Speech – Page 4 – A Life in Words

Week Twelve, 1983

Published on April 11, 2013 by Elissa Coxen2 Comments

Saturday 19 March

Am staying at dad’s tonight cause he’s going to Brissy on Mon. Anyhow, saw American Werewolf in London (3 time!) with Pellings video. Then later in the arvy after lunch of pizza (yuk!) we made; all went to Freshy Creek!

Sunday 20 March

Saw ‘Can’t stop the music’ on Pellings video (2nd time!) Later (again) in the arvy, went to Karens for a swim. Weren’t allowed so went to Lake Placid! is TREADLY!

Monday 21 March

Day 3 at school today! My favourite day! German! Typing! Home Ec! double English! Art! Maths! TREADLY SUBJECTS! Today was lengthened as parade was extra long & we missed out on half a period – was Typing too! In art started the body. I have a record so far – my face drawing was picked to go up & so was my space landscape one. Hope I have luck with my body.

Tuesday 22 March

Had a trim – fringe. Cut so short. Lucky no-one teased! Had Mr. Roff [our school principal] for Typing. – was TREADLY! At first he gave us a lecture on our uniform – a disgrace! Then when we were typing, we could do whatever we wanted because he didn’t understand. I went back tot he very first things we learnt – fff space jjj space fff space etc! !!!

Wednesday 23 March

Mum went shopping. Bought Mars Bars, heaps of biscuits and icy poles. After school, about 7:00 went to Leonie’s to swap dad’s car for ours while ours had service by Roger. Played tiggy around the courtyard. Stopped and I was sopping wet with sweat! Not to worry I hadn’t had a bath anyway. Didn’t have one when got home either. Will have it in the morning.

Thursday 24 March

Finished our geography unit & started history. Is so boring. I hate it. Going to speech for the last time. Have decided to give it up due to the amounts of H.W. Got Nana’s cartons from the railway (Figgy did). [Nana – mum’s mother – moved up to Cairns from Brisbane, and in with us…] Big heavy, things! But shouldn’t be mean. Mum had the car serviced. Didn’t do much. She also cleaned Leonie’s place, bringing in $40.

Friday 25 March

Last night, started reading the Bible. Is quite interesting. Today made my jam drops. We had a different teacher so she didn’t notice us eating the mixture. Yummy (when done) but makes you thirsty. Went out with Figgy to his boss’s place for a French Party. Made us wear a frog. Got my new things today. Shoes = mum & me, silvery metal colour low heel / Top = black & white stripe, sleeves adjustable. Good for win. or summer. And black tights for me.

Week Nine – The Family Split

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Saturday 26 February

Am making a book about ‘the New Price is Right’ got up to the “(so & so) come on down” with an audience. [‘The New Price is Right’ was a TV game show I was enamoured with] Anyway did that all morning, then went to Freshy Creek with Pellings. Petra & Doug went too. David L. was there. Am sleeping at Petra’s tonight!

Sunday 27 February

Pazz-azed up my cover page in my book but spent most of the day shifting in, is surprisingly nice & comfy! Couldn’t reach Karen to tell her, so I got toni instead.

Monday 28 February

Didn’t sleep well last night. Kept waking up and cause of the full moon, the sky was so light that I kept thinking it was morning. Toni walked me to the bus stop. Met Joanne, Julie, Lyn and Sandra. Talked & I told them about it all as I did to everyone else during the day. [By ‘it’ I think I am referring to my parents’ separation & our resultant weekend move] Did cooking first lesson/time today. Made a salad of cheese, tomato & lettuce with crackers & Punch (orange cordial (rich yuk!) with diced up apple in it)

Tuesday 1 March

Quite boring today. Rebecca broke-up with Natasha. Got (finally) 1 textbook. (the one I wanted mostly) Maths! Fi came this afternoon. Had a drink and a snack, then went walking & talking. Showed her my New Price is Right Book and she (like everyone else thought it was good!) Julia went riding again (on bikes) today. Yesterday she went into Shane’s bedroom. He hasn’t hung up the fancy name I did for him last year. He said he would. [Aspiring entrepreneur in primary school, I did drawings and artsy-farsty name ‘signs’ for a small fee!]

Wednesday 2 March

Today the teacher/student debates started Team 1 (students) was Fran, then Justin then Angela. Team 2 (teachers) was Mr Stephens, Mr Tunley and Mr Wrench. Angela & Mr Wrench didn’t have time so they’re on tomorrow. I was timekeeper and I will be tomorrow ‘Figgles’ came for tea last night. Tried not to notice him. Got new lime green 4-door Centura Corolla! Good but – engine whirry and back doors stiff to open. Got it Mon!

Thursday 3 March

Speech – had heaps of HW! Nothing much in the way of HW for high school. Shane B. sat right next to me, just to see my book. Disappointing! Shane hasn’t paid much attention to me. I ♥ him! Not puppy-love either. I have since Grade 5. And I always will. Am still having trouble in the way of sleep. Am so tired. Before I had growing pains, Hayfever, Suffering from lack of sleep and Twisted Ankle in one go. Had that ankle twisted since Mon.!

Friday 4 March

Last night was pretty good. Hopped up at 2:00 to have some Ak-tavite to help me sleep. It worked! Tiresome day. At PE John was upset about all the mistakes in square-dancing everyone was making & he said “I want my Lissa back!” to me! Shane S. punched my leg and told me to move as I had it on his seat in the bus. I did, obediently! ‘Figgles’ again came to tea, with his new car. Mum & him went for a drive in the lovely rainstorm (finally!) & took ages to return…

Week Seven, 1983

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Saturday 12 February

Went to K-Mart again with Petra & Mima. Mima & Polly ended up staying tonight. Went to the Rocks. Took Petra, me, Julia, Lysarne, Mim, Rebecca, Polly & Atrso (Dad took us)

Sunday 13 February

Stayed up late and I’m very tired. Julia went sailing with Petra so I went to Mim’s & spent the day there. Sent love notes to Philip and mathew.

Monday 14 February

VALENTINE’S DAY

Got hay fever (or something like it) yesterday. Didn’t get anything done over the weekend (HW I mean) today the Anti-Histereen [! histamine] tablet showed its effects. I was asleep on my feet all day except on the bus & the afternoon – I had a splitting head-ache. Sons & Daughters is coming on tonight! Just before “The US Hero”. Went to Rebecca’s. Natasha was there & she tried to help us on our project.

Tuesday 15 February

PS 14th: Didn’t get to give Shane a Valentine’s card!

Nothing much today. Got in sport houses 8ABC & 9A are Trinity [sport houses were named after local northern beaches] & we’re red. I’m not in one race at all. It’s not fair. Got project done, only just. Lost the info, so we had to write down some other garbage. Speech was okay. I was best behaved! Am going to show Mrs McI. my poem about the Hawk! Went to Rebecca’s after. Decided on a new instrument:

A Life in Words — Diagram of ‘The Instrument’
(we had to design a musical instrument)

Wednesday 16 February

PS 15th: Yesterday was quite crowded after all and Mr V.S. didn’t even look at our lovely, tinsel-covered project. After we rushed to finish it. Not one look!

Changed now! I’m first on the list of relay 1! Am happy! 9B, 8DEF (Fiona’s) Eliss [misspelled ‘Ellis’ as in Ellis Beach]. 9C GHJ Clifton – green. Elliss – gold. Kurrwurra [Kewarra] – 9DE 8KL – black & white! Young Frankenstein was fab! No HW due to the carnival tomorrow. Thank God!

Thursday 17 February

We won! Trinity won – 668! I didn’t win my relay though because Melissa and Cathy weren’t fast enough. Connie started beautifully, Melissa went second, fairly well, Cathy went third losing the race for us then I went last (not boasting) pretty good. Ellis were second, Clifton 3rd, Kewarra 4th. Almost forgot my bus money this morning but managed to get it in time. Today wasn’t a Day 1 unfortuneatly. Special Occasions like today are called Day 7’s. [From memory, at Smithfield High our class timetables didn’t follow a typical working-week calendar…we had 6 timetabled ‘Days’ which meant the timetable made a full rotation in 6 weeks…unless of course there was a Day 7 thrown in ‘for special occasions’. No idea why this system was adopted..to keep us on our toes?!]

Julia and I with our only female cousin, Jodie. Peregian Beach, early 1970's — Julia and I with our only female cousin, Jodie.
Peregian Beach, early 1970’s

Friday 18 February

Today Auntie Bev had a baby boy! They might call him Anthony or Timothy! One problem though, I wish it was a girl. I only have 1 female cousin – Jodie. Fi came over. Wanted her to sleep but I ended up staying at her place. Not much HW I need to take. In fact – none at all! Home Ec on Mon. Oh no! Not fussy Cassy! (Caswell) Started Geography today. We’re not doing History this semester now. Pooey!

Week Five, 1983

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Saturday 29 January

Today we played with everyone (the gang our gang) Made toffee when Pellings went at 4 for a party. Watched TV cricket. Petra went – Robbo’s came for tea. Sleeping at Peta’s Now. Goodnight!

Sunday 30 January

Mum & Dad came to Robbo’s had lunch with a game of cricket. Then went to beach for BBQ tea. Girls are staying tonight (Again!)

Monday 31 January – Australia Day Holiday

Peta & I played dress-ups then Peta & Marney went home. We went down to Petra’s to make a cake. 1st time Petra misread the recipe so we had to start again. When we came home Robsons were here. Watched TV had a bath, watched it again while having dinner. Mum got uniforms – far too big. Aussies tying 2nd Eng 8 Aus – 8 NZ – 10. NZ’s in the finals.

Tuesday 1 February

Went to Speech with Mim & Elisia at 4:45. [‘Speech’ refers to ‘Speech & Drama’ lessons. I originally took them for elocution training for my nasality, read: I “talked through my nose” – which I still can fall back into nowadays. It was apparently due to a ‘lazy soft palate’ and I had to enunciate “Go – Ah – Egg – Ah – Get” repeatedly, for homework!] Also got books. Mum hasn’t fixed dresses, oh no! Had to have Promite sandwiches instead of ham because there wasn’t any! Told Mima about Beka taking Fi off us. She doesn’t mind. From what I understood she hates both of them. [hate? such strong words used in our youth!] In her form she’s got Elisia, Jay & Anthony. Lucky! I wonder how Jason feels about being alone?

Wednesday 2 February

Got good pictures for History Project. Lucy was away yesterday but came & got sick again today. Changed forms again, though Karen & I were together. Rebecca is in 8A so we’ll be doing all our lessons with her. Went to her place to get pictures. Have History tomorrow – hope Karen brings everything! Lorelle & Shane fighting. See 3rd

Thursday 3 February

Now Lorrelle is going with “Gordon” and has dropped Shane. They’re fighting, see? I think Shane has a crush on me, at least I hope so. He seems to hang around. Instead of Maths in Period 7 today, we unpacked al the new Home Ec. Utensils & Things. Was fun! John L. thinks Carmen is a spunk. So does Shane B. I think. Scott does too! Doble Period History. Got more pictures for our project. Karen forgot everything again.

Friday 4 February

Am quite friendly with Natasha sat in front yesterday (going home) we talked and laughed (Inger, Rebecca, Me & Natasha) Shane sat in front of me! This day was packed! HW – Essay, Project, Instrument, Rules Poster. Had a swim at Petra’s then Lysarne stayed the night. Might have Lucy & Mim Saturday night, though Karen & I are going to Rebecca’s in the morning to do the Project. Have to do essay soon. Maybe tomorrow.