Through the Past Dorkily: School's Out

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.
 
Saturday, June 16, 1984

Song of the day: I've Got the Six - ZZ Top

Cashed my check today. Then we went to the Methuen Mall. I bought Ratt's "Out of the Cellar" and some shorts for Father's Day. Went to work at 3. Got out at 10:30.

I'm tired.

Working tomorrow 12-6.

- The Barbarian

Sunday, June 17, 1984

Song of the day: Mama Weer All Crazee Now - Quiet Riot


Got up at 9:30. Took the garbage to the dump and went to work. We were there til 7:30! That sucks.

I'm working Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3-10. Saturday I'm working 7-4. That means we can go to the movies that night. Good deal. Can't wait!

A girl called for me while I was at work. She didn't leave her name or a message so I have no idea who it was. I wonder who it was?

[Buddy] said he'd teach me how to play rhythm guitar because he needs a rhythm player for his band. I said sure. What the heck!

Don't know how I'm getting to work tomorrow. Geez.

- The Barbarian

Monday, June 18, 1984

Song of the day: I'm Leaving You - Scorpions


I had to take the bus to arena scheduling. I was the only high school kid on the bus. When I got there, nobody was there, almost. [A friend] were there. He's working at McDonald's at Hampton Beach. Lucky fart!

When I got in, I just got my P.E. (floor hockey) and got out. My schedule is awesome! I have first period free all year, 2nd period free for the second semester and 7th period free for the 1st, 3rd and 4th terms. The most classes I have at one time is 6, in 2nd term. [Two cute female friends] have 1st period free all year too. Me, [and two other cute girls] are in the same Adv. Math class. It'll be great!

[Cute girl] gave me and Jeremy a ride home around 10. I slept for a while and then [different cute girl] gave me a ride to work. Mom brought the car to the Bucket. I didn't get out till 11. Finally, tomorrow I get a day off!

- The (tired) Barbarian

Tuesday, June 19, 1984

Song of the day: Mama Weer All Crazee Now - Mama's Boys

Top 5 at Five
1. Life Sucks, Then You Die - The Fools
2. Round and Round - Ratt
3. Missing You - John Waite
4. We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
5. Voices - Russ Ballard

Class day today. I got a 91 for the 4th term and an 88 for the semester in Civics. I also found out that I only had 4 3/4 credits on my schedule. [Vice principal] said to call back in August and they'll get me in a half-year class. Too good to be true, I guess.

I waited in line (and cut in front of 50 people) and I still didn't get a yearbook. They ran out of extras right before I got to the front. There's supposed to be more tomorrow.

I got home at 12 and got some rest. I'm gonna need it.

- The Barbarian

Wednesday, June 20, 1984

Song of the day: Even the Losers - Tom Petty


Today was the last full day of school. I spent most of it signing yearbooks. I couldn't get one myself because they had no more extras. Oh well.

In Civics we saw the videotape from last week. It was hilarious!

In Geometry, I got 87 for the term. In Bi Sci I got an 80. In Prep for College I got a 77 and in French I got an 81. That sucks! I hope I got an A in Algebra.

They put a picture of me on the sophomore page of the yearbook. Dorks!

[Buddy] got himself a Mr. Happy sleeping bag for Saturday. Looks like he's gonna go for it!

Tomorrow I have to pick up my paycheck and then get my senior portrait taken. I hope it turns out good.

- The Barbarian

Thursday, June 21, 1984

Song of the day: School's Out - Alice Cooper


Top 5 at Five
1. Life Sucks, Then You Die - The Fools
2. Round and Round - Ratt
3. Slow an' Easy - Whitesnake
4. Back Where I Started - Box of Frogs
5. We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister

Boy, what a day. I started it off by dropping my shades in the driveway, breaking them. Damn! Then, at school, I got bagged for wearing shorts and I had to sit in the office for 2 hours. Not fun.


Then I went for my senior portrait. I passed by the place and had to turn around in the next town. I finally found it and had to wait half an hour to get the photos taken.

I then had to pick Mom up from work.

Oh yeah, I got my paycheck. $78.30. Well, it was $92.96 but taxes ate it up. I put $50 in the bank.

- The Barbarian

Postscript:  School was over, but I was working a ton. And for someone who wasn't used to being on his feet for seven or eight hours straight, it was pretty tiring. But had to make some cash. It was amazing what I could get by on back then, but of course I didn't have to pay for room and board. 

That whole thing with the shorts was pretty stupid. I had no idea you couldn't wear shorts to school, and I couldn't understand why on the last day of school it was such a big deal. Not to mention the fact that girls could wear mini-skirts that were way shorter than my shorts. 

I was hoping to find my senior portrait to scan in, but no such luck. 

Kinda funny that Slade's "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" was covered by two different bands in consecutive years:


 

Written All Over Me

Well, it's over. My monthlong attempt to write a 50,000-word novel ended at midnight in failure, with my final tally hitting 36,523 words. Actually, I wouldn't consider it a failure at all because it got me motivated to write again. But now I plan to put it aside for awhile and then go back and look at how bad it is. Then I'll either edit it heavily or just start something else.

Welcome to December. We've got some seriously cold weather moving in here this weekend, capped off by some snow, or so sez the forecasters. I'm running with the Striders in the Mill Cities Relay tomorrow morning, when it's supposed to be in the teens out. Damn! Guess I'd better run fast.

Our new camcorder arrived the other day, but I haven't had a chance to play with it yet. Looks pretty cool, though. At some point, I may post some video clips.

Ever go years without a hearing a song you love and then hear it twice in the span of a few days? That happened to me with Led Zeppelin's "Achilles' Last Stand," a 10-minute epic on their underrated Presence album. A song that long isn't going to be played on the radio much; I have the vinyl version of that album but since my turntable isn't hooked up, I haven't listened to it in eons. So it was unusual that I heard it last Sunday on one of the local rock stations while driving to a holiday parade with the kids. And then last night, I was out for a few drinks with a bunch of people from work at a bar in Marblehead and I heard the song again; not sure if it was a satellite radio setup or an iPod or something more conventional, but it was among a collection of classic rock deep cuts (another good one I heard was Warren Zevon's "Lawyers, Guns and Money"). Anyhoo, the Zep tune is amazing: Check out this YouTube clip of them playing it at Knebworth in '79 on their last tour before Bonham died.

Dribs and drabs:

• A lot of celebrity deaths lately. Evel Knievel went to that big stunt ramp in the sky after dying yesterday at the age of 69. He had been in pretty rough health over the years, but it's really amazing he lived as long as he did. For you young'uns, check out his motorcycle jump over the fountain at Caesar's Palace in Vegas. Ouch.
• Another recent death was that of Quiet Riot lead yowler Kevin DuBrow, who was found dead at the age of 52 at his home last weekend. Quiet Riot dated back to the late '70s, when the lineup included guitar whiz Randy Rhoads, who went on to fame in Ozzy Osbourne's band and died in a tragic plane crash in 1982. A year later, Quiet Riot had a monster hit with "Cum On Feel the Noize," a cover of a Slade song that became one of the biggest videos on MTV. They also had a big hit with "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)." I liked them at the time, but grew out of them pretty quickly. DuBrow was pretty obnoxious, slagging off other bands in interviews, but he was a decent frontman. They tried to replicate the same formula on their next album, covering another Slade song, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," but the song and the album both stiffed and QR soon disbanded before being revived by DuBrow years later. Ultimately, they became a punchline and an '80s relic. And I always cracked up at how he had way more hair in the last 10 years than in his heyday. Still, a sad end at a relatively young age for the guy.
• Another even more tragic death was that of Blue Jays pitcher Joe Kennedy, 28, who collapsed last Friday and died. Reports said the cause of death could have been an aneurysm or heart attack, but autopsy results aren't back yet.

Awright, time to get the kids dressed.