Playback Shack
Detailing over 30 years of audio and video obsession
Tues., July something, 1985
Jul 23rd
I’ve been out of school since June 14. Now I have a summer job (volunteer though) as a counselor for St. Clement’s summer camp. Today, we went to the Zoo, and if it wasn’t Maria Feeley driving me crazy, it was a “new” girl that did, Nancy Matthison. So, here goes my new list:
1. Lauren Chicklo
2. Nancy Matthison
3. Stacey Sweeney
4. Maria Feeley
Note from present day Mike: St. Clement’s summer camp was based right out of Finnegan’s playground in Southwest Philly. As you can see below, for some reason, Nancy Matthison’s actual handwritten name tag was preserved and affixed to this actual journal entry! I’ve apparently held on to it since that day in July, 1985… 25 years ago.
Nancy's Name Tag
Ya think she might need it back?
Friday, May 17, 1985
Jul 22nd
Well, I didn’t get a medal or ribbon Friday, but Saturday, I won silver in the 440 relay with John Rechner, Faze, and EGGY. We had off today and yesterday. Boy, that song “Get Into The Groove” by Madonna sure gets me worked up about Lauren. I don’t think I’m going to get The Hulkster now because I’m in trouble. So, to keep my self occu-pied, here’s a grafitti page.
"Grafitti page" from May 17th, 1985 entry
Note from present day Mike: John Rechner, “Faze” (Michael Ferry) and “EGGY” (Daniel Inemer) were all friends, classmates, and track teammates of mine from St. Clement’s. I would have been in the 7th grade when this was written. Back then, I was skinny and one of the tallest kids in my class. Although I was okay at it, I secretly hated running. I hated being out of breath. It always felt like my lungs were collapsing. How is that enjoyable? The obsession about this Lauren chick, who’d I’d apparently met just once, clears up a lot about how my love life was lived for many years after. Always falling in love, always believing in connections and love at first sight, and always thinking about the opposite sex. Of course, I’m also rambling on here about not being able to get “The Hulkster,” which I think was a WWF Hulk Hogan bendie toy from LJN if I’m not mistaken. Surprised that I was still playing with toys in 7th grade? Oh, I’m pretty sure I had toys until I was 14 or 15. It’s just what us creative, nerdy, visual types do.
Fri. May X, 1985
Jul 20th
Stacey hates my guts. Or so it seems. We’re going to the Sheraton this Sunday, Mother’s Day, for brunch at 2:00. On the way home from school today Dicer had contact with Mommy Guido, another one of his far-fetched lies. Dicer also said he crammed Hobbit- and I just said yeah. I’m going to get to the bottom of this by calling MRLPG (356-XXXX). I’m still having dreams about Blade’s Bladess, Lauren. I have a big track meet tonight at 5:30. Long jump. Sincerely, Blade.
Note from present day Mike: Every Mother’s Day, my family would head to the Sheraton in Concord, PA, right near Concord Mall. Now about those code names. “Dicer” was Michael DeMattei, my childhood pal from 80th Street in Southwest Philly. I guess we all had tough sounding street names, with Mike D. being Dicer and myself being Blade. Meanwhile, we were all of 11 or 12 years old or so. “Mommy Guido” was actually Portugese… Rosa LoPiccolo was her name. “MRLPG” was an amalgamation of her real name and our nickname for her. Oh, and there is no way Mike D. did a single thing with her. “Hobbit” was our friend Jenny Sullivan. She was a tiny little girl, hence our calling her Hobbit. No way Mike did anything with her either. We were just too clueless.
