Sunday, May 26th, 1974

Tomorrow is Memorial Day but Mom and Dad went to the cemetery today without Aunt Rosie and Uncle Bill. She gave me a Beatles album and wants me to get copies of two of the pictures I took. Mom also bought me some new clothes while they were out and Dad got me three footlongs from Dairy Queen!

I saw Mike Oldfield do TUBULAR BELLS on TV.

I finally wrote the penpal letter. It's been almost three months since I heard from the other one.

I entered a NATIONAL ENQUIRER contest where they grant your wish. I wished to meet Linda Blair. In case that doesn't work, I also wrote to find out her address. (I also asked if they knew who was going to play on PLANET OF THE APES on TV this fall.) All day long I've been thinking about Linda Blair. I don't know what I'd do if I ever did meet her. I now have almost 40 different photos of her, though, and I still intend to see her movie eventually.

I saw on TV a Laurel and Hardy short and a special called MAGICAL MYSTERY TRIP THROUGH LITTLE RED'S HEAD. I was really attracted to the show. I don't know why.

I put a blotter I salvaged from SS on my desk this afternoon. I may not leave it long, though.

I didn't get to work on my story much if at all so I may not be able to turn it in after all. I'm having second thoughts about a writing career anyway. I'm thinking maybe of an acting or even a political career!

 


NOTES: As you can see, that TV special was a Depatie-Freleng animated, educational after-school special. With Timer! This being a Sunday, it may have been a rerun since obviously there was no school. 


Politics!!?? In time, I did get to do some acting and I've been told I'm pretty good at it. But politics!!??

Saturday, May 25th, 1974

All I got today was a couple more mags with Linda, three old comics and a TV GUIDE.

I saw CHOSEN SURVIVORS with Terry late this morning and SERPICO with Dad later in the day. They were both good and saw previews of two more movies I want to see.

I've got to write my penpal letter soon. I haven't gotten one in a long time.

NOTES: Literally Terry and I saw the 11:20 showing of the one movie at the Times, then I went home, had some lunch, then Dad and I took the bus back over and saw the other movie. I had more stamina in those days. 


In retrospect, CHOSEN SURVIVORS was no big deal. SERPICO, on the other hand, from its iconic poster to a great script and a riveting performance from Al Pacino that forever prevented him being stereotyped as a gangster after THE GODFATHER films. My dad loved it, too!

Friday, May 24th, 1974

I GOT Monday's strip! Great! Got it from Mrs. P.

I got THE PATRIOT and had two signers. I signed less than 10 myself. It's not half as good as either of its forerunners, though.

Debbie Ryland talked to me this morning and I mean, like, it REALLY made my day.

Just four more days of school.

I will definitely see one flick tomorrow and possibly two more. Mom got me free passes for the Newport Cinemas but they're only good if I go tomorrow afternoon.  We'll see.

NOTES: Well, what do you know? Two signatures. One reason I didn't remember them is that I don't even recall one of the signers. The other was another nerd that I had hung out with in 7th grade but somewhere along the way, he became cool. Within the next year or so he had a girlfriend and a van! We didn't hang out at all beyond this point as we obviously had nothing in common anymore. He actually signed it twice--once in pencil and then in en right under it. 


Debbie Ryland was an ultra-cute girl who had been in my class off and on since about the fourth grade. Her big brother was a bully but he was a year ahead of us so was no longer at this school. She had rarely given me the time of day before in all the time I'd known her.  I really do recall that walking on air feeling from talking with her today but have no recollection of the circumstances that led to that conversation.

Thursday, May 23rd, 1974

I got the new TBG.

I did a lot at work tonight.

Dad stayed home today.

I brought home my Algebra book. We won't need it anymore with only a week until school's out.

I still haven't gotten Monday's paper.

I'm to take the Blue Book test Tuesday now. (Illegible) one next week.

Tomorrow we're supposed to get THE PATRIOT. We get out of 5th period for everyone to have it signed. I never get mine signed anyway. Well, not much. Three in 7th grade and 1 in 8th.

NOTES: THE PATRIOT was the school yearbook. It was a slick paper, photocopied affair made up more like a magazine than a typical hardcover yearbook. 


I am nothing if not sentimental and maybe I'd feel differently if I had actually had a lot of friends in school. I just always felt that immediately having a book defaced seemed a bit drastic. One kid I didn't even like grabbed my 7th grade PATRIOT and signed it. After that I did get two others to sign it. I don't even recall who signed my 8th grade one but I think I managed to keep this new one away from everyone. Everyone else's copies may be all marked up but mine is still mint!

I'm weird.

Wednesday, May 22nd, 1974

I got an A and a B+ on my poems.

At 3rd period, Mr. Howard took myself and 8 others out to discuss the award controversy from yesterday. We came to no definite conclusions and a lot of people remain very upset.

Some lady where Mom works thinks she can get me the missing PEANUTS strip.

BILLY JACK's still on. I have another chance.

I'm supposed to take that Blue Book test tomorrow afternoon.

I watched TARZAN tonight to get an idea of what Ron Ely will be like as DOC SAVAGE. I think he's gonna be great! I really can't wait.

I also saw a special MERV GRIFFIN on location on the set of a new movie called THE KLANSMAN.

NOTES: Okay now these 34 year coincidences are getting weirder. On this date in history I wrote about TV Tarzan Ron Ely. On this date in history in 2012, I contacted Ron Ely regarding an upcoming interview to publicize an appearance!


THE KLANSMAN was a glorified B movie with Richard Burton and the ultimately infamous OJ Simpson. Merv was treating it as an A production with a major publicity boost. Didn't help. 


If I'm remembering correctly, it was all of the students who had been in the running fro the Academic award who were gathered together to be lectured by the Principal, Mr. Howard. The room we were taken to, by the way, was the Music room which happened to be my home room that year so I just sat in my regular seat. I don't believe the actual recipient was there but the girl who walked out in protest the day before was and loudly continued her protest some more. Her argument was that she had been there all three years and he had just moved into the area for the 9th grade. Since I had not only accepted the winner but genuinely believed he deserved it, I sat there reasonably distanced from it all just feeling the tensions in the room. 


The trophy that had been awarded was supposed to go in a trophy case where it would stay forever. The school, however, would only stay as a Junior High for about one or two more years. It sat empty for quite  a while and then reopened as an elementary school again. My son ended up going there for a single year. The first time we visited as parents, I checked the trophy case. The case was still there, adjacent to the office...but there were no trophies from when it had been a Junior High. 

Tuesday, May 21st, 1974

I had a dream last night that Debbie had moved back. I don't remember much else about it except that she was there and that made it a good dream. I thought of her a lot today. I really wish she'd never moved so far away.

What do you know? I did get an award. I was elected into the National Junior Honor Society. I got a pin, a card, a certificate and a flower. We all had to take an oath.  I think it's one of the best awards. 

I'm glad I didn't win the big one. Dan got it. I really think he deserves it but apparently others didn't. It started fights and one girl even walked out and went home! Oh, well.

The feel of summer is really here. Less than two weeks of junior high school remain.

I passed the Algebra test finally.

Wrote another poem inspired by Linda. I turned both in.

I hope to see SERPICO this weekend. And maybe a couple of others.

I discovered that after two and a half years of collecting, I'd finally missed a PEANUTS strip. Ugh.

NOTES: "So far away." Sigh...Everything's relative. She had moved to an area which is only about 15 minutes away by car. By bus, however, it was nearly an hour and then once you got off at the bus stop, you'd have to walk about two miles through confusing subdivisions. In 1974, my ONLY real source of transportation was the bus.


I was finishing 9th grade which technically means I was finishing my Freshman year of High School but for some bizarre reason when they had revamped my grade school into a Junior High, they added 7th, 8h AND 9th grades. So while I was leaving Junior High, I had already finished my first year f High School, too. Complicated. 


Odd that I seemed to appreciate the National Junior Honor Society thing so much that day as it was never mentioned or referred to again, nor was I ever added to the parent group, the National Honor Society, in spite of my exemplary grades. Why? No clue. As I said, it was literally never brought again. It was like the whole ceremony had simply never happened. I don't even have the pin, the card or the certificate anymore! (or the flower for that matter)


We'll have more to come on the controversy about the top academic award in days to come. Oddly enough, it WAS mentioned again. 

Monday, May 20th, 1974

Another big day. I would've flunked the Algebra test if Mr. Gamble hadn't said he wanted to talk to me about it more. I'll get to take it again. I actually brought my Algebra book home to study. First time this school year I think.

It was terribly hot today.

We went up to Holmes. Man, it's a big place! I don't think I'd mind going there if it wasn't for the fact that everyone else in my class will be going there, too. I picked up two copies of the Holmes newspaper while we were up there. Go to sit right behind Cheryl. Wish I had a chance with her.

Tomorrow's Honor Day. I don't expect to get any awards but I'd love to get that one for highest scholastic average.

Mr. Blanchard was absent and so didn't get to see my poem yet. Didn't get to rewrite my story either other than just starting it.

I still haven't made up the Blue Book Test. I haven't even mentioned it.

Tonight I watched my favorite Gidget flick again, the one with Karen Valentine.

Boy, what a day.

NOTES: So today was my first ever day at Holmes High School...even if it was just visiting. I was up there this past Wednesday in 2012 picking up my son. 


No idea (again) what this Blue Book Test was. 


The Gidget movie was GIDGET GROWS UP, a TV movie from just a couple years earlier starring Karen Valentine, Paul Lynde and my current Facebook friend Paul Peterson.