The Terrible Catsafterme

I had a lot to look forward to going into the summer months of 1986. Eighth grade was over and it was time to have loads of fun. It was at this juncture in my life that I began what I sometimes think of as my ‘double-life.’ I was slimmed down, vastly interested in people of the female persuasion, ready for mischief, and to be a teenager on the prowl. On the other hand, I was a geek at heart. Always was. Always will be. I had a tremendous fascination with the movie world, collecting autographs, and especially Laurel and Hardy memorabilia…but we won’t go into that…yet. Read the rest of this entry »

I have something interesting that helps me recall some events from December 1986. And even more so, it takes a peek inside my head during this time period. And what’s more, it’s all fake. But not really. The truth is that I somewhat cheated on my 7th period English assignment  from Mrs. Walters, where we were charged with writing a daily journal for almost a month (which included our Christmas break). I didn’t fill this thing in daily at all. In fact, I’m pretty sure I wrote most of it in study hall after I had returned to school following the holidays. Read the rest of this entry »

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After returning from the 1986 Valley Forge Sons of the Desert convention, I was highly motivated to get started on my own tent newsletter. Rick Greene had delivered a great seminar at the convention, showcasing how to go about creating fun and entertaining newsletters – bringing along examples of his own work. At the time he was the editor of the Intra-Tent Journal, and never after him did it achieve the level of greatness that he attained. My Dad was right there by my side to assist in the creation of our premiere issue. Carl Ahlm was the Grand Sheik of our Towed in a Hole Tent in Springfield, and he was delighted to have someone pitch in and take the newsletter off of his shoulders. Read the rest of this entry »

The summer ended and I trudged back to school, ready to enter my ninth grade and my last year at Ankeney Junior High. I had gotten a real exposure to girls via camp over the summer, and I had found out that I quite liked them. I had slimmed down and was beginning to get a little bit of length to my hair. Looking in the mirror I liked when the back section flared out so that I could see it. If I couldn’t, I’d go ahead and wet it down and pull it out. I began to carry a brush with me in my back pocket, one that could be filled with water or hairspray in the handle. I found out what Clearasil was all about – and preferred the flesh tone. Read the rest of this entry »