8th Grade.....Memory Monday Re-commences

8th Grade

Fall 1985

Welcome to beginning of my "Bob" era.  It began in 1985 and lasted until 1997.  Don't judge. 

For whatever reason I thought this sweater was soooo AWESOME! and I HAD to have it for pictures.  And apparently I was feeling my school spirit or extreme Patriotism (which is appropot as our mascot was a Patriot) with my red, white and blue ensemble (made worse by the fact that I'm pretty sure I wore white pants with the getup).  Anyway, in my genius 12 year old mind, I would never get discovered having STOLEN my 18 year old sisters clothes for the photo.  D'OH!  Guess I forgot about that part where the pictures got printed, and then people LOOKED at them.  BUSTED!  Probably one my LEAST favorite school pictures due to the giant zits on my chin which I couldn't hide with enough make up.  BOO!

Oh 8th grade, how you've elluded me in my posting.  I'm here today, attempting this post simply because I swore I would continue my Memory Mondays, and there are plenty more embarrassing pics to show.  AND....Joyce has been anxiously and patiently awaiting this installment for 3 weeks now.  So Joyce, this ones for you kid.

Apparently the angst of this time in my life was such that I've mostly blocked it from my steel trap memory.  I resorted to pulling out my diary from this year.  People, if ever you want to just be depressed, and or just laugh your gutts out....please read a page or 12 from this work of art known as my inner most thoughts.  Man I HATE jr. high kids and all their ridiculous angst and drama.  Seriously, EVERYTHING is so over the top and I evidently was no exception.  This year, or this blog entry could easily be titled, "I'm fat and I'm ugly and noone likes me", because that is pretty much what EVERY page says.  Seriously!

For the record, I was 5'8 1/2" tall and weighed 184 lbs. at the beginning of the year.  Yes, it's permenantly engrained.  I also stayed that height until AFTER highschool, when at some point I mysteriously grew to 5' 10".  Don't know when, but I did.

So, by the end of the year I must have gained a bunch, because a June entry says that since March of 8th grade I had lost 30 lbs. and was now weighing 192 lbs.  Seriously...HEFFER!

THESE are my before pics.  And really...I don't see why I thought I was THAT hideous and fat.  Other than I was a hormonal 13 year old that was a good 5 inches taller than all her peers.  Just sayin.

Pretty cowish no?  I'd like to write a letter to 13 year old me:

Dear hyper sensitive, dramatical and "FAT" me,

Please stay this "fat" forever.  'Cause trust me, it's gonna get  A LOT worse before it gets any better.  Food sucks, it is evil.  Run away.  Speaking of running....start doing that on the regular, you'll be so much happier when you're 37 doing a triathlon and not walking it.  Just sayin.

Love your older and more happily fat self

I just got off the phone with Andrea (one of my life longers that I still get to visit with) and we were crying laughing at the things I wrote about her.  She's been VERY nervous for this entry into my blog.  See, Andrea may or may not have taken a slight turn on her pretty little good girl road that year.  Well mostly, as my journal evidenced, she just got too darn snotty for her own good.  She was kinda "it" with the boys.  All blond and blue eyed and beautiful.  So, after breaking up with Tim Brown (which apparently ticked me off, but then I decided he ws a big jerk anyway) she took up with Joe Tobin.  He was sooooooooooooooo "gorgeous" and I just "wished" that I could get a guy like him.  My entries on this are hysterical.  In fact, when they first started "going out" he evidently never even talked to her, 'cause he didn't really know her.  But he would talk to me.  OF COURSE he talked to me, ALL the boys talked to me, they just didn't want to BE with me.  Anyway, I pined for him something fierce.  You'll all be relieved to know that he is one scarey looking dude now.  No really, found him on facebook, I was frightened.  She followed Joe up with Noah Aranson; he is Andrea in boy form.  Perfectly blond, feathered hair, blue eyes, pretty features.  He was totally hot stuff around Powell Jr. High.  I wrote that I didn't think she really liked him, but that she was going out with him to get MORE popular.  I guess I was right, 'cause she doesn't remember EVER going out with him at all.  So there, I'm vindicated.  She was a man user, all for power and station at the junior high level.  HA!

Ok, so apparently this year was spent worrying over WHO was my friend and who wasn't, and who was nice and who wasn't.  I even wrote a list of said friends...which at the time was only 13 people long and I was disgusted with myself for only having that many friends.  (perspective has taught me a thing or two on that).

And now, for your reading pleasure, 2 small snippets from "the journal."

THE FRIEND LIST

There are names on there that I honestly have NO idea who they are.  Others I'd love to find again.  So thank goodness for those "brave" few that were willing to be friends with the "pathetic fat girl."  Honestly...I'm so over me in this journal.  Who would want to be with Debbie Downer is the better question.  But also, the funny thing  is, if you read probably just about any girl this ages diary, it'd say close to the same thing.  ALL girls feel like they're fat and ugly and have no friends.  Even Karen, who for the record was always totally skinny....felt fat and voiced it.  Body image sucks!

On to the next gem of an entry.  This was written at the end of one of my posts.  Holy randomness....I'd be talking along about one thing and then...SQUIRELL.   

Yeah, so I guess I was feeling a little venomous when I wrote THIS entry.  'Cause that says "Karen is too stupid."  Uh, sorry Karen.  Don't know what was up with that one.  I'm feeling a little sheepish here.  I Love you!! I PROMISE! But Andrea readily admits that she really WAS snotty. So there is that.

Also found in the journal archives........

Movies I saw and wrote about:

Girl Just Want to Have Fun.....which I deemed awesome and so great!

Better Off Dead....which I gave a mere MEH too.  What an idiot I was to not recognize the geniusness of this movie at the time.

What else do I remember....

I bought this totally AWESOME fire engine red skirt that went nearly to my feet (which for that time was crazy long) and a BRIGHT yellow sweater, super long and accessorized it with GIANT red beads (like wilma flinstone big) and a pair of red flats.  I bought that outfit special for the big school dance.  Sadly, my sweet duds only attracted one boy to dance with me, his name was Kip (nuff said) and he was like 2 feet shorter than me.  Needless to say....awkward.  Really, Kip and my bubbies had a nice chat (and my ta tas were pretty buxom at that age).  Man how I hated dances.  I'm only sad that I can't find the pic of this outfit to share with you, 'cause you KNOW it was fabulous!

This is also the year that long mens shirts worn buttoned up to the collar and festooned with broaches came roaring in to fashion.  Along with skinny jeans that you tucked into your socks, or double layered socks.  Though I was never on top of the fashion pyramid, I totally did my part with this style.  I had a rockin yellow shirt with little dancing people all over it that I got a "gorgeous" black enamel and diamond broach to wear with it.  I thought I was so RAD in that outfit.

I also got glasses in 8th grade.  They were clear plastic, and HUGE!  I loved them so much.  Not only because I could see movies at the theatre with a whole new clarity, but because I just thought they were great!

I was the babysitting diva of the 4th ward.  Pretty much had a gig at least 2 nights a week, and people, I was rolling in the cash flow.  Which clearly afforded me my trips to the mall to buy my snazzy clothing.

There was a serious dilemma dialogue going on in my diary between going to my BEST FRIENDS birthday party and my kind of friends birthday party.  I wanted to go to the "sort of" friends party more than Karens.  Funny thing....the sort of friend was Jen Halliday, who I totally love and adore today.  Again, sorry Karen, apparently I was such a fairweather friend. 

To wrap it up, to put it succinctly.....8th grade blew goats! (well at least my 8th grade, journal writing self thought so)   Here's hoping 9th grade brings about some redemption!

Big hair and frenemies,

Allyson