me that I end up throwing so much stuff out. I wish I were a better manager of food. The fridge once again needs a major purge. Seems like only yesterday I was fighting that very same battle.

Meanwhile: Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear (1952). The fights between Sandy and Brenda continue. What were they about? The record doesn't show. Sandy is probably right, that it was the inevitable separation taking place between neighbor friends and school friends. In 8th grade I started the year hanging out with Thelma and Trisha. But in home room and social studies, Kallenbach's classes (he was a wonderful teacher, no doubt about it), I sat hear Nancy Hughes, and we became friends. She was a very smart, nice, wholesome girl-next-door type who would win "All-American Girl" contests and scholarships. But she was also a raging romantic, and I learned from her how to EMOTE-- just what I needed when turning 13. We had great times together in 8th grade, an amazingly rich fantasy life. We wrote letters back and forth at a furious pace after she moved to Houston before highschool started. Her mother later threw my letters away, but I still have all of hers-- a great one-sided chronicle of teen life in that era. Alas, I've lost touch with her, and can't remember her married name. The last time I saw her was in Atlanta in 1968. Lee was with me. There was not alot in common between the two couples at that stage.

So yes, the fights were probably more signs of childhood ending.

The quilted skirts were red, and had some sort of yellow figure on them. They weren't quite circle skirts (those didn't come into style until the next year), but were a kind of A-line, I think. We were given white blouses to go with them, with bolo-type ties around the neck. What amazes me is that we were okay with going to school in identical outfits! It was one of the rare years Sandy and I went to the same school at the same time, and in fact, the last.

I went to Covington 6th through 8th grade, the first three years of the school's existence. We (Class of '53) were the first class to graduate having been there all three years. The school was not finished when we started: the multi-purpose "cafetorium" and the gym with showers and lockers were not completed until we were in the 8th grade. Also new were the shop and home ec classrooms: boys in one, girls in the other. God, home ec. We learned to make chocolate chip cookies and peanut brittle. Probably other things too (tuna casserole topped with corn flakes?), but it was just a time to goof off as far as I was concerned. No wonder I took so long to learn to cook. I don't remember the teacher at all, though.

And while on the subject of the cafetorium, Sandy, remember when we did a panotmime of Hoagy Carmichael's "Monkey Song" for the talent show? Can you still do all the moves??

Sunday, September 14, 1952
258th Day--108 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning mom let me sleep in late cause of the late hour we got home. Later Brenda came down and helped us do our work. Then we went out and played. Sandy & Bren got in so many fights I wanted to quit. We went down to Bren's on trial & had lunch down there. Then Bren started a fight and we left. Happy Day. Suzy

Monday, September 15, 1952
259th Day--107 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we got up and went to school. Trish came over wearing lipstick & a pretty dress. We stopped for Bren (her First day) & Joyce. We had library seventh period instead of Physycal Ed. Brenda likes her teacher. When we got home, both fireplaces were finished. they are beautiful. plan - [sketch of how the two fireplaces were back to back in different rooms, the one in the den diagonal in the corner] They are real george. Now to wate fore the windows. Suzy