Returning home from the amazing time that I had had at the Valley Forge Sons of the Desert convention brought with it a certain degree of melancholy to be sure. But I found solace in returning to the letter-writing campaign with my friends from Eco Adventures camp that I had began during the two week and a half between camp and the convention. In fact, we were all trying to plan a summer get-together before school would resume at the end of August. Amazingly, we were somewhat successful.
We also had fun creating faux ‘movie posters’ in parody of the counselors and kids from camp. Here’s one such example from Eric.
While we made these plans, I otherwise occupied myself during my Summer days at home by hanging out with my friend Chris Demeter (seeing movies like Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives), resuming my autograph quest by sending out more fan letters, basking in my newly acquired Laurel and Hardy memorabilia, watching L&H movies on our new ‘big screen’ television, and of course, giving ample attention to my cat Jet (seen above, doing some summer lounging).
For the time, this was a giant TV and there was nothing I was looking forward to more than watching my Laurel and Hardy videos on it
Jetty
One interesting photo taken sometime during the summer was actually taken by my good friend George Willeman – although at the time he took it, we were not yet friends. My family attended numerous car shows over the year and unbeknownst to me, my future friend George did as well. The shot below was one that he took of a car, not knowing that off to the right was my Mom and me. This didn’t come to light until years later and I always thought it was an absolute hoot.
The jams make the fellow off to the right to be unmistakably me
After the exchange of many letters between Eric Hubble, Darin Anderson, Kim Littlejohn, and Wendy Johnston, we finally were able to iron out a way to meet up. Originally we – along with other camp friends Dorinda Dohner, Amy Angle, and Mandy Angle – were all going to go to Kings Island for the day. However, as late as the week before, the girls all had to cancel for various reasons.
So on Friday, August 22 (my Dad’s 39th birthday), Darin’s parents drove him down to my house from Upper Sandusky. He spent the night and then the next morning, Eric’s brother Adam drove him down from Bucyrus. On that Saturday, the three of us all went to Kings Island. I know we had a blast, being complete cut-ups, but the only really distinct memory that I have of that day is that Darin got addicted to the arcade games and ended up playing a game called Gauntlet over and over again – and Eric and I eventually went off and rode some rides on our own. Even my Mom recalls that after she picked up us that night, all the way home from the park Darin described this video game to her.
Darin arrives and I immediately make him go through my autograph selection. I did the same to Eric when he got there the next day. When Eric exclaimed “You have Clint!,” I cockily responed “I have several Clints” – not knowing at the time that all of my Clint Eastwood signatures were secretarials.
On Sunday the 24th, we did in fact meet up with the girls. My Mom took us up to Troy where they all lived and we had a get-together at Kim’s house and then also walked over to Wendy’s house for a while. I’m not sure what the three of us were expecting, but being horny teenage boys, I think we were at least wanting to play games like Spin the Bottle or Truth or Dare.
An extreme candid of Kim in the car (not sure where we were going). Yeah, obviously I still had that crush on her.
But of course when the girls (and the parents) had other things in mind – simple activities like badminton and grilling out, the three of us became somewhat obnoxious and began setting off Darin’s firecrackers – even inside Wendy’s basement! I really never remembered that we seem to have departed under bad terms until others’ memories and some letters refreshed my memory. After this day, I didn’t see Kim or Dorinda for another 23 years, and as of this writing, have yet to see Amy or Mandy.
In Kim’s backyard, shuttlecock net out of viewing range: Eric, Amy, me, Kim, Mandy, Darin (hidden), Wendy, Dorinda
I kept in touch with Wendy via phone whenever she would visit her Grandparents in Dayton (avoiding the long distance fees), but communication with the other girls tapered off, and became fleeting with Darin and Eric. I would meet with Wendy, Darin, and Eric one more time – and then it would be more than 20 years later for each of them as well.
Eric parodied the badminton suggestion – which we naturally prefered to refer to as ‘shuttle-cock’ – after our get-together with the camp girls
I prepared to go back to school, and immersed myself in my Laurel and Hardy project, which would include putting the finishing touches on a new newsletter for my Towed in a Hole Tent. From what I recall, I was likin’ life at this time.
1986 will continue with my first crack at a tent newsletter…
Jump back into the 1986 autograph trail…
I, uh…certainly meant no offense to Mrs. Littlejohn by drawing her in that manner. Lovely women, from what I remember. I had forgotten all about Harold Wenger! Good stuff.
Eric Hubble
October 21st, 2010