Thursday, February 21, 2008

Year in the life meme

If you want to play, leave the year of your birth as a comment and I'll give you a year to discuss. hess42 gave me 1996.

Actually hess42 gave me 1996 way back on February 7th, and I was pretty busy at that point, 2 weeks ago, so I figured I'd wait until I had some time to reflect on 1996. Since now and then, I've done some reflecting, and recalled a very few highlights. 1995 and 1997 are definitely more memorable, so I figured it was time to crack out my scrapbook from that era and see just what was going on that I missed. Those of you who know I scrapbook & have seen said scrapbooks know that I own, gosh, 5 huge albums that span the era of 1970-2000. So that comes out to something like 300 pages. Mathematically, each year should have about 10 pages, on average. So, I found 1992 and worked my way forward. Guess what? 1996 has a single page, about my rubberstamping obsession. I mean, I was seriously into rubberstamping, but it did not encompass my entire year. Other things were going on, I am quite sure of that. It's like a huge void in my life. There was another page in 1996, which was about my parents' vacation to Mexico.

By flipping forward to 1997, which I have said is quite memorable, I read a few notes that help to jog my memory about why 1996 is so bare. 1996 was the year I taught reading and study skills classes to college students at the U of I 3 days a week, worked 2 days a week at Pastoral Care and Counseling, worked 3 days a week at Clark Dietz Inc, took classes full time at the U of I, and worked frantically, late into the night to get my research data collected, entered, and analyzed.

The rubberstamping only made center stage in the scrapbook because I actually attended a convention with other rubberstamping fans. The other past time I vaguely recall engaging in was Heroes of Might and Magic, a break for eyes tired of looking at strings of numbers. I think this may have been the summer I was desperate enough for cash I tried to supervise a corn detasseling crew at 3:30 am. I say "tried," because after 3 mornings of it, then proceeding forward with the rest of my obligations, I was so sore and stiff, I couldn't even get my arms to bend far enough to fasten my bra, and I said there was no way I was that desperate for cash. 1996 may also have been the year I cut my toe on a mysterious shard of glass in my white dress shoes & spent an hour with a sterilized sewing needle digging it out of my left big toe, rather than go to the emergency room and wrack up a medical bill I could not afford.

Like I said, I'm making guesses on the last bits, because I don't have it documented, but I'm fairly confident it didn't happen in 1997 or 1995 ... and I know I lived on Church Street for both of those incidents. Oh, and that reminds me ... I think 1996 was the year that Theo, my rat, died. Yeah, there are lots of reasons why 1996 didn't get much press in my scrapbooks!

extra note, 6 hours after original post: I think 1996 was also the year I fell on the ice outside the Pizza Hut, just off Green Street. I remember my brown skirt flew up & I landed hard on my butt, but didn't injure anything. I gave credit to ages-past ice skating class, for falling successfully. I bring this up only because tonight I fell, not once, but TWICE, in the span of less than five minutes. Can you believe it??? I remembered thinking, "Gee, I haven't fallen on ice since ... hey, I think it was 1996, 'cause Dad got me that brown skirt in the summer of 1995." I, this time, give credit to 8 years of tai chi, for not breaking anything. My right knee took it hard, skinned up badly, thanks to the freakin' useless sand embedded in the pointy ice, hidden under a light gathering of snow. Shovel your freakin' sidewalks, people!!!

30 comments:

Dalovely Damanda said...

hey! 1996...wow, long time ago! haha hope you have a great weekend. (oh, am I suppose to give you my birthyear or something? It's 1977)

Latharia said...

Tell us all about 1999, Damanda!

Anonymous said...

1971

Latharia said...

Sara, please tell us about your experience with the year 1990!

kaj said...

1963

Latharia said...

kaj, I'd love to hear all about 1994!

nikki/WhiMSy love said...

This is kinda fun! OK, my year of birth is 1975.

Latharia said...

Nikki, tell us all about 2002!

Susie Q said...

Now I was born in 1956..the dark ages!

I loved reading this today.

Have a sweet weekend!

Hugs,
Sue

Latharia said...

Hi, Sue! Please blog all about your memories of 1975!

crazierinreallife said...

1961

Latharia said...

Please tell us about 1987, sethro!

crazierinreallife said...

I just did. It was an exciting year for me

kaj said...

I did my 1994. Sorry, but it's long!!

Latharia said...

sethro & kaj -- GREAT ENTRIES!!! :D

Chiara said...

okay this is a wonderful recollection 1971

Birdie said...

Great topic Susanne! I loved the no entries in 1996 but for the rubber stamping! And, btw, this ol' lady's year was 1955!

Latharia said...

Chiara, please favor us with your memories from 2000.

Birdie, give us your recollectiions from 1974, if you please.

Artseyanne said...

Do I dare!!!! 1956

Latharia said...

Artseyanne, please tell us all about 1991!

Artseyanne said...

OK, will have to think about that one!!

Latharia said...

SusieQ posted to another thread she wanted to play, so I give her 1996!

Janell said...

hlmgodrgOMG, I haven't laughed like that in forever.....ok, maybe last night but still...loved your recollections! OK, how about 1970 for me?

Lis said...

I'll play! 1970 for me. Great year Janell!

Anonymous said...

1976 for me...great idea!!

Latharia said...

Tell us about 1999, Janell!

Lis, I'd like to know about 2000.

And Wendy ... give us your recollections of 1993!

Dalovely Damanda said...

Ok...I did it finally! Check out my blog to read all about 1999!

Heather said...

cool idea...I was born in 1973

Latharia said...

Heather, you can have 1986!

Lis said...

I did mine, with pictures and all. Warning: It's long.....

AKA: Melissa