With Love From the Past

Last night, as I wrote the tome about my Dad (which I got in trouble for... Dad was not happy to sit down to read a sentimental dedication to him... when I came in this afternoon, he said, "I did NOT appreciate that"... well, Dad, sorry... but that's how I feel... and if I can't say it on the blog, I'm not likely to say it at all!!!), I was also messing around with an old, old friend. I would write a sentence about Papa John, then read a file or two from my old St*rwriter70. (That's partially why the post from last night was so disjointed.) Recently, while cleaning out a box of stuff in my home office at Forsyth, I ran across a disk that the computer wouldn't open. Not to be deterred, I brought it with me to M&D's to pop into the old Starwriter. (Yes, of course they still have it. And lucky for me, or I wouldn't have had nearly as much fun laughing through my tears last night!) Well, there was already a disk in it; so I found myself with TWO disks of fun! There are some boring things... research papers, bibliographies, etc., etc... but there are also some real gems. Honestly, I was expecting to find my little dog French tale. Alas, no petit chien was uncovered. But there was a particularly enjoyable little exchange between my beloved sis and me. I hope she doesn't mind that I'm about to post it. Unfortunately, I have to retype everything... because the paper wheel seems to be stuck and it won't feed... AND I can't save the files in any computer-readable types. So, I'm thinking I'll spend some time over the next few weeks doing some retyping. I'm quick anyway... and it's just so much fun to re-read all these docs!

Haley began the back-and-forth with a quick note while she was bored the day after Christmas, 1994. My reply to her wasn't until later-fall 1995... probably when I found the file while playing around on my Starwriter. I used to have it on a little cart (which has its own fun story) beside my bed that served as a nightstand and Starwriter-holder. It was actually a TV stand, but it worked VERY well for a number of years as a nightstand/Starwriter-holder, didn't it?! Anyway, I remember sitting on the floor beside my bed, typing away on my little Starwriter. It was just like a little computer... except with a teensy-tiny screen. You can only read about 6 lines at a time, so there's no fancy formatting or snazzy extras on these papers. But it served/serves the purpose very very well.

Anyway, without further ado... a sisterly exchange (apologies for the length... we're both evidently quite wordy):

Haley was here on the date of December the 26th, 1994. It is the day after Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse… except mother was bathing in the bathing room and sister was talking and trying on new shoes. Okay scratch that last part. You know, about the shoes.

Ya know what? I wish it would snow I wish it would snow I wish it would snow. But, this is a real neat-like gift. This computer typewriter I mean.

Tomorrow, tomorrow I go shopping tomorrow. Mea mater et mea Boone ambulatamus sunt. Latin scholar I am I am I am I am I am. I looooooove Latin. (Mea amo latino) I love Christmas also. (Et Christi Dies Natalis amo)

I hope I can save this little bit of creative thinking so in years ahead we can look back and chuckle on my writing.

Anywho, see you later, kay?

Love always,

Haley
Devoted sister
Loving daughter
Sweet girl
Latin scholar
4.0 student
Flute extraordinaire
Queen of the elf people
Lover of fine beef
Daughter of farmer grande




Haley, (get your nursery rhyme reading voice ready)

You, my friend, beloved sister, queen of elves, are strange!!! But I mean that oh so kindly. The masterful world of Heidi has once again chosen to bother you! Yea! Hooray! It’s the hours after drumline practice and all through the halls, all creatures (freshman to seniors) are stirring with extra courage and balls! They yell, shout and scream while I try to dream. Never do they rest, though Granville Towers is pressed… for dry rooms, I tell you. That flood got us all. From those six feet under to those six feet tall. Even Dante and Serge felt it, the power of God. The heavens opened up and we saw fire in the rod! ANYWHO… My classes are great and friends even better. I’s having great fun, even more with this letter. It’s fun to start rhyming, but then you can’t stop. Very soon I will have to, I’m afraid I will drop. But for now I go strong so you can see me… at the tip of my prime, the top of my tree. I ask you now what would please you most? A trip to the mountains, a trip to the coast? How about just coming to Chapel Hill? Imagine the happiness, imagine the thrill!! Come here now!!!!! You have a friend in CH!!!

So what do you think of my lovely letter thus far? I’m still working on it…

So you say you like Dante? The man or THE MAN? Boy, does Ashley have a story for you. I’ll tell it if I can. We were coming from Astronomy, going straight to Math, but that’s not where it starts! Roll your eyes… Laugh, laugh. The next class was Math for both of us at noon, though she had the luck to get out late. Oh swoon! I had already gone back to the great great South when Dante came up to Ashley and hit her in the mouth! Just kidding… But really she saw him. Came face-to-face… with Dante Calabria, and where was her mace?! Kidding again. She was stunned, she was shocked, and was definitely out-gunned. All she could do was grin and be funned! (Funned? Don’t ask me!) “He was big!” was all she could say, from his head to his toe to his big ole toupee!

Okay, I’m going to stop rhyming now. It’s getting hard! Plus it’s getting late (11:20 pm) and I still have to do about 2 hours worth of French homework… due tomorrow of course. Classes are killer, but they are really okay. I have to do mega reading for POLI 41. The biggest pain in the butt is getting the New York Times every day and actually reading it! There are some very interesting stories, but what do I care? I do, but just not at the moment. I’m really wrapped up in band right now. We had an extra drumline rehearsal tonight (6-8:30). It was great fun! But, I still don’t have my music memorized (I’m working on it!). I’m getting so excited about the Syracuse game! It’s going to be a blast!!! Can’t wait! Anywho…

Ashley really did see Dante. She was in such awe that she didn’t know what to do. Know the feeling? So, she just let that spectacular photo op pass by. But, we already have a plan. Now we know that he must have a class in Phillips Hall at 1:00 on MWF, so after we get out (both of us have Math in Phillips from 12 to 12:50), we will ‘hide out’ on the front steps to Phillips for the necessary 10 minutes. I will see him! Ashley also met a girl who says she stayed at his house the other night. Yeah, right, like he’s not saving himself for you and me. She said they and a bunch of other people played Sega until 7:00 am. Whatever! As if!

Then I ate lunch with Vince Carter! Well, not really ate lunch with im, but we were in the same cafeteria! He lives in West now, by the way. He is really big!!!

Anyway, I’ve got some phat French to do, so I had better go for now. I’ll be seeing you real soon. Keep the light on for me. And don’t worry about friends. I don’t have any either! It’s cool. We’ll be friendless (and Clueless) together. By the way, that reminds me. We’re going to see Babysitters’ Club on Sunday afternoon. So, find out the showtime before then. I’ll try to convince Ashley to stay with Kasey, or maybe my suitemates are going home… Gotta go! Ran out of room! Love you.