Skip to main content

Shredding the Cold War

Literally.

I was distracted (shock) from my Italian grammar lesson last night (like I'm not far enough behind my self-imposed schedule) by a friend who dragged me out of the house called and invited me to go to view a local tradition, The Balloon Classic's evening "Balloon Glo." 


Oooh.


Ahhh.                                              Did I mention I adore Colorado?

A great time was had by all, including my friend's daughter and her friend.  Although I have to wonder if either of the two teenagers (who have WAY better cell phones than, you know, people with paychecks) will one day start a therapy session with, "Well, my mom had this crazy friend ... "

Fast forward to this morning, Labor Day, I was renewed with a sense of productivity ... and destruction.

The shredding mission of my sordid pack-rat past continues.

This includes boxes of papers dating back to the Cold War, which I often refer to as the "good old days" when all we feared were pesky Ruskies with nukes.  Life was simpler then.  I didn't have all my business conducted online, so I just stuffed everything in envelopes, folders, and boxes - and hauled them around for 25 years.

I know that one day must have had this fear - that all the computers will could crash some day and I'd have to prove I'm not an insane criminal my existence - or that I did, indeed, pay my bills and have a bank account ... in 1985. 

Or, one day, there may come a time where I would need to access data on a 5 1/4" floppy, program something in Pascal, while curling up with the latest in Soviet strike capabilities with a Bartles and Jaymes Wine Cooler (because that's what I knew about wine back then).

What - you think Red Dawn can't happen???

Come to think of it, when I start on destruction of carbon check copies and pay statements that go back to 1984, (yep, still have every. single. one. Categorized by month and year.) I may have to bring home some B&J, and put on some of these ...


Oh .... the shame ...

1) that these are no longer in alphabetical order,

2) the only tape deck I have is in my 11-year old vehicle,

3) that I can't wait to hear "Cock Robin" because I sure as hell cannot remember what that was,

4) Air Supply.







I think my shredder has cooled off.  Back to the garage - and crazy town the 80's - I go.

Comments

  1. OMG I love your post! We have scary similar 80's musical tastes and yes I was definitely known to drink a Bartles & Jaymes wine cooler or 5 - lol! I'm also a bit of a hoarder and still have a good collection of my vinyl 12" singles - mostly Madonna but some Wham and ABC as well. I also used to live in Colorado & those balloons are beautiful - thanks so much for sharing and for the chuckle:) Hope you have a fabulous week!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ciao, Stephanie! Scary, yes? This was the result of one of those "Columbia House" record club memberships, I'm pretty sure. You have an awesome week as well. PS. Woke up today thinking about your last post ... craving cheese. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. When you figure "Cock Robin" out, do share! I laughed when I saw that, and no, I totally don't remember them either. Is that like "Cradle Robbin'" for our generation? lol.

    ReplyDelete
  4. OH! Cradle Robbin' - I just got that. (I'm slow, but coffee just kickin' in.) I'm going to have to suck it up and drive somewhere (only tape deck being in the truck) so I can listen to Mr. Robin (not sure I want to be on a first name basis with this guy - at least until he's an "ex" - in which case the name can be applied liberally).

    ReplyDelete
  5. I hadn't realized u added me!. lol Love the photos.. Are u learning Italian for the sheer love of the language or do u plan a trip over there? My oldest spent a few years there living and going to the university there and then doing her masters in Milan and interning at the WHO..

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello and welcome! I am learning Italian because I adore the language, but thinking of moving there - at least part time - in the future. I am actually spending a few months there this fall, and then a month in France ... then? We'll see! Great to see you here!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Omg I loved this post! And boy can I ever relate!!! Do you really still have boxes of cassette tapes? lol

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Java - shamefully admitting, I am, that ...yes - after these photos were taken I stuffed the boxes back onto the shelf. I knoooooowww.... :)

    @ADOC - Oh, hey, I listened to "Cock Robin" yesterday on Pandora while I was immersed in Italian lessons. So HERE is the song that I heard on a Sunday Night alternative radio station back then which inspired the Cock Robin purchase: "When Your Heart is Weak" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRnNpLOhn1Q

    The name of the band actually came from a story that took place in the 1600s, "The Marriage of Cock Robin and Jenny Wren." Weird bringing this up 20 years after I purchased the "tape."

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

All entries are strictly observations from my point of view. This blog is not intended as professional commentary on travel, wine, food, or any other subjects I discuss - it is for entertainment, an online journal, for my friends, family, and anyone interested in my stories or journey in general.

Therefore, I reserve the right to delete comments for any reason, including those that are malevolent or inflammatory toward myself or other commenters.

That said, thank you for reading, and sharing what motivates you.

Popular posts from this blog

Waterfalling in Love Friday

Happiest of Fridays my fly, funky, fresh-in-the-flesh blogging peeps. Java's hosting and we're playing. What a nice venue to share a little love poem.  I know, Little Ms. Cyincal-life-is-too-fabulous-to-be-bothered-with-man drama is going to write about love. Hey, people - I'm not made of wood you know.  It happens. Sometimes I get bit in the ass when I'm perfectly happy celebrating being unattached like it's my job fall in love. You happy? Strap in peeps, because it's a steamy one. Here we go.   Eh hem... Waterfalling in Love by that crazy broad at Living out of the Box Valerie Sometimes a drizzle Always the need to let your sweetness rain down on me. Sometimes a deluge Always thoughts of diving into a pool of you. Falling like the water from above The rush of you over me underneath you The promise of your scent still on my fingers, the feel of you sticky on my lips, the taste of you on my tongue… Desire draws me dow...

Where Heaven and Corkscrews Meet

How in the world can it be 29 July 2011 already?  Was it really two years ago today Living Out of the Box was spewed forth into the blogosphere? Were the last two summers really spent prepping for fall and winter adventures in Italy and France? Huh. So how to celebrate this blog-o-versary ... ideas?  Anyone? I'm still in the throes of reflecting fondly on the last week with my two favorite wine-drinking buddies whom I also had not seen in these last two years.  They came from the East (coast) bearing gifts of the bottled variety. I had saved a gifted bottle of 2005 Il Carbonaione for the moment we would all be together again, as D is the true Sangiovese lover of the group.  They were also my first stateside friends to open a bottle of a first release Chianti Classico by that same winemaker, Juri Fiore - a wine made from grapes I'd actually picked during the 2009 Vendemmia (harvest).  You can read about that interesting time in the vineyards here. ...

Will Work for Peeps - Easter Love from Across the Chunnel!

Lo Scoppio del Carro My 2nd Easter in Italy.  Last year I was in Piazza del Duomo trying to see the Scoppio del Carro (explosion of the cart).  I appreciate the tradition but not the crowds - once was enough. This year I'll celebrate quietly on my side of the river.  I hit the markets early yesterday with a strange craving to bite ears off chocolate bunnies but quickly squelched that by succeeding in finding only milk chocolate bunnies.  I settled for a 1/2 kilo of cheese & a bottle of Barbera d'Alba instead and high-tailed home.  Where I'm not leaving today.  So whilst I'm clogging my arteries with Montasio and getting knackered let's see what surprise the Easter Bunny left for you all.   This funny lady has come all the way from Staffordshire, England and was sitting outside with a "Will Work for Peeps" sign has taken time out from editing her book to engage in some non-traditional Easter mischief with me.  In addition to bein...