Tired, relaxed and lazy again. Today is a repeat episode of yesterday pretty much. Not excited, not unhappy.
Today I’m grateful for:
The cake that Amy came back with at lunchtime, presumably from Nong Oh who she was out with. A light chiffon with cashews in a thick caramel topping. It was nice in that it didn’t taste as sweet as it looked.
The best thing about today was:
Cleaning up the last pile of junk on the floor of my room. There is stuff there that is inspiring me to think of new lesson plans so I hung on to quite a bit of it. The floor is clear but I still need to go through the stuff on the shelves and that will mean more inspiration and ideas and then a concern about lack of time to execute all those ideas.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
In the scheme of things, I did very little today. If there was anything out of my control then it had no lasting resonance with my memory.
Something I learned today?
From watching the interview with Nathan Rich I discovered that you can inject whisky into your veins and get drunk from it. I mean, it makes sense but it seems like a stupid thing to do when you can just drink the stuff!
That guy has certainly had an interesting life and we share a weird connection in that we both got into computing as a way to raise ourselves up in the world (and both into punk and then with interests in China).
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
Today was all about Amy and being sympathetic to her situation with the unfolding drama therein.
Was the killing of hundreds of hairy worms on the avocado tree a good or vile act?
Tell about something you love doing that you’re terrible at. And tell about something you really do not like doing that you’re great at.
For the former, I guess it would be playing guitar, though I don’t really think that I am terrible. I’m just not good.
For the latter maybe Maths, though again, I wouldn’t say that I was great at it either. In fact, if I think about it I actually like learning about Maths but have an aversion to it because of a long-held hatred of my high school Maths teacher.
Even then, I’m over it (I should be because it was 40 years ago!) so I need to think of something else here.
It’s tough. I don’t consider myself particularly great at anything and at my age now I’m not really doing anything that I don’t like doing anymore.
I took this picture because this pup is cute and loves me.
The jelly fell off and slid beyond All the dogs and cats swimming in the pond Tom and Jerry were chewing unborn babies And ran and ran to try and catch rabies We write on our arms what records to play We truly starve as wellies might say Run to find the blood of a few Try to catch unceasing spew The wait in anger for the whiskey drop As they get younger their faces flop Now the shits run running from your arse Shitting at the back of the class This is what Maths does to you Sends you mental through and through
10th August 2023 – The poetic entries for 1984 are incorrectly dated as I’ve just taken random starting points for them. This poem was written during another particularly boring Maths class (see my diary entries for how much I loved my Maths classes!). I had finished school sometime around May or June though. The poems are in order though. I know this as I hand-wrote them in order into a duplicate book sometime in the late 80s. The line ‘we write on our arms what records to play’ was real. I would plan what music I wanted to listen to when I got home like this. Writing on our hands and arms was a big thing (which I guess, kind of naturally, turned into getting tattoos) for many of us adolescent kids and I can see my students doing the same now.
Records of the week: Birthday Party – Mutiny, anything by the Faith, Subhumans – Cradle To The Grave
30th April 1984 Managed to get up in time. Was doing Art exam all day. Turned out all right. Lunch – had a chat with Bernice cos her and Jim ain’t getting on too well. Flash in the pan. Put strobe back in the morning. Went down track. Jasper made a new bit. Paul Miller came down. Came back – did fuckin’ ace pic on wall.
1st May 1984 Fuck knows how I woke up today. Pissed around in the library in the morning. Did English literature exam. Don’t know if I’ve done well though. Thought I’d get letter but didn’t. Went to Burd’s. Went to club. Had a decent game of snooker. Came back.
2nd May 1984 I did it again. Fuckin’ got bored in the library. Nearly everyone was doing History. Clements had a laugh with me and Mini. Afternoon did typing exam – don’t think I’ve done too well. Showing photos around to everyone. Went to Burds. Went to Houldey’s. Shit(?) Martin up. Going to watch Love At First Bite.
3rd May 1984 Get to school. Fucking Maths exam was fucking bloody hard. Don’t reckon I done well. Pissed around at lunchtime. Went up the library. Got bored up there. Fuckin’ shit(?) teachers. Went to English. 4 people were there. Went to Burd’s. Rung Zoe there. Went to club, had a decent game of snooker. Went to BMX track. There’s a swing down there now. Went to Houldey’s. Made coffee for Beki. Muz left his bike there. HaHa. Drawn rose(?) on the wall.
4th May 1984 Got to school, did Maths – was easier than yesterday. Afternoon – went to Art for a laugh – did put(?) thing. Went to library but got bored after two minutes and went back to Art. Doubled up on bus, went to Jeremy’s, was supposed to stay but came back. Rung Zoe and had a chat. Watched telly. Went to sleep.
5th May 1984 Got up. Went to Poole. Bought Subhumans and Birthday Party. Still no BF. Got bored. Came back. Saw Simon in Wimborne so got off the bus. He was pissed off because he forgot to sign on. Came back. Pissed around on moped. Zoe rang. Had a depressing chat. Went down track then up to Houldey’s where Dandy was flashing her beautiful legs. Blah Blah Blah. Went to sleep.
6th May 1984 Woke up. Took dog. Had food. All the usual shit. Went down track, bust moped up. Went to Houldey’s. Told Beki and Dandy about Jamie smoking etc. Beki getting in a right strop. Watched Sugarland Express. Went to sleep.
Record of the week: DOA – Bloodied But Unbowed (again), Middle Class Fantasies – Publikum, Minutemen – (anything)
20th February 1984 Burd and Rupe came round with rest of booze. Went to Mr Houldey’s – I did his drying up. Went to Shirl’s. Went home. Recorded some Bloodstains. Went to Mr Houldey’s again. Pissed around in Dandy’s room. Made some pancakes for them. Nicked her pyjamas. Recorded some more – can’t remember much else. DOA.
21st February 1984 Woke up at 4. Had a drink. Went back to bed. Woke up 6. Had a drink and squeezed some zits. Got up 11. Took Dandy’s pyjamas back. Started Bloodstains booklet. Listening to Crass. Giving up fags, booze etc. Written letter to Zoe. Feeling good today.
22nd February 1984 Got up 11. Had a bath. Had a wank. Listened to some Crass. Decided to stop getting Sounds. Went to see Muz and saw Burt and Jasp. Me and Muz went to Houldey’s, found out there was a party at Jo Holloway’s so went there later at night. Had some good times with Tanya and Mandy and had some bad times with Jo, Vicky and mum and dad. Anyway, DOA. Wrote letter to Zoe again.
23rd February 1984 Muz and Scott and Burt woke me up at 10.30. Went to Queen’s Copse. Saw Annabel on the way. Got done by. the Forestry Commission. Came back. They went home. Went to Gaunts later. Had a go on Muz’s computer at Football Manager. Went up to Annabels’ with Muz, Scott and Burt. Came back – pissed around on Muz’s computer some more. Went home.
24th February 1984 Went to Wimborne to go to dentists. Saw Liz J so decided to stay in Wimborne. Was with her and Jason most of the day. Went into the Yew Tree three times for some tea. Pissed about all day. Came back on the bus.Had to give Andy Froud a lift to Horton on moped as bus didn’t go to Horton. Went to Muz’s and we went to Houldey’s.
25th February 1984 Woke up 12.30. Went to Muz’s 1.30. Got to First Division in Football Manager. Lost FA Cup Final to Brighton. Came back 4.35, took dog for walk. Played with cat. Had tea. Went to Muz’s 6.30. Decided to go to party. His mum gave us some money. Went to Wimborne. Bought some booze to add to the wine. Saw Stroud who was going so we followed him to Pamphill. We decided not to go in so we came back to my place and got snotted. Fell asleep watching a film – according to mum.
26th February 1984 Woke up 12. Had some lovely food. I was fucking starving for some reason. Played some records while doing Maths homework – what a bore – maths that is. Thinking about becoming a vegan. Going down Muz’s later, see what state he’s in. Had a bath. Had a wank. Listening to DOA again. Went to Muz’s. He wouldn’t come out/I couldn’t go in – doing his Maths homework – yawn. Came home. Went to find Chris on my moped – couldn’t find him so came home and watch the film – pretty good. God knows how I’m going to get up tomorrow.
29th Sep 2022 – And so we are here, at the mysterious back pages of the diary.
Record of the week: The Greedies – Merry Jingle
29th Sep 2022 – Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy and Steve Jones and Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols were the Greedies and this song is a fun, romping Christmas song but as with most Christmas songs, won’t hold up at any other time of year. I wonder what it is that makes people think to write a Christmas song? If it’s your last resort maybe it’s time to give up?
29th Sept 2022 – Paul Mariner, Mick Mills, Mick(?) Lambert, Bobby Robson, Trevor Whymark, Roger Osbourne, John Wark, George Burley, Paul Cooper, Kevin Beattie…the other faces are familiar but names stuck somewhere deep in the noggin. I’m going to go search the rest of the names as a reminder.
Frm Fidy tety sx nw cod i sudrtkn
29th Sept 2022 – Any codebreakers got this one? I reckon ‘From Friday Twenty Six…….” – any significance to the missing letters? Children and their warped minds.
Andrew said “I don’t think the FONZ is very interesting.”
29th Sept 2022 – Me trying to work out how to spell Leif Garrett, and yes, I had to look it up again just now.
Me —— Them Golf -8 —— -2 -2 —— -2 -3 —— -6 -4 —— -10
29th Sep 2022 – In my childlike imagination my bedroom was a golf course. Using one of our eating knives as a club and a marble as a ball, I devised a course around the bed, chair, floor, drawers etc.
I remember the knife well, it was one that was least favoured to be used at the table, it was the odd one out in the cutlery drawer. It had a cream handle, some kind of imitation ivory, bakelite maybe? Where the blade joined the handle had a small piece missing that added to its devious charm. The tip of the knife was an industrial semi-circle shape, with no pointed end as with our other knives. It was ugly. So it became my mini golf club and I loved it for that.
Of course, I just played against myself, labelling the scores Me and Them and generally always favouring Me, naturally.
When you chatted up the girl with the great big boobs I don’t make a fuss, I just kept me cool
29th Sept 2022 – The genesis of getting into writing lyrics and trying to make them outrageous as per my idols. I didn’t yet have the vocabulary and ability but genius (haha!) must start somewhere!
Bed (curtains) 2p Bricks 102p Make own tea 2p Make both teas 5p Make tea to drink 1p Collect coal 1p Collect wood 1p Extra jobs… 1p Depending how hard… 2p It is 3p and so on
29th Sep 2022 – Keeping track of potential earnings. No matter, I would always spend more than I earned, well into my late 20s. Some lessons take a long time.
Racing Kempton 1.30pm 10p stake 1. Be Better 8-1 80p Kempton 2.00pm Catechism 7-1
29th Sep 2022 – A minor interest in Maths, betting and odds developing. I soon realised what a con gambling is, though when I say soon, it probably took another ten years as I did usually put some money through the fruit machines of pubs I attended for a while.
29th Sep 2022 – Artistic skills don’t look particularly promising but that never stopped me from trying.
I want Sex Pistols book, LPs and Clash ‘Give ‘Em Enough Rope’, dartboard
29th Sep 2022 – I ended up with all these except the Clash album which I curiously never owned on vinyl and even now when I listen to it it still sounds fresh and new as many of those songs are not so familiar to me. Weirdly, I think I only ever owned the first album and Sandanista on vinyl and I’m not sure why I missed out on London Calling, which is also a little less familiar to these ears.
Friggin’ in the Riggin’ Ch. Friggin’ in the riggin’ (repeat two more times) Cos there’s fuck all else to do Stick glass up your arse (repeat thrice) Cos there’s fuck all else to do
The captain’s wife is Mable And when she’s fully able She’ll give the crew the daily screw Upon the mess room table The captain’s name is Dodo And he’s a lazy bugger He isn’t fit to shovel shit From one place to another
29th Sep 2022 – As Graeme Gray introduced me to the Sex Pistols through this song I would ask him to repeat these lyrics for me until I could remember them and write them down. Not accurate as expected but filthy enough to warp the precious minds of eleven and twelve-year-old potential brat-punks.
75m – 11.2
29th Sep 2022 – I was obviously pleased with myself for being a fast runner.
Chorus to Pretty Vacant We’re so pretty, oh so pretty -ow – Vacant (repeat) And now, we don’t careeeee!
Second verse and chorus to Silly Thing People here, people there People around you everywhere What you gonna say What you gonna do Now you’ve missed out once again But I thought you knew Ch. Oh, you silly thing You’ve really gone and done it now (repeat)
More songs Bodies There’s a girl from Birmingham She’s had an aboushtion She looks a screaming mess Screaming mess Fuck this, fuck that Fuck that fucking little brat She don’t want a baby like that I don’t want a baby like that She looks a screaming mess Screaming mess
29th Sep 2022 – More outrageous Sex Pistols lyrics. It’s really hard to comprehend what an impact this band had at the time. For folks like me, it has been a lifelong inspiration and influence that I am proud to be a part of. It all looks old-fashioned and pointless now so I’m forgiving of anything that kids are into these days and forgiving of those who were consumed within their own subcultures that were at pinnacles in the past. We don’t have to understand what they like but we can understand the feelings that it gives them.
RAD DID IT GRANDAD DID IT
29th Sep 2022 – I had an irrational dislike for my grandparents. Being a snotty kid around Victorian/Edwardian grandparents was never going to be easy. I did like them when I was smaller but perhaps they were more forgiving then too. I would soon be driving them crazy with super loud music and friends visiting for drinking parties. I never really reconciled with my granny (as I called her and my mum wished to be called by Hayden) before she passed but I was more sympathetic to my grandad as I got to my late teenage years. I was surprised to find out at one point that they were actually quite liberal and were members of CND. They weren’t quite so impressed when I showed them the lyrics to Crass’s What The Fuck but they did seem to get the sentiment.
This fucking’ little bastard Was a fuckin’ little burk He didn’t know what to do When he went to work
1994ever 