Third Grade Journal – February 26, 1993
Today’s player of the day Moses Malone. Moses Malone is the only former American in the Basketball Assocition1. His number was 24 when he played for the Rockets. Now his number is 24 and he plays for the Hawks2.
1 – The only former American? Abuh? Even if I knew what a former American was I’m not certain that it would be accurate to call Moses Malone one.
2 – So his number was 24 before and it’s 24 now. Thanks for doing that difficult jersey number tracking for me. Did you know that Moses Malone was one of the first players to play professional basketball (albeit in the ABA) straight out of high school? Now that is good information. I think.
Third Grade Journal – February 28, 1993
When I was in Kindergarten my favorite centers was3 the reading, computer, coloring, listening, science, blocks4 and I liked the letter people very much5. My favorite one was SuperSocks6. I liked nap time too7, but now it’s my sisters turn8.
3 – Clearly not the grammar center. Get it straight, kid!
4 – Blocks center? Is this a basketball joke? If it’s not, is it really possible that learning centers in kindergarten put learning science on the same level as playing with blocks? This is all rather confusing.
5 – The letter people? What the hell was going on at Hager’s kindergarten?
6 – The SuperSocks. The SuperSocks? Can anybody tell me what on Earth SuperSocks has to do with anything? I’m so lost.
7 – Of course I liked nap time. I got to nap on the carpet next to Karen Rinkenberger (I promise that’s a real name), who was my main squeeze in those days. I wonder what she’s up to these days.
8 – What a sweet kid I was. All those great memories, and instead of wanting to relive them I was resigned to the fact that now was my sister’s chance to experience the greatness of kindergarten.
Third Grade Journal – March 2, 1993
I’d like to invent a machine9 car that has can be a car, a boat, a submarine, a helcopter and a airplane so spies could catch people easier10.
9 – I scribbled out the word “machine” because apparently I thought it would be cooler to have a modular car than just some silly robot.
10 – How many eight-year-olds would want to invent something that awesome so it could be used by spies to catch criminals? Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t mind taking it out for a spin, but that was clearly the secondary concern. Seriously, what a kid.
Third Grade Journal – March 4, 1993
Reggie Miller11. Reggie Miller’s ability to score points12 is part of the reason he was the Indiana Pacers (first NBA All-Star) selection in 13 years in 199013. He plays for the Pacers his number is 3114.
11 – Apparently at this point I was so deluded that I didn’t think Reggie needed the “Today’s player of the day” introduction. If only I knew then that he would become my least favorite player NBA history. Also: this blog update is not a copromotion with ESPN, which is airing the documentary Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks as I create this update.
12 – I have news for you: that’s his only ability. The guy can’t dribble, pass, defend, or rebound. All he can do or ever could do is catch and shoot the ball. That’s it. You know it’s true.
13 – It’s kind of sad when Reggie Miller is your first All-Star in thirteen years. I guess The Indiana Pacers aren’t exactly the premiere NBA franchise.
14 – Yeah, this about all anyone can really say about Reggie. There aren’t really any more positives to note.
Third Grade Journal – March 5, 1993
Today’s player of the day is James Worthy15.
15 – Not much fanfare for a guy who was better than Reggie Miller on the college and pro level. Sad. I guess I still had a lot to learn.
Ok Guy, I just read your whole blog and have had several laugh out loud moments! :-) I remember how crazy jealous I was that I wasn't a 'Maiden of Destruction' :-( But anyway, these are hilarious and I look forward to the next post! Hope you are doing well!
ReplyDeleteI seem to have a recollection of "letter people" in Kindergarten. They were inflatable letters that were characterized in some way that started with whatever letter they were. I'm assuming "supersocks" was the "S."
ReplyDeleteWe played a game with them at Oakview and I was horrifically bad at it.
Jessica - I am glad that you enjoyed it. Just know that you eventually made the team of Maidens, but were criminally overlooked in the first draft process.
ReplyDeleteYosh - And here I thought that I had a strange ability to remember things from this time. How do you make a game out of letter people and SuperSocks?
You "hide" the letter person somewhere in the room. If you're the first person to see it and point it out (at the appropriate time), then I think you got to hold it while the teacher introduced the letter person. As you can probably guess, I was terrible at finding these "hidden" objects (they were in such unconventional places as not directly in front of me or on my eye level!). Once, I saw it before the game started and so I didn't think it was fair to participate...yeah, I was that kid I guess.
ReplyDeleteLooking back, the day after we would learn a new letter, the teacher would hang it from a piece of string that ran the length of the blackboard. It seems somewhat creepy nowadays to think about "meeting" a new letter person one day only to see them hung from the blackboard the next. No wonder they hid--whenever they came to the room they were confronted with the bodies of those who had gone before! Supersocks or not, that's a spectacularly frightening scene.
Hahahahaha, yes, I agree that hanging the letters you've just met from the blackboard would be creepy and potentially traumatizing. I'd hide too if I was a letter person or whatever. I appreciate your integrity in not spoiling the game because you saw the object before the game started, and I'm sure the letter would thank you for the mercy you showed in prolonging its life.
ReplyDeleteConsider me amazed at your ability to remember all of these details. I don't remember any of this, so I can only assume that I wasn't too great at spotting the hidden letters myself. I guess we all have to start somewhere.
Remember, though...we did not go to the same school. It's possible that you didn't play this game.
ReplyDeleteI'm inclined to believe that we did play the same game, only somehow I've forgotten about it even though I loved it enough to write about it in a journal three years later.
ReplyDelete