June 10, 2016- Dancing

 

 

I’m embarrassed to be dancing around at concerts, maybe partly because mom used to tell people that when I was a little girl I used to dance around to the” I Dream of Jeannie” theme and that song from the Gypsy soundtrack- “You Gotta Have a Gimmick” sometimes. I was always so humiliated when she did that in the 70s- mid 80s.

   It’s just so hard for me let go of past moments like that. I did dance around a lot at the DD Foxwoods concert which I totally regret. Amy has asked me if I was feeling ashamed at the time or not until afterwards; a little during and much more later on.

   In 1979 or 1980, Cindy, Jessica and I were disco dancing in the basement at our house. Mike was mainly waving a flashlight around to make it seem like we were at a club. “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer was one of the songs that I remember from that day.

   We had been having a good time until Cindy fell and slightly injured her head when hitting it on an end table.

   Jim H asked me to dance at our 8^th grade “M*A*S*H” - themed dance but I turned him down and felt so ashamed because he had only done this as part of a dare. I saw 2 boys talking to him and laughing and pointing to me before he came over to me. They were laughing afterwards too.

   I’ve never really danced with a guy; doing so with my cousin Kevin at his wedding does not count. That was in 1988 at a country club in Saratoga Springs, NY.

   I can’t remember my 2 proms that well which is probably for the best. I’m wishing that I had never even gone to them. Friends of the family set me up with dates for both. “One More Night” by Phil Collins was the theme for junior year. 

   My date looked a little like the actor Jon Cryer. He only went because a classmate of his was there; he seemed to be talking to her more than me. They were seniors. I might’ve danced with him but only for like 30 seconds.

 My brother called him Duckie but not to his face. That was the name of Jon’s character in Pretty in Pink. I hadn’t even seen that movie until a year after that- I wasn’t really that into those teenie bopper films like my friend Cindy was. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was okay, I guess. 

   I had an even worse time at my senior prom and was so glad when that night was over.” Never Say Goodbye” was the theme. I never did care for that song because it brought back some bad memories.

   I’ve only seen Bon Jovi perform that once at a concert- Giants Stadium 2001. I’m pretty sure that I’m right about this. A friend of a friend did dance with my date but I don’t think that I did. I’d rather not remember.

 

I Dream of Jeannie-opening sequence

 

1983

 Jon Cryer-on right

 

 

 

 

Note- The Jeannie and Donna Summer photos are from the internet

 

December 15, 2016- More School Days- Part 2

-8^th Grade- The parents did such a great job of decorating the gym for our “M*A*S*H “dance. This took place not long after the final episode of that show in 1983. Mom and Dad were there as chaperones. I should have kept my 2 “M*A*S*H” shirts.

   I accidentally threw out my yearbook. I do still have the t shirt with my classmates’ signatures on it that everyone got. The girls also received a necklace; I don’t remember what the boys got. I have my class president pin too.

   My parents gave me a Brother typewriter as a graduation gift. They got Mike an in-ground basketball set for his.

   I’m pretty sure that Confirmation was after graduation. Mrs. P was my sponsor. I don’t remember much about this only that afterwards we went to a nice restaurant, The Sleepy Hollow Inn then over to Mrs. P’s house.

-Good Deeds- I don’t remember which particular ones that I did, probably help mom with chores. Mike lied, saying that he took out Mr. K’s trash for him. He was going to do so but never got around to it.

-Science Fair- Someone always did a volcano as a project. I did one on the weather in 6^th or 7^th grade. It wasn’t anything that elaborate, just posters about various types of clouds and some other stuff.

-Games and fun- Operation, Candyland, Perfection, hopscotch, line tag, jump rope, flipping trading cards (Mike won some” Happy Days” and Grease cards), Musical chairs; Duck, Duck, Goose; and Red Light, Green Light. I didn’t like when our class would play Seven Up or the Telephone Game.

-Hot Lunch Friday – Ellio’s pizza, Sabrett hot dogs, potato chips, soda, and Carvel Flying Saucers (ice cream sandwiches). I can’t remember if the milk was just then or every day.

-Gertrude Hawk – We first had this brand when it was part of our fund raiser for grade school at Easter and Christmas. Mom would always get us a white chocolate cross and the Smidgens. We liked the peanut butter filled ones a lot.

-Birthdays- Classmates would bring in either cupcakes or Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins on their birthdays. I am pretty sure that Mike and I brought in cupcakes for ours sometimes too.

-We would have bake sales to raise money for our school. Mom made cupcakes most of the time. My brother said that there were a couple of plant sales too. I do remember buying a few plants that we put in the garden.

-Mom covered our text books with brown paper grocery bags.

-Mom was a member of the PTA for a few years but quit after she and the principal, Sister HF, had a disagreement over the fact that she wouldn’t let mom take us out of class to go to the funeral of one of our classmates’ parent.

  I remember that Mom liked working at the bingo nights; sometimes she would take Mike and me. We would be in the teacher’s lounge with a babysitter and other kids. They served some of the same foods that we had for our hot lunches.

2011

1972

hopscotch

 

Photos 5-18 are from the internet

 

 

8th Grade Dance - 1983

The theme for our 8th grade dance at St. John's in 1983 was the television show M*A*S*H. I can't remember what month this took place in but I'm pretty sure it was after the big series finale episode of that programme. I was into M*A*S*H back then but really don't care for it anymore. My brother does though - he has the DVDs of all the seasons. All of our parents did a very good job of decorating the gym/auditorium for this dance. My main memory of it is not a nice one. A boy did ask me to dance but that was only because his friends dared him to. I overheard this and told that boy no. I am glad that my mom did take pictures of this event despite that upsetting memory.