A Yuletide (Well, Kinda) Memory

During my walk this lunchtime (which, by the way, has become a futile effort in terms of exercise due to sporadic—at best—neighborhood sidewalk snow and ice removal), my playlist of Christmas favorites offered up the Phil Spector/Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans version of “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” and a memory surfaced.

Back in old Waynesboro, Virginia, my hometown, there was precious little for high school kids to do of a weekend evening. There was especially precious little for kids who hadn’t yet fallen prey to the usual high-school pastimes of dating and drinking and such. Oh, there was the Skyline Drive-In (which was also, I’m sure, a great place for those who dated and drank). We used to pile a bunch of us into a car and go there to watch cheap scare movies and provide running commentary.

We used to collect stuff from our basements and attics and dress up the local statue of David (a be-fig-leafed replica of Michelangelo’s masterpiece) in the finery we scavenged.

We went to the local dine ‘n’ dance dive, the late and maybe lamented by someone High Hatter, where we dared each other to walk through to the ladies’ room (or the men’s room, depending) to buy two-for-a-quarter prophylactics from the machine therein (for prevention of disease ONLY). We then filled the condoms with water and held water balloon fights—usually, though, not in the High Hatter parking lot. Even we knew that was a sure way to get our asses kicked by humorless bikers.

After our evening of hijinks, we often headed to the local Pizza Hut (which is now home to Scotto’s Italian Restaurant, and has been for years) where we shared a pie or two and, invariably, played the jukebox. And this is where the memory starts.

At some point, one of our number—Cindy F., to be exact—discovered that among the usual top-40 offerings on the Pizza Hut jukebox was a version of “The Bells of St. Mary’s” sung by Bing Crosby. And from then on, whenever we went to the Pizza Hut with Cindy in tow, we knew that we’d be regaled with “The Bells of St. Mary’s” somewhere in the mix. Sometimes twice in the mix. And then…

And then came that fateful evening when Cindy loaded up the jukebox with quarters. And played “The Bells of St. Mary’s” over and over and over and over…

Well, it was not hard to tell which table had perpetrated this outrage. Every time the song would start again, howls of laughter would rise from our corner booth. Our crime discovered, our merry band was ejected from the Pizza Hut. A classmate who worked there told us later that the management finally had to unplug the jukebox to stop the onslaught of Der Bingle. It was one of Cindy’s finest hours.

Not really a Christmas memory—I don’t think it happened at Christmas—but brought back to mind by my Christmas playlist.

Ah hear! They are calling the young loves, the true loves, that come from the sea…

Happy Belated April Fool's Day!

Okay... I was going to post this yesterday, but instead I spent the evening vegging in front of the TV, bundled in a comforter, sipping peppermint tea, and wiping my red, raw nose. Yes. Another cold. Damn.

At any rate, yesterday was the biggest holiday of the year for the Young Fools on the Go (and the Old Coots on the Go, and the Cosmic Realities--who really are the only YFOTGs still around).

Oh, what inscrutable antics we got up to!


This is GW (aka the Grim Reaper), me, and Barb (aka rental bridesmaids) at the Sadie Hawkins Dance our Senior year of high school. Do NOT ask me why the Grim Reaper was hanging around the Rent-a-Bridesmaid table... GW? I'm sure you can enlighten us!


Here are Bruce, Cindy, and GW enjoying an evening of ice skating up on the mountain--could any of us actually skate all the way around the rink without holding on to the rail or falling? Such athletes!

And I guess this is as good a time as any to post the much-touted and previously promised photo of our esteemed First YFOTG President, Beth gazing reverentially at (or rather, over) the "Presidential Onyx":



Oh yeah, we had some good times. And we even got our photo in the high school yearbook when we were seniors!


Who wouldn't want to hang out with such a fine, upstanding crowd o' nerds!! (And I mean that with all fondness and pride!)

Oh, and lest I forget--Today is Barb and her husband Charlie's wedding anniversary. I have lost count of the years, but they've been hitched a while! Best wishes, y'all!

A Meme... Blame This on G.W.

I pulled this months ago from G.W. Ferguson's blog, Secret Mountain Laboratory, and I have been meaning to post it for a while now. So here it is:

"Everybody's doing it!" Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be.

1. Who was your best friend?

Barbara Spilman, who is now Barbara Lawson. We became best friends in Junior High School, and we are still best friends.

2. What sports did you play?

None. Although back in 10th grade when I was still taking Phys Ed, I discovered that I had a knack for softball. I could actually hit the damned thing—and make it go far, too! That never translated into any varsity efforts, though.

3. What kind of car did you drive?


I would sometimes persuade my dad to hand over the keys to our 1969 Buick LeSabre, a white whale of a car that actually had a built-up gas pedal. The only way I (and my dad… both shorties) could drive the behemoth.

4. Friday nights where did ya go?

Mostly to the drive-in movies to see double feature cheap scare and schlock movies. We’d cram several cars full of like-minded individuals and caravan to the Skyline Drive-In or the more down-rent 340 Drive-In and mill about around the cars and make fun of the movies. Blackula, The Corpse-Grinders, and The Undertaker and His Pals were among the favorites I remember. Sometimes we would collect crap from our basements (and/or steal flags off the local golf course) and use the detritus to dress up a half-sized, fig-leaf embellished statue of David that stood at the entrance to a local apartment complex. One of our “dress David” efforts even made it into the local newspaper!

5. Were you a party animal?

No. I was pretty innocent, all told.

6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?

I was in Concert Choir, the elite touring choir. You had to audition for it. Membership could be politically motivated, as the principal’s daughter was tapped for the choir as a rising sophomore (the youngest you could be), and she couldn’t sing worth shit. Most of us had at least a bit of talent, though. I was a second soprano—not the first chair either. I was a competent chorister, but not a soloist, by any means—something that carried over into my years playing and singing in bands. The females wore evening dresses and the males wore tuxes, and we gave concerts around the state. A year or so after I graduated, Concert Choir started performing in New York City once a year—but I think that has stopped after there was a scandal with the conductor and some students.

7. Were you a nerd?

Well, kinda. I was a wannabe hippie chick with a quirky streak. My friends and I didn’t really fit any stereotypes, except that we were all kind of oddballs. We started a group called “Young Fools on the Go,” and we amused ourselves accordingly. We knew we’d never be “popular,” but that didn’t mean we couldn’t have fun or belong to a social network. Here is a picture of some of the Young Fools:


Back row, L-R: Barb and her then-beau Rob; Middle row, LR: yours truly, Lee (aka, G.W.), Chibby (aka, Susan), Ginanne, and Jeanne; Front row: Laura. As you can see, we were a compromised but fun-loving bunch!

8. Did you get suspended/expelled?

Oh no. Never. I was a good girl.

9. Can you sing the fight song?

I don’t think we had one, although we did have a school song to which I still recall the words:

In the hills of old Virginia,
The lovely Shenandoah,
There’s a school that looms supremely.
Each year I love it more.
The sky is bright with the sunshine;
The spirit of love is there.
There’s truth and faith and courage
And friends who do and dare.

Dear Waynesboro High School,
As time goes on,
We’ll e’er be faithful
Daughters and sons.
We’ll float your colors
Only where there’s right.
We’ll keep your standard
Spotless and bright.

There was a cheer that was sung at football games and such, but I don’t think it qualifies as a “fight song”:

La-di-dah
Little Giants are the best!
La-di-dah
Are the best of all the rest!
La-di-dah
Little Giants are the best!
La-di-dah, la-di-dah, la-di-dah.

The name of our team was The Little Giants, as you can probably tell.

10. Who were your favorite teachers?

Michael Hamp was my English Lit teacher, and he was great. I also loved Mr. Zimmerman (or Mr. Z, as we called him), who was the choir director. He had directed my church choir when I was in elementary school, and he had been the director of all the choirs and choruses in which I’d sung since 7th grade.

11. Where did you sit during lunch?

We had a “Senior Lounge” beneath the stage in the auditorium, and I used to sneak over to Mick or Mack (the grocery store across the street—we were not supposed to leave school grounds, but hey) and buy something to eat and some Dr. Pepper to drink and then hang out in the “lounge.”

12.What was your school's full name?

Waynesboro High School.

13. School mascot?

I don’t think we had one. But then, there's this guy:



14. Did you go to Prom?

No, but I did go to Finals Dance, which was an uber-prom for seniors and their dates only. Women had to wear white gowns. Since nobody asked me, I asked a fellow YFOTG member who was about three years younger than me. It was kind of lame, really. I look at the picture now and wonder what I was thinking, using the ribbons I cut off the end of the dress (to hem it—me being a shorty and all) as little bows in my hair. Yikes.

15. If you could go back and do it over, would you?

No.

16. What do you remember most about graduation?

It was really hot, and I was sweltering in the gown.

17. What was your fave class?

Concert Choir. English Lit a close second.

18. Where were you on senior skip day?

I actually don’t recall a senior skip day. Uh oh.

19. Did you have a job your senior year?

No. I ended up working at Burger King (and later doing inventory at General Electric) the summer after I graduated, though.

20. Where did you go most often for lunch?

See above… Mick or Mack.

21. Have you gained weight since then?

Sadly, yes. I’ve been on a yo-yo since then. At my 10th reunion, I weighed 20 pounds less than I weighed when I graduated, and no one recognized me. That was gratifying. But at the latest reunion… feh. Dumpy and middle aged. I’m trying to work on the dumpy part right now. Can't really do much about the middle aged thing, though!

22. What did you do after graduation?

Went to the all-night party, first at the YMCA and then at the Wayne Theater, for a double-bill of cheesy scare movies.

23. When did you graduate?

June, 1973.

24. Who was your Senior prom date?

Bruce Taylor. Well, he was my Finals Dance date.

25. Are you going to your 10 year reunion?

I went… see #21 above. I also attended the 20th, the 25th, and the 33rd (don’t ask).

26. What was your favorite thing to eat at lunch?

I liked the rotisserie or the fried chicken at Mick or Mack. In the school cafeteria, I liked the open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches. They were always kind of bubbly and almost burned. Yummy!

27. Who was your boy/girlfriend?

I didn’t have one, although I had some severe crushes on Robbie Robertson and Chris Sandquist. They were friendly to me, but popular, so there was no way they were going to see me as date-worthy. Sigh.

28. What was your favorite memory your senior year?

Making our own 8 mm scare movies at the abandoned Claudius Crozet railroad tunnel through Afton Mountain.


Great fun.

And inner tubing down the Maury River through Goshen Pass.

29. Did you like how you looked in your senior picture?

No. Ick.

30. How have you changed since high school?

I’m a lot more confident, although I look back on the whole YFOTG thing, and I’m impressed at how we all embraced our status as oddballs rather than trying to suppress it and fit in with mundane popular kids who wouldn’t have given us the time of day for our efforts. I’m glad I learned early to trust and follow my instincts and not follow the pack. It’s served me well.