Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Halacious

Before I do anything else, I have promised Jesus that I would encourage all of my darling friends to help in making an important decision regarding the President of the United States.

Furthermore, I should like to prove to all of you that I can attend a Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade and succeed in drawing attention to the people holding the Jesus signs instead of the guys in leather thongs. For those who venture to the link, mine is the last piece in the article and is subtitled "Taste the Rainbow."

Now to the business at hand. The two parties depicted in today's post are none other than fellow blogger Hal Perry and your humble hostess. Both pictures were taken in 1983 or 1984 when Hal was a sophmore at Ohio University and I was a freshman. We lived on opposite ends of the fourth floor of the co-ed MacKinnon Hall, which housed upper- and lower- classmen.

I would love to report that I have matured and evolved since this photo was taken twenty-plus years ago, but, sadly, and as is copiously evidenced by the props surrounding me in the picture, this is not the case. I, did, however, give up the cigarettes in 1993, so that's one thing you might find in the snapshot, but not on the present-day Erin.

I will soon be seeing how much Hal has matured. He is coming to Cleveland tomorrow to see his mother, as well as friends and family. For anyone who gives a hoot, Hal has chronicled his life online and references your humble hostess in numbers 21 and 24 of this post. Regarding what happened between us over the duration of numbers 22 and 23, maybe you can get it out of him.

It seems strange that I don't have a picture of us together during those years. We were good buddies and spent much time making the snarky arrogant commentary college kids seem to make about everything except themselves. But you can bet that we won't let this visit expire without a photo or two, so stay tuned.

33 comments:

Mackenzie said...

Erin, I'm buying your book. Maybe you will make 50 cents and be able to buy a soda. It's the least I can do...besides who doesn't like a story of a woman getting knocked up. I am that story.

Toby said...

Great piece on the parade.

I love the pics, I'm a few years younger, but I completely identify.

A typewriter!

Jesus Toast said...

Man you fancy pants, college graduate types are so snobby.

In 1983 I was turning 12 and just getting my drug empire started, many of the pictures of me from the same year had me holding a cig in my hand also.

ITs cool that you guys are still in touch, I hope it all gos well.

If you need help with Jesus signs, you can use my visage.

Velvet Fog said...

Was Hal on his way to a 70's porn star costume party?

josh williams said...

Great pics, beer, pizza, posters etc. The pizza made me hungry. Ciao JW

jamwall said...

that one pic is missing the "john 3:16" sign guy with the rainbow hair.

Larry said...

Erin...not to kiss butt, but I work in a Clevnet Library and I talked the Director into buying TWO of your butts....I mean books!!!!

Erin O'Brien said...

Blonde V: thankyouthankyouthankyou! I only hope you enjoy it.

Toby: yeah, a typewriter. NO ONE had PC's when I went to college. Shit! How old am I?

JT: Hey baby, older women know what it's all about. Believe me. Want to borrow my typewriter?

Dong: No. We were going to film one in my dorm room. Damn roomate showed up with one of her apes and we couldn't do a thing about it. By the time we were alone again, all the weed was gone. Hm.

Jam: I took many pix, including one of a guy wearing a shirt that said, "HOMO REPENT TRUST JESUS." Sweet, huh?

Erin O'Brien said...

Larry: I am applying lipstick in order to kiss the butt of anyone who pushes my book in any way.

Thank you!

*puckering up*

Hal said...

Dong,

I was actually a 70's porn star. My screen name was "7th Grade Meat." Prophetic, actually, considering what happened with Mr. Villi Fuaalau and Mary Kay Latorneau.

Everyone,

I'm sure Ms. O'Brien has piqued your interest with the little tidbits she quoted from my blog. I will be without computer during my time in Cleveland, but if I am able to sneak to a library or internet cafe somewhere, I will post on my blog, filling in the blanks about years 21-24.

What I will say now is, "what a long strange strip it's been." I will also say that I chortle every time I'm in a bar and I hear someone order a drink "on the rocks."

Cheerio!

P.S. I know you're all laughing hysterically at my haircut (circa 1983), as well as the flannel with the top button open, and my one comment about that is, go ahead. Laugh it up. Send it to all your friends and neighbors. Because it wasn't my fault. You see, I grew up on the east side of Cleveland (Erin's a westsider), and that look was finally dragged kicking and screaming out of style around 1987. At least in my neck of the woods, though one time when I was back there in 1994 or so, I still saw some of the Italian guys I went to high school look sporting the Travolta Saturday Night Fever look. So I blame that on the fashion trends of my surroundings, not my own lack of a fashion gene (I'm a straight male, after all).

josh williams said...

Hal, I think that was the Neil Young look, I dressed that way myself, Neil, Santana and Southern Rock.Flannel with the rolled up sleeves...Is this out of fashion?

jamwall said...

ahh the days of flannel, cokebottle glasses, teenage mustaches and heavy metal t-shirts...

~d said...

GOD these pix are great! Haha. If I could remember how to use my damn scanner-I found a pix of me when I was a bleached blonde! HOLY!
Going over to holla at Hal...
Peas, girl.

~d said...

**typewriter: in 1988 or there abouts I would type papers for whiskey. I have to 'glance/look' at my fingers, but I was willing to do it...for whiskey.
I had a Brother typewriter with a built in 'erase a line' thing. I was cool. And drunk.

Scarlet Hip said...

You are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. That is all.

josh williams said...

Just dropped by for a short visit, someone put beer in my organic soy milk last night and I was just patrolling my haunts looking for damage, minimal here it appears.So now I must move on to other regions and repair any glitchs the ole soy/beer mix up might have caused. On the beat of redemption, after my patrol its on with the flannel and out to do yard work! JW

Anonymous said...

I'd just like you to know that I have answered the call and made my decision. That is all. :)

Erin O'Brien said...

Hal: I will not tell anyone if you get off the plane wearing a plaid flannel shirt. Honest.

Josh: I promise to tell you if Hal gets off the plane wearing a plaid flannel shirt.

Jam: You said mustache! You know what that does to me.

Denny: *big squashy booby hug*

~d: Drunk typing. Hm. I know! *big squashy booby hug!*

Brooke: Thank you. I have been trying to convince my husband of that for years. So here: *big squashy booby hug!*

Josh: No booby hug for you, getting soy milk in all the beer! Bad Josh!

Nicole: Excellent. And glad to have you dropping in over here at the Owner's Manual. We Need Good Women and therefore, you definitely get a *big squashy booby hug!*

Grant Bailie said...

Funny thing: at first glance I thought the picture of Hal was an illustration of Lesbian Pride.

OK, maybe not a funny thing. But a true thing.

Unknown said...

I saw that typewriter in a museum last year.

Toby said...

How many words per minute, Erin?

Paul said...

Does Dorothy Hamill know that Hal was using her hair?

Erin O'Brien said...

Bailie: This is not how we make friends, Grantie. Now either play nice or go to your room.

Vince: Hey, we are all traveling at the same speed. And where is your typewriter? Still on your desk?

Toby: 25 words per minute, 2 beers per hour.

Paul: You're right! Hal, give Dorothy her hair back this very minute!

Toby said...

As the hours passed the first one went down and the second went up I bet.

~d said...

ERIN! I linked your tits on my comment section!
When is the next PJ party?!

LOVE you!!

Erin O'Brien said...

Toby: yeah, that's about right. Words is down to 12 and beers up to 4

d: My boobies' very first date alone! I am so proud!

Anonymous said...

Hey, I noticed you blogrolled me. Thanks! I'll get you tonight. On my blogroll, that is.

Can I ask a rude question that's likely to get me thrown off your blogroll? Why does a goodlooking woman like you use such a fugly cameo photo (the one in the comments above)? Is it to keep the pervs away?

Larry said...

Went to ~d's blog to see Erin's tits. They are the same ones that are on Erin's pages! ~d has some nice stuff over there, didn't see HER tits tho' !

josh williams said...

I was kidding about the soy milk...

~d said...

Erin has ~d's tits.

Grant Bailie said...

Oh sure, telling him he has Dorothy Hamill's hair is playing nice and just politely pointing out he bore a striking resemblence to a lesbian at one time is mean. Fine then. My own room it is.

Lipp said...

click
copy
fun

Hal said...

Grant,

Funny you mention that. For some reason, WNBA games broke out all the time in that room.

Paul,

Okay...I know that's a goofball hairdo I was sporting back then...IN THE FAWKEN 80's I might add...but you're way off the reservation with that Dorothy Hamill reference.

WAY OFF!