November 10 Friday

B(spare)-Dave, Christine and I went to the shops, got donuts, sat outside Steinberg's. Dave and Christine said they were going swimming tonight. Lunch-Ralph, Linda, Ruth, Dave and I went to the C.C. and stood in the corner. Watched people swimming through the windows. On the way in we passed Chris, we said "Hello Christopher". nite-smoked my last splif before anyone came, got stoned. [I'm waiting for Dave and Linda to arrive so that we can go to Alan's (they're late of course)]. About 7:45 Ralph, Dave, Danielle and Linda came. Ralph brought a thing that squirts water. At 9:30 Mike F. came. Everyone left at 11. [Dave Danielle Linda and me went to Alan's. Dave and I hid and followed D + L to Alan's. At Alan's Lesley was already there. Left at 11 pm. Nothing much happened.]

 

November 11 Saturday

At 2 the old man drove me to Fairview, met Ralph and we walked to Dave's. Took a T-Rex picture out of Sue's room and I drew some of it. Watched 'Bugs Bunny', then we walked to McDonald's and ate. Went back to Dave's and Diane came over. We frizzed our hair by teasing. At 10 we went out in the field with a flash light and one of us had to find the rest in the grass . Got a ride with Ralph at 11:30...Ralph's account does not match in all details- [Rode my bike to Dave's. Alan was there. Went to MacDonald's at 6:30. I now owe Alan $1.10 and Dave 20 cents. Went back to Dave's. Andy had called while we were out. We called him back 2 times but he was out. Diane came at about 9 pm. Went outside and played hide and seek in the field in the dark with a flash light. Went back to Dave's for 30 min, got picked up at 11:30 pm]

 

November 12 Sunday

nite-at 6:45 Lesley came over, I scared her when she came in by sitting in the dark and opening the door [to the basement room]. About 7:30 Dave and Ralph came. Drank grape juice, tried to get the record player to work. Read bits out of this book and the others. They left at 9:30. [Went to Dave's at about 3 pm. Witnessed a fight with his mother about some glass that lights up that he had broken [?]. Stayed for supper. Rode our bikes to Alan's. Stopped at my house to pick up pictures of Oct 14 for Lesley. Got to Alan's at 7:25. Talked about memories. Alan's record player was dead again. Alan read out of his diary [which probably inspired my switch to the notebook diary. Even at this time we were already nostalgic for our own (brief) past together, and concerned with the preservation of that past, and the ongoing present, for future reference]. Left at 9:30 pm.

 

November 13 Monday

Richard followed me to the student's lounge, he caught up with me before I got there. Lunch-Ralph, Dave, Ruth, Andy and I went to the C.C., sat outside the rink. Andy left then Lesley and Linda came. We went in and sat downstairs by the data room. French-stood by the main entrance then Ralph, Dave, Christine, Gail Astles, some guy and I went to the shops. Ran into Ralph and broke my watch strap. Got donuts, sat outside Steinberg's. Math-Andy and Mike didn't go. English-didn't do anything, talked to [Dave] Webb and [Tom] Niven [Tom was a friend of Dave Webb's and also Rod Smith (->). He, Dave and Lora were part of a jock group, and I became friends with them in English class] about groups at the Pierrefonds Arena. After school Christine, Linda, Dave and I got Dave's bus and we went to Fairview. Got the album 'Jethro Tull Living in the Past' (76). Walked around, got the 4:15 bus.

 

 

 

76. This album reminds me of November 1972, with a feeling of snow and medieval imagery. In fact the period since September 1971 can be vividly recreated in my mind with the music of the time. For Lesley's basement (late 1971) it is Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin IV (I know we listened to Uriah Heep, one album cover had some sort of serpent monster on it, another was a mirror, but I don't remember their music at all (since writing this I have got hold of a 'best of' CD and they sound like Deep Purple...). Ten Years After's 'Shhh', Jeff Beck's first album (with Rod Stewart) and Alice Cooper's first three were also important (though 'Love it to Death' stands out. Minor ones included Dave Mason, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and others long forgotten I'm sure), but Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath evoke the strongest memories). Dave is of course T-Rex, and the times at my place and Gillian's are also T-Rex and Jethro Tull (my place is "Thick as a Brink" and T-Rex's "T-Rex", Gillian's "Benefit". Ralph is brought to mind by "Stand Up"). Of course there is other music ('Hocus Pocus" by Focus (Ralph. This album, or at least the song, was huge in Montreal. Another album that sticks in my memory is the underrated first release by Blodwyn Pig 'Getting to This', which Ralph also owned), Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Ralph and Gillian...actually on second though, we listened to ELP far more than the journals would indicate this year. At this time Gillian's parents owned the most advance stereo of anyone we knew, which lent itself to reproducing the then high tech sounds of this band. The song 'From the Beginning" especially reminds me of there), Alice Cooper (Lesley and Chris), Zappa (Don and Ralph), the Stones 'Exile on Main St.' (summer my place) but T-Rex and Jethro Tull will always represent 1972 for me.

 

A brief history of Jethro Tull