My diary - April 13-15, 1973

Me & Anja

April 13, 1973 Fri.

Dear Smiley:

FRIDAY the 13th!!! Lucky day for me! Spanish test easy (watch me flunk). Julio & Anja & I had a long talk. Julio confided to us about living in Brazil. I missed Math cause took an easy Science test that I had to make up. Boy tonight I had the DAYLIGHTS scared out of me. We had a weegi board & calling Ruben Dario at Noveras! Well all the sudden we heard bells & “Soy el espiritu de…& I ran out!!! So did everyone else. David really started believing in spirits. It was a tape recording!

BYE!!!

Note: How clever of Mr. Novera to set up a tape recording, with eerie bells and then say in a scary voice, “I am the spirit of…” It was to teach us a lesson not to mess with calling spirits. It worked!

April 14, 1973 Sat.

Dear Smiley:

Slept to 11:00 I think. Read on “Frederica” all afternoon & morning practically till I finished it! GOOD! Sorta in grabby mood. Started my Spanish report on Don Juan Tenorio. YULK!!! Delivered some invitations to Dads & Mom anniv. party. Walked to Doris. Her dog ran across the st. & jumped all over me!!! I got a ride home on a mini-moto. Went to pick of Dave (went to Ponoloya with Boy Scouts) Went outside for short while.

BYE!!!

Note:  Writing a book report on Don Juan Tenorio was not my idea of fun, as he wasn't a fun character to write about. This story is where we get the term Don Juan. He had a bet on how many women he could bed. 

Frederica is an amusing book about a bored Marquis who falls for a woman searching for a husband for her sister.

At this time of my life, I was still terrified of dogs, having been knocked over by a Great Dane at age three and then bitten by my Grandmother’s dog. A dog running at me and jumping on me was terrifying.

A friend rescued me on a minibike!

April 15, 1973 Sun.

Dear Smiley:

Went to mass in Las Colinas. After church we went to the country club but it was open (pool). Well quess what I did this afternoon. I made my 1st 2 layered cake all by myself & by scratch. Came out Great!! Had my picture taken with it. Came out Great!!! Chocolate! Had my picture taken with it. Went outside by nothing great. Can’t stand Desiree. Reading “The Convenient Marriage.”

BYE!!!

Note: I remember baking this cake and Dad taking my picture. I was so proud!  Unfortunately, I have not been able to find the photo!

Rubén Darío

April 13, 1973 Friday (David’s Diary)

Dear Snoop, Fri

Today was a spooky day. I’ll get to that later. I woke up late. School was alright. Steve seems taller. I am taller than Mauricio by a lot. I played reg basket-cabra ball. I didn't play half court so well. Outside it was alright. Beck and Steve are mad at Patricia over something. She lends mini-bike to Blanca and Blanca never came back until Pat had to go home. We played Ouija. All of a sudden after calling Ruben Dario, a voice was heard. Everybody ran except for Beck and I. Here it was a spirit. No one did it. There was no explanation. 

Later we found one. Mr. Noguera had put a tape recorder there. It was about we shouldn’t burlar of espíritus. I was scared. I really thought there were spirits. I was the first to hear it the second time, find the tape and the culpable. Good night.

NOTE: Rubén Darío was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated the Spanish-language literary movement known as modernismo (modernism) that flourished at the end of the 19th century. He died in 1916. It’s interesting that he was the target in our séance!  Burlar of espíritus (spanglish) means to make fun of joke about spirits. The culpable is the culprit! (guilty)

David's Diary

April 14, 1973 Saturday (David’s Diary)

Dear Snoop, 

I’m so happy. No homework. I can barely see. That day at the beach was fun like anything. We surfed. I can stand and surf but when you surf on belly it seems faster.  

My body-front hurts from surfing on my belly----scratched I’m not too sun burned, I’m sleepy. On the way back we were in a hurry, ran over a chicken, hit a bus, scared 23 people. We were driving fast. 

Joe is a real nice guy. The other marines don’t like him though. He invited me to eat at the marine house. Nobody, especially Mr. HIngst likes the marines ruling the scouts. Dad going to back the marines up.

NOTE:  I remember going to Pochomil and surfing but am not clear if this trip was a family or a scout trip. I’m guessing it was the scouts with one of the Marines driving fast. Joe, the Marine, had a very positive influence on me. I enjoyed the tough drills and discipline that he instilled into our troop. I’m not sure why others wanted them away from the scouts.

April 15, 1973 Sunday (David’s Diary)

Dear Snoop, 

What a day. I slept in. I mean I really slept in. Mom had to wake me up to go to church! In church we only got to sit down once. I guess the priest was forgetful.  After that we went to the country club. We were going to swim but the pump was broken. I saw Enrique Delgado, he’s fatter now. We went home early with Onepe (sp?) kids since Dad and Mom wanted another drink. We cooked lunch. I volunteered to feed dogs in the morning. Later, Beck and I rode bikes. Went up to Altamira, explored an unfinished house, abandoned because of the EARTHQUAKE. We’re still getting tremblers. Outside at night we just sat and thought.  ZZZZZ Good night.

NOTE:  I don’t remember Enrique but it has to be hard to be overweight with a last name Delgado (which means thin). Checking out the Altamira area with Becky brings back good memories. Exploring areas by bicycle is still something I very much enjoy doing. I have been using an app called wandrer.earth that rewards and thus motivates you to explore new roads. See my unique mile log above!