Frannie Goldsmithâs Things to Remember
July 6th, 1990
The Texas Rangers (baseball team) had a pitcher named Nolan Ryan who pitched all kinds of no-hitters and things with his famous fastball, and a no-hitter is very good. There were TV comedies with laugh-tracks, and a laugh-track was people on tape laughing at the funny parts, and they were supposed to make you have a better time watching. You used to be able to get frozen cakes and pies at the supermarket and just thaw them out and eat them. Sara Lee strawberry cheesecake was my personal favorite.
July 7th, 1990
There were gasoline shortages in the early 80âČs because everybody in America was driving something and we had used most of our oil supplies and the Arabs had us by the short hairs. The Arabs had so much money they literally couldnât spend it. There was a rock and roll group called The Who that sometimes used to finish their live performances by smashing their guitars and amplifiers. This was known as âconspicuous consumption.â
July 8th, 1990
âHang looseâ meant donât get upset. âRadâ and âgnarlyâ meant you weren't worried. To âboogie downâ was to have a good time, and lots of people wore T-shirts which said SHIT HAPPENS, which it certainly did⊠and still does. âI got greaseâ was a pretty current expression (I first heard it just this year) that meant everything was going well. âDigs,â an old British expression, was just replacing âpadâ or âcrashpadâ as an expression for the place you were living in before the superflu hit. It was very cool to say âI dig your digs.â Stupid, huh? But that's life.
July 12th, 1990
The Gillette parrot. âPlease don't squeeze the Charmin.â The walking Kool-Aid pitcher that used to say, âOh...YEAAAAHHH!â âO.B. Tampons...created by a woman gynecologist.â Converse All-Stars. Night of the Living Dead. Brrrr! That last one hits too close to home. I quit.
July 14th, 1990
Recessions, shortages, the prototype Ford Growler that could go sixty miles of highway on a single gallon of gas. Quite the wonder car. Thatâs all; I quit. If I donât shorten my entries, this diary will be as long as Gone With the Wind even before that Lone Ranger arrives (although please not on a white horse named Silver). Oh yes, one other Thing to Remember. Edgar Cayce. Canât forget him. He supposedly saw the future in his dreams.
July 16th, 1990
Mother Abigail!
July 19th, 1990
Iâm sorry, diary. It must be my state of mind. I canât remember a single thing.
