Alright, alright, alright... It was summer 1982 at the local clam festival. My best friend and I weaved through the crowds that reeked of coconut sunscreen, ganja, and fried dough. Asia's "Heat of the Moment" blasted from a boom box in the distance. Determined with a laser-focus only an 11-year-old could possess, we zeroed in …
Tag: 1980s
The Power of Free Candy
Kids today have it so easy. My son gets a Luigi costume at Target, slaps on a fake mustache, then has us drive him around a few minutes so he can come home with enough candy to put Willy Wonka in a ten year coma. Halloween is just a blip between summer and Christmas to …
Little Post of Horrors
Happy Halloween, kiddos! It is I, Count Darlacula! [thunder claps] I'm here to share with you an old post I wrote ages ago about things from the past that truly scared the crap out of me. Namely, rotary phones and spaghettiOs. What could be more horrifying? The above photo? You got me there. In my defense, it was taken before …
How I Became the World’s Greatest Gamer
Hold onto your Pac-Man hats, kids. I have a confession to make. I am a gamer. And a damned good one. It all started back in 1979 when I was nine years old. My dad walked into our living room and yelled, "Check this out, guys!" With a flourish he clicked on our wood-paneled TV. Then the heavens …
Firsts and Lasts with Angie from Childhood Relived
One fine day a couple years ago, I stumbled upon a humor blog that was hipper than Mrs. Brady's polyester pant suit, cooler than Shrinky Dinks, and funnier than the fact there was a character on the sitcom Growing Pains named Boner. Angie, the self-described 'bratass' from the blog, Childhood Relived, put a humorous spin on 1970s and '80s pop culture using her …
Continue reading Firsts and Lasts with Angie from Childhood Relived
So Here’s the Thing About Driving…
Driver's Ed taught me many things: maintain at least two car lengths behind the car in front of you at all times always yield when making a left turn never casually toss your strawberry Hubba Bubba gum out the window while driving 70 mph But my dad's sage advice proved to be the most valuable. "Darla," he …
Dear Diary, I Hate You
Renée A. Schuls-Jacobson--mother, teacher, accomplished blogger and writer--is running an intriguing series, So Wrong. She wanted us to dig deep and cough up some of our most embarrassing, humiliating moments. Things that actually taught us a lesson. Not surprisingly, my well of embarrassing moments was deep, but rarely did I ever learn a lesson. Please. Except this one time in the early …
Behold, the Power of Free Candy
Kids today have it so easy. My son gets a complete Luigi costume at Target, slaps on a fake mustache, has us drive him around a few minutes, then comes home with enough candy to put Willy Wonka in a ten year coma. Halloween is just a blip between summer and Christmas to my kids. …
The Spooky Tales of My Youth
It's Halloween again! Gather 'round the fire, kids! Time for some deliciously dark and scary stories! (cue creepy organ music) Once upon a dreary time, I was your age and living through the ghastly 1970s and 80s. (lightning flashes) Times were hard during this digital-free era; my daily life was a constant battle between the forces of good and evil. …
She's A Maineiac 