June 11

Is this one life, or three?

1965

1st Exams - English and History. English was a breeze - History was lousy! I'll bet I flunked (or almost did). I stayed over at Marcia's house. At 6, Mrs. Parker told Marcia that "she and her friends" had been invited to Durward Kirby's son's dance, but couldn't go. At 9, Mr. Parker came and took us! It was, however, the wrong night. We saw a rehearsal of the band. The lead guitar is Dennis Kirby, and the rhythm and lead singer is Joey Kennedy, who's been in "Oliver" and "Sound of Music" and the drummer is only 12 years old!

Comment 2023

Suddenly, in the mid-sixties, it seemed every teenaged boy bought a guitar, rounded up a few friends and started a band. Talk show sidekick Durward Kirby, one of our many local celebrities (summer residents from NYC), was father to just such a kid. Dennis had a guitar, and friends, and therefore a band, but they needed an audience. I don’t recall how Marcia’s parents were connected, but somehow there was this invitation. Yay, Mr. Parker, for overruling Peg Parker’s veto!

1976

Cross between a zebra and a donkey, bred for the TV show “Let’s Make a Deal”, is called a zonkey, after LMAD slang for a booby prize. But I’d like one. They’re stripey and muley looking. Very cute.

1982

Another week of company – – Mom this time. She really enjoyed Kiddo and was a lot of help. Today was my first day of staying home all day in a week and I really luxuriated in it. Got lots done – – – mostly planning and reading TRASH!

1983

What a luxury! Jim is sweeping and trimming outside with the kiddo, and I have a few moments alone. I spent a few seconds wondering what to do. Write? Takes too long to set up. Read? OK, but prefer doing that in the evening. Think? That would be a novelty. The problem is not what I need to do – – I've got enough lists occupy me for five summers. It's motivation. We got a home computer by the way… I'd love to learn to program it but can't quite sit down yet and do it. There are a zillion tasks it could do for me – – but do I need to buy a package? Is there a package? Could I do the programming??

Comment 2023

Our Apple IIe joins the family!

1989

Well, I'm an assistant dean, life is crazy, Mom is depressed (still and worse), Kiddo is in her last week of school, and the fireflies are out. Generally, the job is OK. The first week was hectic, with the administrative assistant gone most of the week. Every student about to be dismissed was in, I think.

The biggest problems are 1) ACPTC2 2) the book and 3) Mom, not in that order. It was really impossible to carve out any time this week to work on the first two, and Mom is seriously depressed.

1998

I didn't reflect as much as I would like – it's been a busy week. But it has been excellent, very productive and satisfying. Best of all, I went to the doctor for a check up on Tuesday, walked out with three prescriptions and, since talking taking them, have been feeling fabulous! The result is that I am virtually pain-free in all joints, and I'm determined not to ignore myself so horribly in the future. The problem was really that I had accepted the aches, pains and other things as inevitable. Not so! I have responded by getting lots done, and it feels great!

2023

I will be away on vacation at the end of June, and so I am doubling down on my transcriptions. My goal is to have drafts through July 5 completed and scheduled for publication by June 23. See? I am still fully capable of setting ridiculous tasks for myself!

And yes, I am also working simultaneously on my exciting book, two knitting projects, and at least one piece of sewing. While listening to two audiobooks in rotation.

2025

Somehow I have scheduled three trips this summer. I will be away four weeks out of the next fifteen. If nothing else, I will be a champion at packing light and using travel apps on my phone.