1984

Watch it. Go on, watch it!

Boy-oh-boy, they sure liked that cable. They sure liked that flying scissor kick. David Lee Roth sure liked himself.

Cowboy boots and a towel, smoke rings, a hair dryer as mock weapon ... it all adds up to a perfect follow up to yesterday's post.

 Panama!

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Lesson learned

Erin O'Brien (bottom left) and associates circa 1981 in the Cleveland Metroparks.

The first time a park ranger caught us drinking 3.2 beer, it went something like like this:

After driving by one time slowly, he pulled back around and parked next to our collection of Monte Carlos and Vista Cruisers and Galaxies. He got out, pulled up his trousers and walked over.

"I see 'em hidden there," he said. "I see every one of 'em. Now bring 'em out and pour 'em out, my little friends," he directed. "Every one of 'em."

We did.

"Next time," he said as we upended the last can, "you kids get yourself some plastic cups. You put the cups in the car. You put the beer in the car." He looked at each of us purposefully. "You want a beer? You go in the car. You pour your beer into your cup. You get out of the car and you go on with your party." Another pause. "I drive by, all I see is kids with cups and no one's got any problems. Right?"

"Right," we said.

And that's the way it was, my little friends, back then, when I was young.

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If You See Kay

Emerging as one of the most remarkably symbolic voices of the early 1980's language deconstruction movement, April Wine released its tenth album, the whimsically titled Power Play, which included the devastating single "If You See Kay" in July 1982. Harmonic and occasionally vague in its conception, the subliminal message of the primal and consistently textural post-crush operatic love ballad unleashed a veritable tsunami of theretofore confined oral expression. An entire generation reveled in this crystallizing moment.

"Dudes just totally spelled f-u-c-k on the radio!"

To further embolden the undeniable premise, the groundbreaking video burst onto the scene with a crescendo of subliminal visual references that rounded out at the 3:20 mark when flash cards dared to  replace the title words "you" and "see" with the letters U and C, thereby fearlessly glancing off the actual spelling of one of the "dirty seven" on television screens from coast to coast, and prophetically previewing today's abbreviated text speak. To call the orgiastic climax a simple "debut" denies its galvanizing impression.

"Dude!"

While never conceding detail to realization, "If You See Kay" endures with quiet exaltation. As the effort nears it's 30th anniversary, its tangential message still evokes staggering echoes of not only its historical benchmark, but of its heroic (albeit circular) delineation of perceived and imagined boundaries.

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Salad days

The college years are both formative and exhilarating for young people.

Encouraging the co-ed to express her creativity by exploring her eclectic and whimsical tastes serves both form and function while nurturing the learning environment.

Engaging in a variety of healthy activities helps students maintain vigor and interest.

The importance of adequate rest cannot be stressed enough.

Consuming sufficient liquids is also crucial,

 as is proper nutrition.

Collegiate friendships are not only a necessary component of social recreation, they also build a network upon which students may rely for much needed interpersonal support.

While graduation day is a culmination of pride, hard work and accomplishment, it is also a solemn time for reflection  and humility.

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Today's photos, featuring your humble hostess and an array of associates, were taken circa 1983-1987 at Ohio University and the surrounding Athens area.

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Addendum per request:

The weekend visit home often includes special sharing time with old friends.

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