Nothing Much Else Happened: April 30, 1978

Today at Sunday School, I had a Sunday School assignment that was sent to me yesterday. I had to read the 4th section and tell my Sunday School teacher (Mrs. Craft) what Mary Baker Eddy thought about it. I was about to tell it, when she started telling about my section. She said everything I was going to say, so I had nothing to say! I also had an oboe lesson and Lon says I'm progressing quickly. Tonight we changed our clocks one hour ahead because daylight savings starts tonight at 11:28 PDT

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 29, 1978

Today, (or rather this morning) we played the Orioles and I pitched 3 innings allowing a big 0 in the run column. You may ask "Is that good or bad?" Well, it's not good. It's Great! I lowered my E.R.A. to 5.41. I also had a check-swing double down the 1st base line in 3 at-bats, which brought my batting average from .225 to .250. Unfortuneately, through all that, we still lost 9-2. After I finished pitching, Mr. Schroeder brought in Freddie Bass, and they got 7 or 8 runs off him. Our next practice is on Tuesday and we play the Cards Wednesday.

***

Yeah, these entries are particularly thrilling as I work through my baseball craze. I beg your patience.

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 28, 1978

Today the Red Sox started a 2-game series with the Orioles. I started for the Red Sox on the mound, and pitched 3 innings allowing only 2 runs. Josh Convy, our old teammate (who was drafted to another team) started for them. We tied them through 3, 3 to 3, and then in the 4th, we got 3 nice runs to make it 6-3. Unfortuneately, we brought in another pitcher and we got zonked. They came up with 5 runs and won 8-6. I had 1 hit in 3 at-bats.

***

Josh Convy was (is?) the son of the late Bert Convy, perennial gameshow host of the 1970s and 1980s.

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 27, 1978

Today, all the boys pretended it was king's day to all the absent girls. Unfortuneately, they had been told by their friends already. I was invited to UCLA's Mardi Gras by Elinor Schwimmer (who may be my next girlfriend). We will try to go with some of my other friends such as Steve Rosenbaum, Robyn (I forget her last name), and a guy named Harold Einstein. I hope I'll be able to go, but I may have a baseball game.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 26, 1978

Today, it was a great honor to be a king. I had 8 girls carry my books, one girl tie my shoelaces, one girl carry my lunch, one girl erase the pencil marks on my desk, one girl throw away my trash, 2 3 girls pull out seats for me, etc.! We had a baseball practice today (batting), and I had to bat first because we went to see "Man of La Mancha." I enjoyed the show very much, and Richard Kiley was excellent! It sort of reminded me of Abbot & Costello. Yes, Sancho and Don Quixote, alias Abbot and Costello! Uh, I forgot to say — Queen's day was a shortened day (1:05), and king's day was a regular day. We had longer!

***

I think my review of "Man of La Mancha" shows why I never had future in theater criticism.

Somehow, King's Day seems a lot more creepy/yucky than Queen's Day when I read it on the page.

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 25, 1978

Today was Queen's Day! Ugh! That means that the boys have to do anything the girls ask them to do. I carried 12 girl's books, and cleaned out 4 girl's desks in drafting. I tied one girl's shoelace. One girl made me walk into class with her (it was not my class), place the books at the desk that she sat at, pull the chair out for her, and then push it back in. I sharpened 2 girl's pencils, got tape for another girl, carried 1 girl's lunch, and the same girl made me go get her English book out of her locker after she had intentionally forgotten it. I was so embarrassed! But, tomorrow is King's day!

***

Yeah, don't think for a single second that I wasn't enjoying every moment of this day. In retrospect, this day was excellent training for my adult life.

(And before you all go there, I'll report the sad news that "sharpened 2 girl's pencils" was not a euphemism.)

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 24, 1978

Today at school, I could hardly keep my mind on what I was doing because I was thinking about my commercial. When we went to the audition, there was a crowd of people waiting for the same commercial but for a different segment. I was the only child. When we finally got in, the director gave us a situation, and we are supposed to Ad-Lib it. The situation was: I was a grandson and Dad was my grandfather. I hadn't seen him in a long time. We were supposed to have friendly greetings and all that grandfather-to-grandson stuff. Dad thinks they didn't like us, but I think they did.

***

Dad was right: we never heard back from anyone. This came about due to the fact that Dad's professional pictures included one of me with him, posing as a grandson as he taught me how to fish off a bridge. The talent folks were looking at Dad for the grandfather part in the commercial, saw me, and asked if they could get me in as well.

Dad was 61 when I was born, so we were mistaken for grandfather and grandson quite often.

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 23, 1978

Today, I had an oboe lesson and Lon Bussell is teaching me how to use vibrato. It's hard, but I'm enjoying it. At 4:00 we had a rehearsal. One of the guys in the play told me about a baseball game that he has, where you use the actual names of the players. He's going to show it to me at tomorrow's rehearsal. We went to Zucky's to eat with the girl who is playing the lead. Her name is Peggy O'Hara. Dad told me that we are going to audition for an Eastern Airlines commercial tomorrow!

***

I loved Zucky's, and had the same thing almost every time I went there: the blueberry blintzes. It was one of those times I could get away with having breakfast for dinner, which I'm sure many of you know should be one of our inalienable rights.

I had a MAD crush on Peggy. Seriously.

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 22, 1978

Today was picture day at Little League and I had to be there at 10:50. I was there a little early, so I met David Buckband, and we played on the playground equipment until it was time for me to go. I got team pictures plus an individual picture that sorta looks like a baseball card. Then came the game. And WOW! What a game! It went 7 innings, with the Red Sox pulling it out 7-5. I pitched 3 innings and allowed 3 2 runs. My earned run average (including all the games I've pitched) is 9.00! Even though I'm batting .143, I haven't missed a pitch I swing at my last 5 times at bat. But they've been right to them!

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 21, 1978

Today let me tell you a little about my drafting class. The teacher is Mr. Cabunoc, and he has funny rules. They're so strange, I can't explain them. Drafting is like mechanical drawing, and is the favorite class of all the elective classes in Paul Revere. The baseball game was cancelled today because this is the 1st day of passover, and the team we were playing, the Phillies, would only have had 5 players because most of their team is Jewish. But the Red Sox had a practice today anyway.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 20, 1978

Today is always a good day because you can think about how bad you did and make your 20-week progress report resolutions. I thought I did bad! My friends highest grade was a C in P.E.! David Buckband had 1 C, 4 D's, and an F in math. People like that make me feel really good. Today I started out by working hard in all my classes so I can have high grades at the 15 week report card. I got a new shop. It's drafting. Hurray!

***

Wow, Bailey: way to show deep empathy for your buddy's weak scholastic abilities. Heart-warming, ain't it?

I predict this newfound appreciation for schoolwork lasts less than a week.

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 19, 1978

Today was what I always label "doomsday". It was progress report day. I started out good in sewing with a B S E. My happiest grade was also my worst grade, in Math. I had a C S S (But that's bringin' it up). In Advanced Band I got an A E E. History was surprising. I thought I was going to get at least an A S E, but it was only a B S S. In English, I had a B S E, and surprisingly enough, I only had a B S E in my Phys. Ed. class. Altogether, I had 1 A, 5 B's, and 1 C. I told all my friends to watch and I'll move my grades all up to A E E by June.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 18, 1978

Today in Math, we got the results of our quiz back, and I was in the top 10! I was tied for 7th with 8 other people. I got an A, and it brought my average up to 1.90, a C average! This will go on my report card, and it will move from a D average to a C average on my progress reports, 5-week and 10-week. In English, I have to do an Indian Legend. In other words, make up an Indian Legend, and present it orally in front of the class. We will be doing them Monday-Thursday of next week, but I'm not sure when I'll do mine.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 17, 1978

Today was the starting of the 11th week of the semester. Hurray! Only 9 more weeks left, and then comes the best time of the year next to Christmas vacation. I'm going to have a big Summer planned out for me this year. I'll be going to — just a minute. Let me do them in order. Aunt Fancy comes for 3 weeks in June. I leave for Sky Valley Ranch in June. In July, I come back from camp and the family goes to New York and the East Coast. Wow! Big Summer, Huh?

***

Oh yeah ... MUCH excitement still to come. *rolling eyes*

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 16, 1978

Today — can you believe it? It's sunny! Friday was sunny, the day we go to the game is raining, and the day after, it's raining again! I went to Sunday School as usual and this guy named David Williams is always messing up the class. He used to be a good student, and now he's always disrupting the class. We had no rehearsal, and this is the only Sunday until the show is over that we won't have a rehearsal. But I did have an oboe lesson. I guess you could say I'm moving right along. I have a D major and C major scale, and moving to dotted quarter notes in my exercise book.

***

I think I was a little confused in that opening between rainy and sunny weather.

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 15, 1978

Today I couldn't go to bowling because I had rehearsal. The show is coming along pretty well, and I'm having a lot of fun with my part. I'm glad I don't have anything bigger because I would probably have to cancel my baseball games until after the show is over. There were no baseball games in little league because it was scout weekend. Unfortunately, there was no Dodger game either. It was rained out! And we were suppose to go and see it! Wouldn't you know it? It was clear and sunny yesterday, and today we got ¾ inch of rain. But, we get to go to any other game since this one was rained out.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 14, 1978

Today, Math was so great! Probably because Mr. Farnsworth gave us the easiest test, and I'm positive I got an "A" on it.* Tonight was the Big band-orchestra festival. Our 3 songs — "Prelude and Fugue", "Rhosymedre" and "Kentucky-1800" — were done superbly, and I wouldn't be surprised if all the judges gave us a superior. (Incidentaly, there are 3.) There were 6 other bands playing, and I wouldn't say we had much competition, but I only listened to one other band — and they stunk. Dodgers beat Braves, 5 to 1.

*If I get an "A", My average will move to a C.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 13, 1978

Today was the day of the test in sewing. It was alot easier ten I thought it would be. I zipped right through it. I think I only made one mistake on my sewing test, because I came just a little off my curved line. On the written test, I got about a "B", I guess. I been neglecting to tell you about the Advanced Band Concert tomorrow night. We are going to be in competition with other school's bands and orchestras. We get graded on a scale from 1 (excellent) to 5 (poor). Unfortuneatley I have to miss my baseball game, or else I get kicked out of band.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 12, 1978

Today, in sewing, I mainly concentrated on studying for my test tomorrow. We have to draw a half-circle and then sew right on the line. In math, we worked on Ratio & Proportion. I had to go to rehearsal for "I Remember Mama" today. I wonder why I have to go, because I only have 3 lines in this scene. But when I got there, I found out there was a lot of moving with my part. First I had to "run in and act breathless", then "almost cry, but not quite", then "run around the room in a circle", and so on ........

***

I am thoroughly embarrassed in 2010 that I didn't know to use the word "blocking" for "moving." Dad, I'm sorry.

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 11, 1978

Today at school, I have had to work much faster on my second project in sewing, since this is only a 10 week course, and this is the 10th week. I'm doing an apron, and right now, I'm very bored. I'm sick of tracing the pattern onto my fabric. I got a letter from my 12 for $1 club. I ordered to new records: The Stranger by Billy Joel, (I'm getting it again because the last one was warped,) and the disco version of "Close Encounters of the 3rd kind." The Dodgers lost 1 to 0 today. Can you believe it?

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 10, 1978

Today is the beginning of the 30th week. It seems that as long as it takes you to read this diary, that's about how fast school has been going. Ah, but now, since it is almost over, it will start going so slow, you will not believe it. By the beginning of next week we will find out what our grades are through 10 weeks of this semester. Tonight was the first night of Monday night Baseball. Of course, the Dodgers played the Astros, and beat them 5-2.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 9, 1978

Today was the first day of the rehearsals for "I Remember Mama." We talked about future rehearsals and wardrobe, and we read through the play once. Like I said before, I only have about 10 lines, but at least it's a part. Mom is playing the lead. In other words, Mama will be played by Mama! Dad, of course, is directing it. This will be our 3rd production in The city. Up in Idyllwild, we did something like 9 in 5 years. Up there, our group was called the Idyllwild Community Theatre. Down here it's called the Village Players. Dodgers won, 7-4.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 8, 1978

★ Highlight Day

Today was opening day for the Little League that I'm in. I have already gotten my uniform, and my number is 8. We went to the annual pancake breakfast. Then, our team hung around the park until 1:00, when we were scheduled to play. We played the Indians, who are supposed to be one of the top contenders for the championships. Everything went fine through 4½ innings of play. Then we brought in a new pitcher and they got 11 runs to beat us 12-2. (I don't like to talk about it, but we brought in me as the last pitcher. Don't tell anyone—okay? P.S. Dodgers won, 6-2.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 7, 1978

Today was opening night for the L.A. Dodgers. Even though I didn't go to the game, I almost consider it a Highlight Day. They opened in Atlanta playing the Braves. It was official U.F.O. night in Atlanta. And they had funky flying ships all over the stadium before the game. The Dodgers hit a lot of I.F.O.'s last night — namely baseballs! They wiped out the Atlanta Braves, 13-4. Dad and I left in the middle of the game to go see a double-feature at the Bay Theatre. We saw a documentary called "Go For It", and a movie called "Skateboard", about a Skateboard team.

***

Get ready for oodles of dull posts about the Dodgers, friends.

I have ZERO recollection of either of these movies. Will have to check out IMDB to re-familiarize myself with them, though I'm not expecting much....

All punctuation and spelling has been retained precisely as I wrote it 32 years ago at age 12.

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 6, 1978

Today, I found out that Ian was coming in on a flight that arrives at 2:00 A.M.! So, I tried to argue, but it was out of the question of me going. Mom and Dad are going and I'll stay behind but they will wake me up as soon as he arrives. Then we will have our normal greetings, our special handshake that we made up, and then I'll fall asleep again.

(P.S. Today was Dull)

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 5, 1978

"Today, the prisoner had another hard-working day in his Jail cell. His math cell-watcher has not finished the results on his 2nd crime lie detector quiz (he is a very slow teacher)." We had our last practice game of the season, and we played the Braves. We beat them 10-5 (I don't know how), and we ended the practice season with a 2-4 record. I couldn't think of much to write today, so I just threw in this last sentence!

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 4, 1978

Today we found out the results of the Algebra Prognosis test. Out of a possible nine, I had a 7, and that's not bad. Unfortunately, it's not good enough. You have to have an 8 or a 9 to get into Algebra. So I'll go into Math Level 5 in 8th grade. Tonight was the 3rd and final night for the auditions. We had a big turnout because last night was academic award night. Victoria showed up again, and comparing her to the others, she wasn't very good.

***

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 3, 1978

Today, I found out that Ian is going to come home on the 9th! He's coming home because he has to talk about his trust fund with Mom. But I'm excited because I hardly ever get to see him or Chris. At school, Mr. Farnsworth was not finished figuring out our Algebra Prognosis Test or our quiz because he's very lazy and only does his work at school. Tonight was the 2nd audition for I remember Mama. One girl, Victoria, I really like because when I was doing my guitar practice, she came over and sang a song with me.

***

I'm not sure I was really in a position to be calling my math teacher "lazy," all things considered.

(Ian, you thought you were out of this diary for the rest of the year, didn't you?)

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 2, 1978

Today was as normal as any Sunday is. Well, at least this morning was. In the afternoon, Mom, Dad and I went to the 1st of 3 auditions for the next play my dad is directing, called "I Remember Mama". This is going to be the first time — out of about 15 shows — that I'm going to get to do some acting. Dad said I could play Arne, a boy of about 10, who injures his knee and has to go have an operation. It's a very small part, and I only have a little over ten lines, but, at least it's acting!

***

It would also be the only time I got to act under my father's direction.

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Nothing Much Else Happened: April 1, 1978

Today was a big day, but not quite big enough to be a Highlight Day. This morning, I had to be at the bowling alley at 8:30, because we had to bowl in the city tournament. When I bowled, I bowled, a 230, a 190 and a 211! April Fools! I suppose you didn't believe me , did you? I bowled a 100, 106 and a 107. After bowling, I came home and pitched a game! I pitched 3 innings, struck out two and allowed only 3 earned runs. But, we still lost 10-2. We play the Braves on Wednesday, and that will be our last practice game.

***

An April Fool's prank in my diary. This, uh, really makes me wonder who I imagined my audience was going to be someday in the future. Especially because one would have to assume that the reader was reading it on April 1st in the future. (Which, I suppose, you just did.)

I'm also not sure on what planet a 9.00 ERA was a good outing in a baseball game. Clearly, I was already preparing to be a Chicago Cubs fan back then.

All punctuation and spelling has been retained precisely as I wrote it 32 years ago at age 12.

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