Following are excerpts from
my 1978 diary, updated as I can find time to escape the '90s
and start up my "wayback machine." I was 15 years old.
All of the spellings, grammar, etc. are left original.
Fri. Sept. 1, 1978
 Today
wasn't good. Only thing that was good was that we got our yearbooks.
I came home thinking for sure I'd get the postcard. Did I? NOOOOOOO!
Lisa was with me. I threw her shoes down the street, stomped
on the texaco bill, then marie came along & asked what was
wrong. Lisa said I hadn't got a postcard from Buster. Marie said,
"Oh I saw him last Monday at the 2nd Chance" That really
got me & I said, "S**t, bull, you're f***kin'!"
Then I ran into the house. I threw my t-bear, it hit the light
fixture in my room & broke into a million pieces. I traded
it with the one in Bob's old room. Lisa stayed all night.
Sat. Sept. 2, 1978
We went to K-mart & the snapshop & got my pics. The
postcard didn't come! I cried. I wrote him a crazy letter explaining
how I feel. I rode my bike into Mossville to mail it. After putting
it into the box, I 'membered I didn't have a stamp on it! Rode
home with a flat tire & wrote another, enclosing a stamp.
The Brem's came over. Watched Saturday night Live & C&T
on a Midnight Special repeat from 1975.
Sun. Sept. 3, 1978
Bob & Chad came over. I called Buster. He sounded tired.
He got moved into his apartment Friday & was out all day
yesterday looking for furniture. The reason I haven't got his
postcard is cuz it's still in his briefcase! So is a letter to
his mom! He hasn't had a chance to get stamps. I could kill him!
I told him I plan to get a job at WCLL. He wants me to do it.
NOW! I wrote him a letter after I got off the phone & enclosed
2 S.A.S.E's. I also called Chuck. He hadn't heard from him for
2 weeks, so I told him what Mark had told me. He is gonna be
on the telethon tomarrow 11-12. Hy Walker was fired.
Mon. Sept. 4, 1978
Today was pretty good. I called Chuck on the telethon, and
pledged $5. He's soo sweet! Then me and ma went to Bergner's
and I had more copies run off of my C&T pics for pals. Stopped
at McDonalds and got chow. Came back and made chocolate chip
cookies. They turned out okay. Carol Burnett (reruns) are on
every weeknight at 6:30 now! Cut my thumb on a sodie can tab.
It feels great. I wrote Buster another letter. Actually, I typed
it cuz it hurts my thumb to write. I've been listening to WCLL
Chillicothe's station where I'm gonna try to get a job. I thought
it was just country, and ball games, but in the evening it plays
all of the new top songs, and has a request line. At ten, they
play the top 10 requested songs of the night. All in all, it's
pretty cool, and I'm just dying to try to get a job there! Ma
is gonna take me in to get my social security card this week,
then I'm gonna go there and see what I can do! I feel better
lately.
Tues. Sept. 5,
1978
Today was horrifying! Early release don't allow me to ride
the bus home or go to S.H. Ran 50 yd. dash in 8.6. Walked to
downtown Chilli. Went to WCLL & applied. She said to be a
d.j. I need a 3rd class operator's lisence. I left there with
an hour to spare. Went to Wendy's where I slopped an entire large
coke on my brand new slacks. I was so upset. She gave me another
one. I left there & walked around letting my pants dry. Went
back to school & called Mike & had him come get me. Called
Chuck & asked him all about the 3rd Class Operator's Lisence.
He is so sweet! He explained the whole thing to me very seriously.
I need to study & pass a test from the FCC. I have to get
a pamplet to study first!
Wed. Sept. 6, 1978
Had to run the 600 yd. dash. Did it in 4 min 7 sec. Mom came
and got me. We drove to a zillion radio stores. Not one had the
pamphlet. Then at the mall, at the Book Market, they did. Got
it for $5.95. It's called "Broadcast Announcer's License
Manual, a guide to FCC 3rd Class Exam." We went to Social
Security Office and got an application to fill out to get my
number.
I Read the Introduction of my manual. It's very interesting,
since this is what I want to do with the rest of my life! It's
gonna be tough, but I'm willing!
Thur. Sept. 7,
1978
Today was a bit better than the past few. Ran the shuttle
run in 10.5. Been studying my brains out in that manual. Turned
in my social security application, I'll get my number in 6-8
weeks. Got a sweatsuit. I'm learning my broadcasting real fast.
Gave a speech today introducing a classmate in English. I got
an "A" on it! I haven't gotten a written word from
that Buster yet. If I don't soon, I'm gonna scream! I'm doing
all of this brain racking learning just for him!
Fri. Sept. 8, 1978
(Joe Gusman's 18th Birthday)
 Today
was alright. No big deal. I got out of school at 1:18 cuz of
a pep assembly. Guess what? I still haven't gotten a letter from
Mark!! So, I wrote him one asking him if he really cares about
me. Tried to call Charlie a couple times, but he didn't answer.
Oh well.
Jumped 5'8" on the standing broad jump in P.E.
Studied some more in my manual.
Watched a preview show of the new fall cartoons with Erik
Estrada, and Scott Baio. Now I'm watching the 5th part of "Roots."
I've been watching since it started Tuesday night. It's pretty
good.
Sat. Sept. 9, 1978
Today was fun. Went shopping. I woke up with this brilliant
idea that I wanted my own radio station somehow. So, in the Radio
Shack catalog, dad found an AM Broadcaster Kit. Me, ma &
Lisa rushed out and got it! Dad got it put together, but it ain't
workin' so great. He'll fix it better tomorrow.
I picked up the wallet size pics of me & Mark. They're
really good. Not half as badly cut off as those first ones were.
Also, got the C&T reprints.
This is gonna be great!! My own radio station!
Sun. Sept. 10,
1978
Today was fantastic! WFIZ is born! It works wonderful now!
I'm a great d.j. if I do say so myself! And I do! Wow, my very
own radio station! It's even transmitted a ways outside. Me &
Lisa have been goofin' off all day on my station. We ironed on
letters on our shirts. They say WFIZ on the front, and our d.j.
names on the back. I'm Julie of IVC of course!
Mon. Sept. 11,
1978
 Today was so-so. We got
our class ring kits. I wanna get the insignia on top, the mascot
on one side & a radio thing on the other side. Should be
pretty cool! I'm doin' fine in P.E.! Today, I did the flexed
arm hang for 5 seconds, and I did 20 sit ups in a minute. Called
Chuck. He hasn't heard from Mark either! He says to give him
more time to get settled. I asked how I could get a "Z"
shirt. I have to WIN it! Mark was gonna GIVE me one! I ran my
station from 2:15 to 6:25. It's a blast! I caught up on my pen-pal
letters finally! But now my room is a complete mess!!!
Tue. Sept. 12,
1978
Today was good. I did an excellent job on my personal experience
speech on my "close encounter of the C&T kind"!
It was fun & exciting! I stole the stage. Had to get my picture
taken for the yearbook right after P.E. Yuck! By that time, I
was a greasy mess. Was goin' to the doc's to get a blood test,
but Ma didn't feel good, so we came on home. Didn't run FIZ much.
Got my homework done, picked up my room (boy was it heavy! ha,
ha!) & watched t.v. Did a bit of reviewing in my broadcaster's
manual. I'll do some serious studying tomarrow. Gonna call Mark
tomarrow nite for his birthday. That monkey!
Wed. Sept. 13,
1978 (Buster's birthday)
Today was great. Ordered my class ring. Dropped off my negs
at K-mart for C&T reprints. Got a Travolta calendar. Wore
my hair in braids tonight. I called Buster. He was late in getting
in, so I had to call back a couple times. He mailed me a letter
3 days ago. I SHOULD get it tomarrow. He is VERY busy working
extra hours. He wanted to know about CLL, so I told him 'bout
the "detail" he left out. Told him about my station.
He thought that was pretty neat! We had a nice little talk and
I can tell that he hasn't lost interest in me.
Thur. Sept. 14,
1978
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