Through the Past Dorkily: Hello Again

Editor's note: Through the Past Dorkily is a recurring feature that looks back at the embarrassingly dorky diary I kept as a 16-year-old in 1984.


Thursday, July 26, 1984

MICK JAGGER'S BIRTHDAY
Song of the day: We Rock - Dio


Today wasn't that great. I slept til 10. I had a great dream about going out with [hot chick from school]. Mmm.


Mom got us hooked up to some stupid phone thing where you can only make 30 calls a month for 5 minutes at a time. Now that sucks.


I had to work. Fun.


- The Barbarian


Saturday, July 28, 1984

Song of the day: Back for More - Ratt


Another dud of a day. Next week I work tomorrow 1-6, Thurs, Fri and Sat 3-10.


Uncle Peter and Auntie Gini got here around 4.


- The Barbarian


Sunday, July 29, 1984

Song of the day: Run with the Money - Lita Ford


Another exercise in monotony. I worked from 1-6, came home, had dinner at 9 and went to bed.


The Olympics started today.


The Blue Jays finally won a game after losing 6 straight.


- The Barbarian


Tuesday, July 31, 1984

Song of the day: The Girl Gets Around - Sammy Hagar


Top 5 at Five
1. The Warrior - Scandal
2. We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
3. Sunglasses at Night - Corey Hart
4. Bobbie Jean - Bruce Springsteen
5. I'll Wait - Van Halen

I went to the beach with Jeremy at 9:30. I forgot to take a towel. I only had $2, but Auntie Gini slipped me a fiver when Mom wasn't looking. It wasn't too crowded, and the weather was almost perfect. The girls were pretty awesome, too. We saw [cute girls from school] and some others there. A good beach day.


Aunt [redacted] is supposed to come on Thursday.


- The Barbarian


Wednesday, August 1, 1984

Song of the day: Gotta Let Go - Lita Ford


Top 5 at Five
1. The Warrior - Scandal
2. Missing You - John Waite
3. Back Where I Started - Box of Frogs
4. So. Central Rain - R.E.M.
5. We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister

 I didn't do much all day. I laid out front on a lounge chair listening to my Walkman. Good deal, eh?


- The Barbarian


Thursday, August 2, 1984

Song of the day: If This is It - Huey Lewis and the News


Today wasn't bad. The weather held up. Last night I finally got my chain back.


Auntie [redacted] came while I was at work.


When I got to work, [supervisor] asked me if I wanted to work night crew. I said sure. I'm starting next week.


My paycheck was $58.90. I put $50 in the bank. I've got $240 and change.


- The Barbarian


Friday, August 3, 1984

Song of the day: New Girl Now - Honeymoon Suite


After taking Mom to work, I stopped at Carriage Towne Plaza to get some milk. I also got the new Guitar Player, Circus and International Musician mags. Then I took [Aunt Redacted] and JP through Hampton Beach and the Methuen Mall. She gave me $10 and I bought "Condition Critical" by Quiet Riot. Good album. Then I went to work.


- The Barbarian


Saturday, August 4, 1984

Song of the day: I'll Fall in Love Again - Sammy Hagar


What a lousy day. I drove JP and [Aunt Redacted] to the Hampton Cinemas at 1:30. But we took a wrong turn and went to Portsmouth instead. We turned around. I got home at 2:50 and I was 5 minutes late for work. Then I find out that [supervisor], the jerk, didn't put me on night crew next week! I"m working Sun 1-6, Tues 3-10, Thurs (I think) 3-10 and Sat 3-10.


I gave [guitar dude] a ride home.


- The Barbarian


Sunday, August 5, 1984

Song of the day: Midnight Maniac - Krokus


I went to work at 1. I had to clean the washrooms because there were only 3 sackers. [Supervisor] got his red jacket finally. Correction: I'm working on Friday, not Thursday like I thought before.


I got home at 7, and we went to Rye to have dinner. We got back at 11.


- The Barbarian


Monday, August 6, 1984

Song of the day: Rockin' Every Night - Gary Moore


Top 5 at Five
1. The Warrior - Scandal
2. Cover Me - Bruce Springsteen
3. Two Sides of Love - Sammy Hagar
4. New Girl Now - Honeymoon Suite
5. Hello Again - The Cars

Good Monday for a change. We went to Methuen Mall (me, JP, Gini, Redacted) at 1. Auntie Gini gave me a $20 bill. I bought "Rockin'  Every Night," the live import from Gary Moore ($14.98). Then I had to pick Mom up from work at 2. I got 5 bucks from her and I went back and bought "Victims of the Future" by Gary Moore. I also met [dude from school] there. We left at 4.


Uncle Peter gave me a $20 bill to "keep things oiled." Alright!


- The Barbarian


Tuesday, August 7, 1984

Song of the day: Still Life - Iron Maiden


Today was alright. I didn't wake up in time to see Uncle Peter and Auntie Gini go, though. I just bummed around till 3, when I went to work.


I was working with [metalhead co-worker]. We were talking about heavy metal and he said he was going to the Dio/TS concert on the 24th. Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning. He said his parents are taking him and said he'd take me. I gave him $20 and he said he'd give me my ticket on Friday (when I work next). Now I have to talk Mom and Dad into letting me go. I think they will, since his parents are taking us. I hope so!


Then I was talking to [another co-worker] and he said he was going to see Billy Squier and Ratt on Sept. 22. He said he'd take me to that. Wow.


- The Barbarian


Wednesday, August 8, 1984

Song of the day: Love Ain't No Stranger - Whitesnake


Top 5 at Five
1. Cold Shot - Stevie Ray Vaughan
2. Bobbie Jean - Bruce Springsteen
3. The Warrior - Scandal
4. Love Ain't No Stranger - Whitesnake
5. Walking on a Thin Line - Huey Lewis and the News

Not much doing today. We all went to the hospital for lunch and then to Shaw's in Exeter to go shopping. Then I came home and vegged.

- The Barbarian

Postscript: One thing I from my teen years that is but a distant memory is the amount of sleep I used to get. Okay, that extended into my early 30s (basically, BK: Before Kids), but I really could sleep forever when I was in high school, and it wasn't even because I had been out drinking all night. So I had to laugh reading about I slept right through our guests leaving. Those guests weren't actually my uncle and aunt, but really close family friends from Toronto who would visit us at least once a year (and who we'd go visit as well). Peter was English and his wife was Indian and they were really cool; they're both dead now but the other "aunt" is still alive, hence the redacted info. 

The Cars were never bigger than they were in '84, but I don't really remember seeing this video. Of course, I didn't have MTV so I had to rely on other, much more limited sources: