  Hmmm spinning a rod, eh? For some reason I don't think Richard and his siblings had cable TV or Nintendo... either that or maybe this was just a weird boy thing to do that I can't relate to. All I know is that I don't think my sister and I ever used to "spin rods". I'm not sure I even know what that means.
Do kids who forget their lunch money really have to go lunch-less for the day? That's so sad! You'd think someone would have lent him money. But if not, I bet Richard learned his lesson and never forgot his lunch money again.
Oooh the teacher caught Richard reading a love letter! He's lucky he didn't get it taken away. This was the same teacher that caught my friend Jaime and I writing notes to each other. Jaime and I weren't in the same science class, but had the same teacher and realized that we sat in the same seat. So we decided to be super-sneaky and leave each other notes taped under the table. When I was in class, I'd write her a note, tape it to the underside of the table and a few periods later, she'd find my note, write me back and repeat. We thought we were pretty clever until one day, my tape didn't hold and the note fell to the ground. Mr. Lohse found it, had a talk with us, and we never did it again. But we did start using code names in our notes. Duh.
---
“1-24-97. Dear Diary, Here are the highlights from the note that Richard gave me today! His birthday is June 11, 1983. Last night his brother was spinning a rod & it lost control & hit him in the eye. Here’s a whole paragraph, word for word: I forgot my lunch money today. So I’m not going to be eating lunch (duh!). I hope today gets better than it’s been so far. But with you around will brighten my day! This note had a heart in every corner & a little thing that looked a lot like this: XXX OOO. It had hugs & kisses inside! Awww! How sweet! Richard came up to me at my locker and told me this: He was reading the note from me in Science class when Mr. Lohse walked in the room. Mr. L asked Richard what he was doing. Someone in the class yelled out, “He’s reading love letters!” Then he had to put it away. O-kay?! -Krista”
   Quick historical fact-check on Eva Peron's death... she died of cervical cancer... which is not exactly something you can fix with "those shock things" (AKA an external defibrillator). I wonder if Richard's team lost points for that.
I feel like Rachel D's ploy to get Brandon to dump her is not unique to middle school. I think there are people at every age who don't deal well with confrontation and see that as an easy out. However, I think there are two differences.
1. Rachel had already dumped Brandon three times in a time period, I'm guessing, of less than five months MAX (since the beginning of that school year). Adults, on the other hand, would have already given up on a relationship with that kind of track record... or with that kind of on-again, off-again status, adults wouldn't even consider it an exclusive relationship-- thus, no need for an official break up at all.
2. I'm just guessing that most adults wouldn't fictitiously criminalize themselves to get a significant other to break up with them. They would actually criminalize themselves. What's the point in spreading false rumors that you've been cheating? If people are going to think you're a cheater anyhow, you should probably just cheat and at least get some pleasure out of it. Hey, if that's what it takes to get your boyfriend or girlfriend to fall into your "trap" and dump you, you might as well kill two birds with one stone.
Okay, just to clear things up, I do not condone or support cheating by any means. I think cheaters are selfish cowards who want what they can't have and are afraid of honest communication with their partner. Pretty much goes hand-in-hand with the type of people who devise plans to get their significant other to break up with them. And now we've come full circle.---
“1-23-97. Dear Diary, Here’s something that I forgot to tell you yesterday. Richard had play practice after school. But he came all the way back to my locker just to say goodbye! I got another note from Richard today. Highlights: His favorite radio station is Jet, same as me. This note had a heart at the bottom also. When I look at where he wrote ‘Love’ at the ending of the note (Love Richard) that reaches deep down inside my heart. He really meant it when he wrote ‘love’. It’s just touching to know that someone loves you that much. Richard did his presentation in Social Studies today. Their country was Argentina. Richard’s timeline was all on Evita and Juan Peron. Him & his group acted out when Evita Peron died. Ryan was a doctor using using those shock things on Evita. And Richard was Juan, Evita’s husband. Well, they had Christina be Evita! When Ryan announced that Evita (Christina) was dead, Richard pretended that he was crying & he said, “Oh no! Not Evita! My poor dear Evita!” That really bothered me. I’m kinda mad! I guess I shouldn’t be worried because he still signs his notes with Love & a big heart. Rachel D told me that she doesn’t want to go out with Brandon anymore. But she wants him to dump her because she already dumped him like 3 times. She told me not to tell anyone, not even Amy. She wanted me to tell Brandon that I saw her flirting with a bunch of boys. So I did & I think he’s mad. She told me & not Amy! I was talking to Rachel about what Brandon said when I told him & Sandy was around. When Rachel left, Sandy said, “I know what she’s trying to do.” I asked her what & she said, “Trying to get him to dump her.” I asked her how she knew & she said that she & Rachel are like best friends & Rachel tells her everything. Does that mean that I’m like Rachel’s best friend too? Well, if she told me & didn’t want anyone else to know… ? I hope so cuz Rachel’s really nice & she would make a cool friend (she already does). –Krista”
  So you would think that being liked 90-110 on a scale of 1 to 100 is pretty darn good... but I'd like to question... what does that really mean? How can you say that you like someone a range? Does that mean on a bad day, he liked me a 90 and on a good day, he liked me 110?
Or does it mean that there were some things about me that he only liked at a 90 level and other things he liked at 110 level? If so, I would guess those things were my braces and my sense of humor, respectively.
Perhaps it means that he hadn't really decided how much he liked me... he just knew it was a lot. But in that case, why would he ask to quantify something he couldn't even quantify himself? Seriously, what's the point in setting a scale if you can't even pinpoint a single number?
I wonder how I responded to him. ---
“1-22-97. Dear Diary, Richard gave me a note this morning. Highlights: He gave me his picture. He doesn’t know if he can go to the movies Friday but, & I quote, “he sure hopes he can go.” He’s the Bishop in the play. Listen, here’s a whole paragraph that he wrote WORD for WORD, this is exactly what he wrote! This might sound stupid but if it doesn’t, then that’s okay. From a scale of 1-100, what number would represent how much you like me? Mine would have to be 90 and up to 110. That’s how much I like you. He said that Lance said, “If Richard had braces, Richard and Krista would make sparks!” As a P.P.S., he wrote, I’ll be thinkin of ya! This note also had a heart on it. Everytime I read the scale part of the note, I just melt! Even though he doesn’t have much dating experience- he sure knows what I want to hear! Well, I’ve gotta go! See, there I go! Krista. I LOVE RICHARD!”
Allow me to introduce you to Diary #5...  Yes, Diary #5 is covered with a luxurious velvet/velour material. Sexy.
Here's the inside of the cover... Old school label-maker! Hell yeah! What dates the diary more... the velvet cover or the old labels?
Onto the first entry...   Three notes in one day-- that's INTENSE.
INVU4URAQT... I remember being so confused by this. Yeah, I understood what it meant... but why would Richard, a boy, envy me for being cute? Wouldn't that mean that he wanted to be cute like me? Odd. I take that back, I am still confused by this.
Casual acronyms like this one really took off starting in middle school. Okay, disclaimer: I recognize INVU4URAQT isn't an acronym... but you know what I mean... strings of letters that represent words in some way or another. Haha. Anyhow, this was years before we started using OMG, WTF, and TTYL.
Instead, these were the years of...
- C/M - Call Me
- W/B - Write Back
- WBS - Write Back Soon
- WBASAP - Write Back As Soon As Possible
- TTFN - Ta Ta For Now
- LYLAS - Love You Like A Sister
- YBFFAA - Your Best Friend Forever And Always
- WAZ ↑ ↓ @? - What's up, down, all around?
Yes, I found those by looking through my two-inch binder filled with middle school notes.
Two other things I found were Sorry So Sloppy (written with one big S and all three words written beside it) and Boys Before Books Because Books Become Boring (written similarly).
Do you remember any more to add to the old school acronym list?
---
“1-21-97. Dear Diary, Hello! I think that’s what I’ll call you. Plain-diary. But that’s okay. NOTE TO THE READER: Please read my 4 diaries before this. Cuz if you don’t you won’t know what’s going on. So… Today (this morning) Richard gave me a note. Here are some of the highlights: He made me a bracelet (string)! He said that he thought the dance was awesome! He wants my school picture! He wrote INVU4URAQT! Get it? “I envy you for you are a cutie” Then on the front of the note he wrote – QT (cutie)! Then I wrote him back & he wrote me back. On this note some of the highlights are: Well, he said he was writing in SWEP & he didn’t want Mrs. Sam to catch him. This note ended with: Love, Richard! Then he wrote me another note. Highlights: He said that his parents don’t let him have girlfriends, but he does anyhow. This one ended with Love, Richard too. Every one of these notes had a heart drawn somewhere on it! WOW! He doesn’t know how much this bracelet means to me! He is so sweet! I hope this relationship lasts! I showed Kasey the bracelet from Richard. She said she knew about it because Anthony told her. Richard called me after school today. He asked what time the movie that Monica & I are trying to get a group of people to go to on Friday is going to be. Whenever he calls me he says, “This is Rich.” He calls himself Rich! I’m sorry but that’s kinda funny. Well, gotta go! Krista I LOVE RICHARD!”
  So dramatic!
"At a first glance a diary is just a book containing blank pages. But after you fill it up and use it for a long time, it means much more than that." So profound!
---
“ALSO 1-20-97. Closing. Well, well, well! It’s been so long! Since September 9, 1996. Wow! It has been a long time! But now I must move on to other diaries, to other pages of love & hate. Throughout this diary you will find me: LIKING 7 BOYS & GOING OUT WITH 2 BOYS. Yraid, you’ve been very important to me. Through your pages lie a lot of exciting, happy, and sometimes sad entries. You are my 4th diary out of who knows how many. Luckily, you had a happy ending. And so I must depart & move on to many more diaries. At a first glance a diary is just a book containing blank pages. But after you fill it up and use it for a long time, it means much more than that. I truly will miss you, Yriad. –Krista THIS DIARY WAS USED FROM SEPT 9 ’96 – JAN 20 ’97.”
  I can't remember if we've been over this already. Anthony was Richard's next-door neighbor who was also friends with my sister Kasey because they were in the same grade. Actually, I think they might have dated at some point, but I'm not sure. To make this love triangle (more like love pentagon) even more complicated, Anthony's sister Joanne was in my and Richard's grade and from what I remember, she always had a HUGE crush on him.
Anyhow, teenagers today don't know what they're missing. They're so busy thinking they're all cool with their own cell phones that they probably don't even realize that the advent of the cell phone has seriously reduced their options when it comes to spying on their siblings. If no one is using the communal family house phone, how can you possibly listen in to your sister's conversations? Through her bedroom door? Lame. And obvious.
Back in the 90's, it was so easy to pick up another line, cover the mouthpiece and/or hold your breath, and listen in to other people's private conversations. Was it fair, moral, or right to do? Of course not. But reality TV was limited at the time and nobody kept blogs, so it was the best entertainment you could get in the "watching-other-people's-lives" genre. Don't get the impression that I was the only one doing the spying in my household. Incorrect. My sister did her fair share as well!
It was always frustrating when you got busted though... when they heard you pick up the other line and knew you were there, listening. Kasey would say something like, "Who's on the phone? Krista! Get off the phone! I heard you pick up!!" Sometimes I'd try to just stay quiet and ride it out until she was convinced I wasn't really on the line. Other times, I'd give up and attempt to hang up as slowly and carefully as I had tried to get on... so as to not admit fault.
But then I discovered THE TRICK. If you unplugged the cord from the phone first, picked up the receiver from the base (it couldn't be a cordless phone), and THEN plugged the cord back in... voila! It was much quieter and less noticeable than trying to slowly pick up the clunky receiver. And there, my friend, is THE TRICK... I just wish I knew someone who could benefit from it today... but alas, with cell phones there is no TRICK. There is no spying, period.
Thank goodness we have reality TV and blogs.
---
“1-20-97. Dear Yraid, Anthony called Kasey today. I picked up the phone to listen into their conversation. Anthony said, “Put Krista on!” Kasey said, “Why?” Anthony kept saying, “Put Krista on!” & Kasey kept saying, “Why?” So finally I said, “I’m on.” Well, then, Richard came on the phone! Here’s how the conversation went. RS: Hi. KD: Hi. RS: They forced me to do this. This is Rich, of course. KD: I know. RS: Did you go to the movies Saturday night? KD: No, no one went because no one could go. RS: Well, I’ll see you tomorrow. KD: Yeah. Bye. Then Anthony came back on the phone. AB: Will you go out with Richard? KD: Yeah. AB: SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES! I’ve gotta go! Bye! KD: Bye! I’m going out with Richard again! YES! Well, I would have rather told him to his face, but this will suffice! Well, I have to go dream about Richard! -Krista I LOVE RICHARD!”
   "I think this next relationship with Richard is just the start of more award-winning boyfriends in my future."I love it. As much as I LOVED Richard and even went so far as to allude to him being my 'husband', middle school relationships were so disposable that I knew no matter how much I was crushing on Richard at that moment, it would have been unrealistic to expect him to be the person I'd be with for the rest of my life. Maybe just for the rest of that week, month, or school year-- until a newer, better crush came along. After all, Richard did only make me feel dreamy "most of the time." Certainly there'd be a boy out there that made me feel "dreamy" 100% of the time. But "award-winning"?... hahaha.
This stuff with Doug is just ridiculous. It annoys me that that I seriously thought that sharing a pop meant more than just sharing a pop. Sad thing is, I knew girls in college who still thought that way. So annoying. "Andy asked to borrow my Sociology book tonight because he didn't buy it... he was totally flirting with me!!" "I was in the pasta line in the cafeteria and Paul reached around me to get the asiago and said 'Excuse me'!... do you think he likes me!?" Ugh. Zero tolerance for that crap. Unfortunately, in middle school, I WAS that crap.
And I had a terrible sense of humor when it came to "dick" jokes... if you can even call it that. Just immature all around, really. I want to slap my middle-school self and say "grow up!"---
“ALSO 1-18-97. Hello again Yraid, Thinking of Friday night gives me the chills. It was so perfect! When Richard asked me out, most of my friends were around me. They kept saying in my ear, “Say yes!” Maybe I should’ve. Oh well. I have to wait until Tuesday. Oh!! I can still feel his hands on my waist. I wish I could relive last night! I’d do everything the same. I just want Richard again. I LOVE RICHARD! I keep having so many flashbacks of the dance. It was just too wonderful. I loved it! I’m most likely going to say yes to Richard. I know for a fact that he likes me. I wasn’t quite sure Craig liked me at all. I think this next relationship with Richard is just the start of more award-winning boyfriends in my future. I feel so dreamy! That’s how Richard makes me feel, most of the time. At the dance, Jaime & I were sitting drinking pop at a table. Doug & Danny sat down. I had already drank out of my pop can & Doug asked me if he could have a sip. I let him. After he drank a little he gave the can to me & I took a sip. That’s how good of friends we are. We’re like brother & sister totally. So, that would make me Jaime’s sister-in-law in a round-about way. Cool! Now we’re one big happy family. With a soon-to-be new person. My ‘husband’ Dick, that’s sick, I meant to say Richard. We’ll I’ve gotta go dream about Richard! -Krista I LOVE RICHARD!”
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