Flashback Friday: Making Friends and Heartache

April 1987:
This month began with a letter from my AF officer, who announced he was being discharged for disorderly conduct, and busted down to Sergeant.  He would contact me when he was back home.

In the meantime, friend Carole introduced me to her friend Laura, who was 21, and we decided to go to a local nightclub one evening.  We had a few drinks and danced, then two boys joined us, and bought us a round.  One of the guys and I hit it off, though L didn't seem interested in his friend.  Bob and I danced more, then I ended up going back to his place with him.  Two weeks later, L and I went to another bar, where a guy bought us each a beer..."Ladies, if nothing else, you have a round on me."  I don't drink beer, so it was pretty much wasted on me, lol!  But at one point, I felt someone was standing behind me, so I turned around and there was Bob!

"Took you long enough to realize I was here..." he teased.

He and I spent some time outside necking, then had a misunderstanding about what was going to happen next.  We ended up separated, and I realized my ID was missing.  Without it, I couldn't get back in the dorm, and ended up waking up my grumpy roommate downstairs to let me in.  The next day, I walked home with a girl in my morning class, since she lived next door to Bob and his housemates, and while he was waking up, ended up playing my first game of darts with one of his housemates.  When Bob came out, he handed me his ID and told me he'd woken up with it under his pillow.  Could we go for a walk?  I said sure.

He confessed to having a girlfriend at IU, and was sorry for leading me on.  I told him not to worry, and told him about my AF officer.  I wasn't looking for anything more than just a good time.  Still, I never saw him again afterward.

In the meantime, S sent me a letter and asked me to come down the last weekend in April.  It happened to coincide with the VU Spring Formal, and I'd been asked to attend by friend D (remember him from Halloween '86?  Yeah....all was forgiven....).  Another girl I'd known from VU was also attending BSU, and when I mentioned I was heading south, she asked if I would take her.  So we found a ride to my house, where I'd already arranged to borrow the car for the weekend.

M and I began to clash about halfway to VU.  I was a firm believer at the time of 'driver picks the music', but she was a born-again Christian and wanted to only play Amy Grant tunes.  Since I also love Amy, we jammed to her tunes the rest of the way, even though I was inwardly fuming, since I wanted to listen to MY mix tape.

Anyway, we arrived; I dropped her off at her friends' house, then discovered I couldn't stay with S, since his grandfather was now living with his mother.  No problem; I stayed in my old dorm room.  When it came time for the dance, however, S still hadn't called, so I dressed and prepared for a night with my dance partner.  However, just as I was about to leave, S called and I did something REALLY stupid:  I went to the lobby, took pics of me and D in our finery, then went back to the room, changed, and went to be with S.

For. One. Hour.

I was pissed.

Here I'd missed a magical night of dancing in order to babysit a drunken ex-AF man in the throes of a huge pity party.

The next day, I went back to find a much happier S, but I still had to go home.  M and I left, she rejoicing about her fun weekend and me keeping my misery to myself.  I thought Dad might let me drive the car back to BSU, but he said no.  He drove us back, and it was an uncomfortable drive back to Muncie.


Next Month:  Fun with my Dad!

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Present Day:
The body is trying to catch something, and my voice is sliding into the bass octave.  Don't think there will be any karaoke this weekend.

We've been working diligently in the yard, as the temps have been in the upper 70s, and making progress:)

Flashback Friday: Fun With Family:)

April 1977: 
One sunny but chilly Saturday, my dad and his friend Don Campbell decided to rent a canoe and paddle down Sugar Creek.  Along with Don's wife Cathy, we dropped them off at the canoe rental place, then drove to Turkey Run.  My sister and I played on the playground, hiked some trails, and ate lunch until it was time to meet the men at the red covered bridge.

While we waited for them to arrive, we waded in the water, skipped stones, and wandered across the bridge.  After they arrived, Dad took each one of us for a brief paddle around the area, and we laughed when it was my sister's turn:  She was so light, her end of the canoe was completely out of the water!

This was the Easter year with the hula-hoops.  I remember taking my blue hoop out to the street and rolling it around, all the while trying not to trip in my long lavender dress.  My sister went out into the grass and tried to hula with it....Mom came out to take our pictures and was non to pleased to discover we both had grass stains on our new white shoes, and in my case, around the hem of my dress!

Later that month, my 5th grade class went to the Barnum and Bailey Circus in Indianapolis, which meant getting up early on a Saturday to catch the bus at school.  I don't remember much, other than enjoying myself, but I wasn't sitting with any of my friends, and couldn't get the barker's attention when I wanted a cracker jack.

I realized I left out a Very Important Aspect of 5th grade:  The Sex-Ed talk, which took place sometime during the 2nd semester.

We were separated into two groups, boys and girls.  We girls were shown 'the movie' which talked about menstruation, changes which were about to occur in our bodies, and of course, sex and pregnancy.  I THINK we were even shown a baby being born, which grossed me out, and I swore I would NEVER have kids.

Next Month:  Breaking The Rules

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Present Day:
I've been spending this past week with my parents, and Mom and I have cleared bookshelves, put away the remaining Christmas decorations and pulled out the Easter ones.  Had Arni's on Sunday; lamb chops Mon; O'Charley's on Tues; pork chops Wed, and teriyaki pork tenderloin on Thursday.  I go home sometime tomorrow, for Holy Hell Week (LOL!)


Seriously, the choir sings at Palm Sunday service; that same day I have Chrism Mass practice in Evansville, where I'm also picking up copies of Crossroads.  Chrism Mass on Tuesday, then choir singing Holy Thursday, Easter Vigil, and 7:30am Easter morning.  I predict I'll be taking a nap sometime on Easter.

Have a wonderful and blessed Palm Sunday!

April Reading Lost

How well did I do in March?  
-Buy copies of Hotel, Orion, and Kira (check!)
-Do well at Eagles Craft Fair  Bleh....sold 0.  Hardly anyone showed up.
-Finish Ghost Story  Not yet....
-Buy copies of Crossroads Antho (releasing March 15th!) Not arriving until April 3rd now.
-Start gathering promo for April signing  Check:)
-Lose 5 pounds  No, but haven't gained any either (whew!)
-Finish formatting previously released books (already did 1-4 of AU:)  AU 5-7, check:)  KM's Chosen, check:); WAH, check:)
-Pay cover artist(s)  Nope...
-Watch King's Speech and Le Mis, plus classic TV DVDs  Nope...

April Goals:
-Buy copies of Crossroads Check:)
-Add words to Ghost Story (finished it!  Total WC:  7989!) and Heart Song
-Do well at Vendor Fair on the 15th  Bleh....it was a bust.
-Do well at Author's Fair on the 29th  Storms....only sold 1
-Make another payment to cover artist(s)
-Lose 5 lbs
-Finish cleaning up yard 75%!
-Start clearing out junk in green house
-Hang pictures/pretties
-Have a good Easter  Check:)

April Reading List:
Print:
History Lessons-Dana Lindaman and Kyle Ward  Interesting....
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child  Interesting....
Tomb of the Moon-NE Riggs
Friends Forever-Danielle Steele  Good and heartbreaking at the same time.

E-Book:
After Ten-Michele Shriver  DRR!  Wonderful story!!!!
Sliding Home-Amber Skyze  Good:)
Unknown-Lexy Timms  Excellent!  Wanted to smack her mom and sister....
The Promise-J.M. Daviess  Good story....too long imho.
The Boss-LT  Apparently I'd already read this one??
The Boss Too-LT
Who's The Boss Now-LT
Love Life-LT
Unwilling-K.D. Wood

Karaoke Song List:
Thurs:

Weekend In New England-Barry Manilow Bleh....too low!
Harlem Shuffle-Rolling Stones  Got through it, but (shivers)

We're Not Gonna Take It-Twisted Sister  Best one of the night; a Marine was in attendance, so very fitting, considering we'd just bombed ISIS.

Welcome To The Black Parade-My Chemical Romance DNH

I'll Fall In Love Again-Sammy  Hagar DNH

West End Girls-Pet Shop Boys  Not too bad...

We've Only Just Begun-Carpenters  Slightly low, but okay

It's Your Call-Reba  Nailed it!

Sat:

Mama I'm Coming Home-Ozzy Osbourne Ugh...

Mama Mia-Abba Nailed it!
Man in the Mirror-Michael Jackson  Ugh...too low, and there was a fight going on, so thankfully no one noticed!
Man I Feel Like A Woman-Shania Twain Bleh.
Mandolin Rain-Bruce Hornsby  Good:)  Now to get this and the next two on video.....
Maneater-Hall and Oates  Good:)
Maniac-Michael Sembello  Good:)
Manic Monday-Bangals  Nailed it!
Mary Jane's Last Dance-Tom Petty Slightly low, but nailed it:)
Material Girl-Madonna Again, nailed it!
Me and Bobby McGee-Janis Joplin  Not too bad...
Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard-Paul Simon  DNH
Meet Me Halfway-Kenny Loggins Nailed it:)
Memory-Elaine Page With the exception of one line, pretty much nailed it:)
Metal Health-Quiet Riot  Rocked out with Bill!
Mickey-Toni Basil Nailed it:)