Blogging, Childhood, Favorite Things, Humor, Life, Nonsense, Things I Want to Remember

Things I Want To Remember | Part Fifteen

Kari

Thank you so much for your kind words and comments about Mike and Titty.

By the end of the week, Titty should be in our garage. Hopefully.

Mike had surgery on Friday to repair some torn ligaments, and everything went well. He’s getting used to his new routine. I won’t lie and say it’s easy on either of us because I’m picking up the slack for two people, and my husband does a lot for our family. Let’s just say that I’m appreciating him on a whole new level. 💕

If you’re here for the first time, welcome! You’ll be able to find the other parts of this series here.

1- I think that when a couple marries, they should choose a new surname together.

2- Does anyone remember The Official Preppy Handbook?

Source

3- I get really sad when food is over.

4- In the 1970s and 1980s, the girls in my school system had scoliosis screenings on a regular basis. Did this happen in your school, too?

5- 68 degrees. What is the official comfortable temperature inside your home?

6- Did you have a Dressy Bessy doll as a child?

Source

There is also an indie rock band named Dressy Bessy.

7- Some bands just have a sound. Cocteau Twins is one of my favorite bands that have a sound.

8- Speaking of bands, why do so many band photos on albums or posters show one person looking away or looking down?

Case in point:

Cocteau Twins via Wikipedia
Source

Damn. Robert Smith looks like John Cusack there.

Oingo Boingo source

I get it, you’re trying to appear moody and unprepared for the photo.

9- I recently learned that humans are not designed to multitask, and it has changed the way I live my life. I don’t put as much pressure on myself to complete tasks as I used to. My standards are much lower than they were before.

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56 thoughts on “Things I Want To Remember | Part Fifteen”

  3. We keep our house at 68 in the winter and 73 in the summer; though I do find I sleep better when it’s colder but setting the temp at 68 in the summer would make the air conditioning bill so much higher. I do remember scoliosis screenings but I don’t remember them being only for girls.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I only keep it that cold at night; it’s in the mid-seventies during the day. I should have been more specific.

      Our school only checked for scoliosis in females. When I looked into it, I discovered that girls are more likely than boys to develop scoliosis because they grow at a much faster rate during their teenage years.

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  4. I forgot about the “The Official Handbook of blank” series of books. They were great. And yes, we had scoliosis screenings. I had to go for a follow-up and lived in terror/anticipation until I saw a physiotherapist and learned one leg was a bit shorter. No brace.

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  5. hi! i don’t remember the preppy handbook or dressy bessy at all (which is weird, because i feel like i probably should). i do remember scoliosis screenings and also lining up for vaccines at school (we were like cattle back then– LOL). i keep my house at 67*F in winter, and 74*F in summer (mainly to keep the heating & cooling bills down). Happy healing to your husband!

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    1. It WAS just like cattle! I remember standing in line with other girls and bending over to have our spines checked out. Blech.

      67 degrees in the winter is CHEF’S KISS!

      Thank you so much for your well-wishes. 😘❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I remember all the things you remember! I always wanted (but never had) a Dressy Bessy. Didn’t care so much about Dapper Dan. In my 7th grade scoliosis screening, I was told that I had mild scoliosis. I was terrified that I’d have to wear a brace, like Deenie in the book by Judy Blume. I did not, and as far as I can tell a generation of us were scarred for no apparent reason.

    I have tried (unsuccessfully) for years to convince my children that multi-tasking is counter-productive. I felt very vindicated–thank you! I am learning to live at a slower pace, and it is so much better.

    I’m so glad Mike and Titty are both on the mend. Sending you wishes for continued strength and patience. It’s hard when our routines get mangled.

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    1. Instead, we should have been given autism screenings. We were denied mental health care and were instead terrified of curvy spines. Grrr.

      I’m glad I made you feel better! Living slowly is the way to go.

      Oh, Rita, I’m still getting used to our new routine. This was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you. 😘

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      1. Routine mangling is especially hard when you’re an adult who might have benefitted from an autism screening when you were a kid! :-) But they knew so little about autism when we were kids. My brother, who is far over on the spectrum, was not accurately diagnosed until his early 20’s. For whatever that might be worth.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. I DO REMEMBER THE PREPPY HANDBOOK!
    I don’t remember any scoliosis screenings but I did obsessively read Deenie and I kind of wished I had scoliosis. Preteen Nicole was obviously unhinged, because what. But I loved that book so much.
    I don’t know if I get sad, per se, when food is over but I do love eating. I love big strong flavours and I get really excited when it’s almost dinner time. Like a dog does.
    We keep our house cool in the winter – like 19 or 20 degrees, which is close to that in F. In the summer though we let it be warmer so the AC doesn’t have to work so hard – like 23 or 24. Mind you we may have to change that since HOT FLASHES.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I wished I had scoliosis and braces (on my teeth). Guess what? My oldest daughter has scoliosis and had braces on her teeth. My youngest daughter had braces on her teeth TWICE. Am I good at manifesting or what? I also LOVED Deenie. Judy Blume is a treasure.

      I do love dinner and get very excited when it’s meal time.

      I prefer a cooler environment. I lower the temperature at night for comfy sleeping. But I think I prefer it for migraines and anxiety. I discovered that cool = comfort for both of those things.

      Like

  8. I’m glad Mike is on the road to recovery. That is good news. I do remember the Preppy Handbook, but I don’t think I read it. I was all about the prep in college. My purse, belt, and shoes always matched. I had two Izod polos that I got on sale. One was kelly green and the other was an ugly light brown. I wore that green one with my navy chinos.

    YES! I do remember the scoliosis screenings. I knew a girl from my church who wore one of those huge braces. It looked brutal and I felt bad for her. Later on, I met her again because she was in my husband’s law school class. And now I’m friends with her on fb.

    Dressy Bessy must have been after my time. Oingo Boingo looks just how I pictured them! Do you by any chance remember the duo, Sparks? They were an odd looking pair.

    Hope your week is a good one and thanks for these posts that brighten my day. XO

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much. We have a doctor’s appointment today to have his surgical dressing removed, and we hope to have a better idea what to expect in terms of healing.

      My oldest daughter has scoliosis. She did not receive a diagnosis until she was a freshman in high school. Her back brace was bulky, but it was plastic and not like the ones they had back in the 1980s. She is still traumatized by having had to wear that at night. We were talking about it a few months ago, and she expressed regret that she hadn’t had the surgery. It’s such a small window of opportunity, and her pediatrician and the orthopedic doctor we had at the time left us feeling very unprepared.

      I’ve never heard of Sparks! I’m writing this in public, but I’ll listen to them later.

      I hope your week is going well and that you are not feeling overwhelmed by everything going on in your world. I’m sending you a hug.😘❤️

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      1. Cool Places was their most played song that you might know from around 1982 or 83. Jane Weidlin of the Go Go’s sang with them on that track. Funny story: my husband was a fan of Sparks before we met. When I told him I saw them in concert(they opened for Rick Springfield at my first concert ever) he could not believe it! He had a few of their albums that my son now has and loves. They are an very unusual duo.

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      2. Umm, I know their song Angst in My Pants!! It was in the movie Valley Girl!!! I love that you saw them in concert. I’ve been listening to them all morning, so you’ve made my day. ❤️

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  9. Kari, I am SO happy to hear about Titty AND Mike! Isn’t it something how a challenge often opens our eyes and causes us to get a different perspective about our lives? I remember being in the hospital for 2 weeks, not able to do anything except remain still and heal. Boy, did I come home with a whole dofferent perspective about my life!

    Yup, I do remember the Preppy Handbook, although I don’t think I ever read it.

    When I went to school, we didn’t have a scholiosis screening, but did have TB tests.

    Comfortable temp in my house would be no higher than 55 degrees. Which is why I live ALONE. LOL!

    You’re right about album covers. The one gripe I have about album covers is the they all seem so contrived. None of them seem to capture an “organic” image of the recording artists.

    I don’t multitask well myself. I like doing things in an order; completely task by task. However, I work with people who think they know how to multitask, yet leave complete messes all over the place. Ha!

    Fun and Fabulous post, my friend! Always enjoyed! X

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I admire your ability to turn negatives into positives. I’m learning a lot from you.

      TB screenings! I’m sure my parents remember that! I remember getting vaccinations at school as well.

      Ron, I’ve been known to drop it to 66, and as I get older, I see myself dropping even lower. 🤣

      Perhaps the artists don’t want us to look them in the eyes. The eyes are the portals to the soul. That’s all I have to say.

      My friend, you hit the nail on the head when it comes to multitaskers. 😘❤️

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  10. Oh yes, I remember The Preppy Handbook! At the time, I not only worked at Marshall Fields, but was also in a predominately upper class, Jewish high school where a lot of the students there looked like they came straight from that book. lol

    And I do remember Dressy Bessy, though I don’t think I had one. I was more into Barbies.

    In the summer, our AC is set at 78 – 77 at night. Winter – 68 during the day, 63 at night.

    Love to you and healing to Mike!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. I used to be so proud of my ability to multi-task. Now, not so much, as I’m told all I was doing was many things not as well as I could.

    I love that this time is helping you to appreciate your husband more fully <3 It's good to hear that Titty will soon be home, and hopefully your husband will be returning to his fully healthy self in the not too distant future.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Yay! I’m so glad both Titty & Mike are on the mend. Still sending good vibes & picturing them cocooned in a healing & protective layer of bubble wrap tho…. just in case! 😊 (And just like your mom – I love bubble wrap too!)

    Holy cow! Is that the name of that doll? I remember playing with her somewhere – a friend’s? School? Thank you for the memory! Was she used to teach lil kids how to tie laces?

    The last name thing!!!! Omg Kari! I suggested this to my husband when we got married. Ha! I’ve never met anyone who had the same thought. I knew I liked you! I still daydream about what last name I should choose. Haven’t found one yet so maybe that’s a sign?

    I don’t remember the Preppy Handbook but I do remember Preppies. They were a mixed bag in my neighborhood. I also remember being very lil & asking why some shirts had alligators (the Izod logo) & other shirts had pointy leaves on them instead of alligators. No one would explain! 🤔 😊

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    1. I’ll be using the bubble wrap metaphor for so many other things in the future! I love how you and my mom both enjoy popping it!

      I loved my Dressy Bessy doll! I tried to find one online, but they are only sold on eBay. They tried to recreate a newer version, but it was not as cute as the original.

      I love how we both think this way! Mike and I may need to use this time to come up with a new surname. It could be a fun convalescent project.

      I wore penny loafers in the 80s. I think that was as preppy as I got. 🤣

      Like

  14. I broke my leg over a decade ago and we still talk about how useless I was for about six months. I literally couldn’t so much as go to the bathroom by myself for a couple of months. And then when I started to feel a tiny bit better, I tried to help by vacuuming (which my husband…did not think was as much of a priority as I did) and managed to knock the cat food all over the place and ensure that I could not “help” for another few weeks. LOL. I know this is preaching to the choir, but be patient with your patient. :)

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    1. Oh my goodness, MONTHS? He won’t be able to drive for six weeks, which makes him (and me) very sad. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed right now because our routines aren’t getting accomplished. I am grateful for my soul homework because it has taught me to live more in the moment.

      And thank you for this advice, because I think I get caught up in the day-to-day and forget that there are lovely moments in it all. Extra time together that we would not have had if it hadn’t been for the unexpected fall.

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  15. I DO remember those scoliosis screenings. Do they not do that anymore? I’d completely forgotten. What makes you remember this stuff?

    I never knew there was a preppy handbook, but I believe every kid at my grade school subscribed. We could not afford Izods and the rich kids at my school sneered at those of us who weren’t preppy. I still cringe when I think back to my grade school days. I stuck out like a sore thumb in my Peter Pan collar uniform blouses. Eek.

    We DID have a Dressy Bessy. She was fairly beat up in her final days. I guess we’d exhausted her by dressing and undressing her. I’d totally forgotten about her too.

    My phone took a photo accidentally once. It was a weird angle of Tank walking in the study, but the angle was looking up and the light was coming around his head like a halo. It was also blurry and he wasn’t looking at the camera. I was instantly like YO, TANK. IF YOU EVER START UP A BAND – HERE’S YOUR ALBUM COVER.

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  16. I do remember having Scholiosis tests in grade school. All the girls in a line, bending over. And then we got weighed and measured, and it was announced for all to hear. Ugh!
    I am also sad when food is over!

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    1. I’d forgotten about flipping up the collars until this week when someone else mentioned it to me. What a trip down memory lane. We used to dress up as “characters” a lot more back then. Maybe it’s because we didn’t have access to the internet and the rest of the world as we do now?

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      1. I think you’re right. We were limited by what the magazines told us was fashionable and what the brick & mortar stores sold. Now, the world of fashion is at our fingertips. Be as unique as you want.

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  19. Lord. I’d forgotten about Dressy Bessy! She’s the reason we can button or tie our clothes.
    I remember seeing the Preppy Handbook and I wanted to be preppy, but could only afford ONE Izod Polo, so It wasn’t for me. A year or two later, I found PUNKISH style and that was right up my poor alley. :)
    Girl, I’ve been working on my family tree lineage and if they didn’t have the same surnames, I’d be even more over my head that I am now.
    We keep our a/c at 72* at night, but I’d love to go to 68*. Our power just went up about 35% and it’s astonishing how much our monthly bill is. If only I knew a billionaire. 😜

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    2. That’s the first thing that came to mind when I saw Bessy. Thank you for teaching me how to tie my clothes. 🤣

      I love the fact that you were punk. For a similar reason, I was more of a heavy metal girl.

      When people need money, I’m going to start sending them your way. There’s no need to thank me ahead of time.

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  20. Yes to all of it from Bessy to the screenings! Have been thinking of you and this reminded me to tell you that I’m reading your Gilmore Girl’s book with the tagline “Stories I don’t want to forget to remember”

    Happy healing to the hubby!

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