I always wax nostalgic for the Fall season. Over the years, it has meant a lot of things to me: the beginning-of-the-end of the year, the oncoming holidays, the start of the new TV season, the changing and falling leaves, crisp air and early nights, my birthday, and a general coziness as I tuck myself away indoors. I can distinctly remember the Fall of 1995 because it was my only Fall living with Lisa at the Woodman Park Apartments.
Once the Summer ended, I returned to my part-time education advancement at Wright State University in September. I took two marketing classes, Consumer Behavior (3 credit hours - I got a B) and Direct Marketing (3 credit hours - I somehow got an A), two unmemorable classes if there ever were any. Speaking of school, Ashleigh, who was living with her Mom at her Nana’s house back in Beavercreek, began kindergarten this Fall. She started at Shaw Elementery and her first teacher was Ms. Buechle. My baby girl was growing up fast.
Kindergarten 1995-96
One other thing that sticks in my mind during this time period - a bit of an odd thing that actually defines this era in my mind - was the broadcast of a comedy marathon for their Third Annual Film Preservation Festival on the American Movie Classics (AMC) channel, which began on Monday, October 2 and ran throughout the week. The 2nd was my 24th birthday and although I don’t recall what we did to celebrate, I remember that Lisa gave me a black address book and the colorized videotape of The Fighting Kentuckian. I attempted to videotape all of it, and got to see lots of comedy shorts from various vintage comedians that I had never seen before: the spanish version of Laurel and Hardy’s Pardon Us, The Boy Friends, Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly, Charley Chase, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, The Three Stooges, Burns and Allen, Jack Benny, and many others. I have good memories of rushing home from work at the Beavercreek Kroger (even during my breaks) to insert a new tape and catch whatever they were showing on my little color TV, cuddling up in our bedroom in the apartment.
Speaking of classic comedy, I continued to faithfully plug along by holding the monthly meetings for our tent, two in October and one in November. I also completed work on Dante’s Info #14 in November - late as usual. You can read more about this issue in an upcoming posting.
Lisa and I celebrated our one-year anniversary of when we first ‘got together’ on October 21. I can’t remember what gift I gave to her but she got me a new kitten. I had long wanted to get a cat as I hadn’t had one since Jet died in December of 1993. Although Lisa wasn’t a cat fan, she decided to go to a pet store and pick up a kitten for me. You can read more about this little creature in a forthcoming posting.
We entered the tri-holiday season with Halloween, and spent Trick or Treat at my Mom’s place in Kettering with Ashleigh and Briana. Christi had brought them over there and I assisted in applying their costume make-up. Ashleigh was a cute little mouse and Briana was the most adorable (even if a bit silly-looking) clown that you would ever see in your life. Lisa and I also attended a special Halloween screening of the classic horror film Psycho at the Neon movies. It was here that we were able to meet Janet Leigh (read more about that here).
On November 11, 1995, my confirmed-bachelor friend George Willeman double-crossed me and decided to get married to his lovely girlfriend Felicia Kludy. Lisa and I attended the wedding services in Springfield followed by a lovely reception where I was pleased to hear the band Morphine at his reception and scarf down some fruit cups and cheese. Thanksgiving fell on November 24 this year and does not produce any specific memories, but I would guess that we went to Lisa’s house in Sidney in the morning and then to Diana’s in the afternoon.
Mouse and clown
Briana digs into the candy
Skinny Ashleigh and her bean bag chair
Ashleigh with her friends in the pumpkin patch
Ashleigh (standing center in blue) with her class celebrating Thanksgiving
And with that…Fall came to an end and we entered the Christmas holiday season. We would enjoy Christmas at Woodman Park one last time and then we would soon be moving into another home.
Pleasantly grumpy with the Fall glassware
Lisa is getting into the Christmas spirit
Up next: Preparing for Christmas 1995…
Click here to see our meeting with Janet Leigh…
Click here to see Dante’s Info #14…
Click here to see the new kitten…
ahh jeez. dont i look ridiculous. i know now to never let you put makeup on me ever again.
briana
December 8th, 2007
I kind of remember this day. We got ready at nana’s and then went to grandma’s to go trick-or-treating. I look cute =] and the girl that I’m with in the pumpkin patch is actually in my government class this year..her name is Stacy Cunningham. haha
ashleigh
December 9th, 2007